Neighborhood Notes has the scoop on newly opened Portland bakery Cupcake Jones (was Babycakes PDX but they changed their names, according to Neighborhood Notes, because of the bakery of the same name, Babycakes, in New York):
The name refers to "jonesing" for a cupcake, but it also refers to Lisa's dad, who loves cupcakes. He was adopted, but took the last name of his birth parents (Jones) as his middle name. Sweet story, huh?
Another source of interest is the anatomy of these cupcakes. At Cupcake Jones, each cupcake (except the Red Velvet) has four parts: cake, filling, frosting and garnish. For example, the Belmont Berry marionberry velvet cake is filled with marionberry infused pastry cream, topped with marionberry buttercream and garnished with handmade vanilla chocolate curls. The filled cupcake concept is credited to Lisa's fabulous baking crew. They core the center of each cupcake - just like you core an apple - and inject some sort of tasty filling into the middle of every cupcake. It ensures equal parts frosting/filling and cake. Mmmmm.
Everything is made by hand at Cupcake Jones. They even candy their own citrus peel, edible flowers and chocolate mint (which Lisa gets from her mother-in-law's garden) for their garnishes and make their own marshmallows.
Cupcake Jones has a really great menu concept. They offer "daily" cupcakes, which means you can get certain types every day, but they also offer flavors that you will crave every day of the week. Today's cupcakes are Choco Mint and Monkey. If you don't get them today, you'll have to wait until next Monday for your fix.
Not much info or photos yet on the Cupcake Jones site but hopefully we can coax them into an interview and get the scoop and some pretty pictures. For now, you'll have to satisfy your cupcake jones by actually heading over there. And this is not cupcake-related, but I cannot help but also recommend Staccato Gelato. When I was there in March, I tried thin mint gelato and raspberry brownie gelato that were to die for. That plus a cupcake, plus Ground Kontrol, well, I could just about move to Portland!
The name refers to "jonesing" for a cupcake, but it also refers to Lisa's dad, who loves cupcakes. He was adopted, but took the last name of his birth parents (Jones) as his middle name. Sweet story, huh?
Another source of interest is the anatomy of these cupcakes. At Cupcake Jones, each cupcake (except the Red Velvet) has four parts: cake, filling, frosting and garnish. For example, the Belmont Berry marionberry velvet cake is filled with marionberry infused pastry cream, topped with marionberry buttercream and garnished with handmade vanilla chocolate curls. The filled cupcake concept is credited to Lisa's fabulous baking crew. They core the center of each cupcake - just like you core an apple - and inject some sort of tasty filling into the middle of every cupcake. It ensures equal parts frosting/filling and cake. Mmmmm.
Everything is made by hand at Cupcake Jones. They even candy their own citrus peel, edible flowers and chocolate mint (which Lisa gets from her mother-in-law's garden) for their garnishes and make their own marshmallows.
Cupcake Jones has a really great menu concept. They offer "daily" cupcakes, which means you can get certain types every day, but they also offer flavors that you will crave every day of the week. Today's cupcakes are Choco Mint and Monkey. If you don't get them today, you'll have to wait until next Monday for your fix.
Not much info or photos yet on the Cupcake Jones site but hopefully we can coax them into an interview and get the scoop and some pretty pictures. For now, you'll have to satisfy your cupcake jones by actually heading over there. And this is not cupcake-related, but I cannot help but also recommend Staccato Gelato. When I was there in March, I tried thin mint gelato and raspberry brownie gelato that were to die for. That plus a cupcake, plus Ground Kontrol, well, I could just about move to Portland!
Comments
They have interesting combinations like strawberry margarita, almond joy, creamsicle, and raspberry truffle. They seem to pay close attention to quality here.
I have tried a few cupcakes at the other cupcake bakery in Portland and can truly say that the cupcake jones ones are bigger, higher quality, and much more beautiful.
I also have a few friends who go to St Cupcake more often than I (it is a little further away from me) who have mentioned that the service there can be inconsistent.
Cupcake Jone's taste like how real cupcakes should taste, fresh, and exactly as advertised.
Not to mention Saint's store is much more welcoming and not so kitsch. Lets be honest, brown and purple at a cupcake place...KITSCH!
i take all my out of town visitors over there as a treat.
Saint what? never mind - just go to CJ and your cupcake need will be satisfied.