The CakeLove backlash

Posted by on


Seems that Washington, D.C. bakery CakeLove (which now has six locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia) has almost as many detractors as Magnolia Bakery.

Here's City Paper blogger Brianne Downing:

CakeLove seems to just be a glorified Safeway bakery. For one, I couldn’t believe my eyes when the person behind the counter wrapped the first cupcake, a raspberry frosting on vanilla concoction, in wax paper. What happened to the idea of using tongs to delicately place a frosted treat into a cardboard box, preferably in little cupcake stands? The folks at this shop definitely have the right idea when it comes to the cute cardboard boxes, but Brown needs to hit up a couple other cupcakeries — yes, I’m making that word up — and see how the treats should be presented. Heck, he should use his Food Network show to pay for the trip!

Delleicious DC blogger Danielle Buckley (and DC/Metro Area Cupcake Meetup organizer) says of CakeLove's inclusion as the top "Great Places for Cupcakes" in Washingtonian magazine:

WHAT!?!?! Cakelove is number one?!?! Who voted on this and what drugs were they on?!!?! Of all the people who have read this blog, commented on it, or engaged in a cupcake discussion with me (which is quite a lot), not one single person has had anything positive to say about Cakelove cupcakes. If you're reading this and you've enjoyed Cakelove's cupcakes, please share with the rest of us what exactly you enjoyed, because I am rather confused.

What do you think?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I've tried three CakeLoves -- in DC on U St, Shirlington, and the one in Tysons. Most of the cupcakes and cake slices have been pretty tasteless and dry, even at "room temperature." Although I had a halfway decent mocha cupcake and a small slice of carrot cake two weeks ago. Those were decent enough but still don't compare to Georgetown Cupcake, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, or Crumbs.. CakeLove doesn't deserve a place on anyone's "Best of" list.
7/09/2008 7:43 PM
Tarts and Tattoos said…
I have never been to a CakeLove or even live near enough to go BUT I do have a cake catering business and it's called "Butter Cupcakery". So I do think cupcakery is a word- keep using it!
7/10/2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said…
I heard all this hype about Cake Love when I moved here last August, but when I got there I was terribly terribly diappointed. First of all how dare you tell me that you want my money but I have to wait 15 minutes before I can eat the cupcake. Then when I waited because I wanted to see the truth it was horrible. It tasted like something that my 5 year old brother made. It was dry and the icing was nasty.

Now, on the other hand my friend got a chocolate cake for her bday from there and it was cool. It wasn't the best, but I did enjoy it much better than the cupcakes.
7/10/2008 11:29 AM
Anonymous said…
Would they have 6 locations and thousands in sales if they sucked? Someone is buying them....alot!
7/10/2008 2:36 PM
Anonymous said…
yep - I agree, the cupcakes are pretty mediocre. Dry and fairly tasteless. Plus the ones I had were buttercream frosting and served straight from their refrigerated case. So all the icing was hard and tasted only of butter.
7/10/2008 2:59 PM
Anonymous said…
All these comments about the cake being dry in the same sentence as saying the cakes are in a refrigerated case. Hmm, maybe Mr. Cakelove should visit Alton Brown (they're on the same network, right?). I thought everyone knew the basics that putting cake in a refrigerator is going to suck all the moisture out of it. I bet CakeLove would have a decent product if they just put the darn things in a room temperature, or SLIGHTLY (as in wine cooler, not ice chest) cooled display. Oh well.
7/10/2008 7:01 PM
Katie said…
YES, I agree. I have had many cupcakes all over the country, overseas too. I think cakelove is just a bunch of hype. They were nothing to write home about...
7/11/2008 8:08 AM
Erin said…
Everytime I eat there I am disappointed, room temperature or not the cakes are at best, edible.
7/11/2008 12:17 PM
Anonymous said…
i LOVE cakelove. and from personal experience, i've had alot of cupcakes and alot of cake slices and alot of everything. That is because I work at CakeLove. It seems as if only the customers that hate CakeLove seem to blog about their rants and their hatred, but let me tell you this; the majority of the customers that come to CakeLove are regulars. For example, I have a father and daughter that come every single Saturday afternoon to get their cupcakes.

And for leaving the cupcakes in a refrigerator....would you want to come into a bakery that had their cupcakes melting in the heat? It's really not that hard to just wait a little and there are even some people that like it cold.

So to me, the cakes and cupcakes at CakeLove are great. I love the strawberry on vanilla the best and to me, the cake is not dry, just dense.
7/11/2008 2:04 PM
Anonymous said…
We went to CakeLove in Canton once and will not go back. The cupcakes were stale and dry- ick.
7/11/2008 3:22 PM
Anonymous said…
Brown needs to focus a little more on his baked goods and not his "Food Network Celeberity" my lust for Cake Love Cupcakes diminshed with each bite of a Georgetown Cupcake masterpeice. Maybe he should move on to pies!!!
9/22/2008 2:18 PM
Anonymous said…
I had the same experience at the Silver Springs Cakelove, the cupcakes were dry & nasty , and when I emailed them they were rather indignant! Thats the last time I go there!
10/08/2008 8:57 PM
Post a Comment