Orlando and Tampa bakery reviews

Cupcakes Take the Cake reader and Spartanburg Herald-Journal reporter Michelle Reynolds visits cupcake bakeries in Orlando and Tampa, Florida and reports:

The first one we went to was Sweet! by Good Golly Miss Holly, which is very new and has a not-so-great name. The cupcakes there were extra large and very attractively decorated. They also had some fun and unique flavors - Dulce de Leche (caramel with a lot of cinnamon flavor), Cookies N Cream, Key Lime and Boston (like a Boston cream pie). However, I found the cake to be way too dry, and the icing hard and also dry - very disappointing. I took some pictures of their cupcakes, however, and plan to keep their designs in mind.

The second bakery, The Cupcake Spot in Tampa, was much more promising. I could tell when we walked in the door at 4 p.m. and much of the cupcake case was cleared out that this place was going to be good. This place also had some unique flavors - the Elvis (banana cake with peanut butter icing and a little chocolate dollop), Butterscotch Babies (butterscotch cake with vanilla icing and butterscotch chips) and the Fuzzy Berry (strawberry cake with vanilla icing and coconut on top). They also offered tiny sample cupcakes of a key lime flavor, which was very good and also reassured us that this bakery had much better cake than the last. Oh, and then there was the way-cute guy at the counter … but I digress.

When we dug into our cupcake sampler boxes later, we were very impressed: The cake was moist, the icing was soft and tasty, and the flavor was good. I had red velvet, Elvis and butterscotch, and they were all good. My one qualm was with the chocolate icing and cake. I can't put my finger on what it was, but it didn't taste like real chocolate to me.



And! She included a s'mores recipe and others - her cupcakery visits inspired her to bake her own. That's one of the best things about cupcakes - you can bake them, buy them, or both! The recipes are from (see our interview with Krystina Castella here) Crazy About Cupcakes, and here's the one for the Tropical Lime cupcakes pictured above (photo by Mike Bonner).



Tropical Lime Cupcakes

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 teaspoons lime Jell-O (optional)

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lime zest

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or lime concentrate

Green and yellow food coloring (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Graham cracker crumbs, for garnish (optional)

Lime slice candy, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Insert liners into 2 cupcake pans.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating 1 minute after each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and Jell-O, if desired.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Mix until completely integrated. Add the lime zest and lime juice. Mix the batter for 30 seconds. Add food coloring until desired color achieved.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only moist crumbs.

Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Slowly sift in the confectioners' sugar and continue beating. Mix until lumps are gone. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until incorporated and frosting is a spreading consistency. Taste for sweetness, and add more sugar if desired.

Spread icing on cupcakes. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top, if desired. Top with a piece of lime slice, if desired.

Recipes adapted from "Crazy About Cupcakes" by Krystina Castella