Last week, I went with my family to Jilly's Cupcake Bar in St. Louis, Missouri. I wasn't sure what to expect, but my first thought when I saw their cupcakes was, these are huge! My next was that they are pricey - some were $3.75 and some were $4.25, and to my eye (though it's been a while), they were just as big if not bigger than Sprinkles' cupcakes. Or, as Gene Y. on Yelp puts it: "These are some giant, gigantuan, monstrous, the mother of all cupcakes...at least in terms of size. Yes, they're quite sizeable. 1 cupcake = 1 meal? Quite possibly."
The bakery itself had plenty of room and a fun, cozy atmosphere, with high chairs and coloring sheets for kids and an assortment of coffees and teas as well as breakfast and lunch options.
Chocolate thunder cupcake
As I was sitting down with my cupcake and chili (I ate them separately), a woman said, "I like your cupcake bag." I said something like, "I have a blog about cupcakes" and it turns out she reads this very blog! Two of the women were celebrating birthdays, so we chatted and took a photo. Ladies, it was fantastic to meet all of you and I hope you enjoyed your cupcakes!
Me in orange with Birthday Girl #1 Pam L, Birthday Girl #2 Kayte, both of St. Louis, and JoLynn of Kansas City, Missouri!
It wasn't until I sat down and really looked at my chosen cupcake, the peanut butter and chocolate, that I realized why they were so expensive. They're filled cupcakes, plus they have two kinds of frosting on top.
Peanut butter chocolate cupcake
The frosting was mousse-like and rich; not thick but very sweet; I had trouble finishing it, but I did manage, with some help. The chocolate cake was very impressive, one of the lightest I've had in...ever, I think. It was just incredibly fluffy and worked well with the mousse. Most of the chocolate thunder cupcake got eaten before I had a chance to taste it, so that one was a hit. I was told to try the Jilly's on the Beach ("Madagascar vanilla cake infused with vanilla syrup, stuffed with key lime custard, and topped off with a mango cream cheese frosting and a kiwi buttercream"), but they were out of them and I was honestly full from the one I had. Oh, and these are definitely best eaten with a fork rather than trying to hold and take bites out of, since they can get messy.
My one complaint is that while these were delicious, I don't always want filled cupcakes. I wish they had more non-filled options and more of the slightly smaller kind of cupcake, for variety's sake, but barring that, it was a delight. I'm so glad they had real food too because I needed to eat lunch and a cupcake wasn't going to cut it.
I like that they have lots of different flavors and get creative with the fillings, so it's not just the same old same old. And this is not a complaint so much as me being a night owl; they are not open very late, probably because of their location, so if I worked there I doubt I'd have time to get there during the week.
(Note Cookie Monster cupcake in background - one of the women I met had snagged a Cookie Monster with huge marshmallow eyes that was super cute.)
My aunt told me that the cake there used to be very bad, and we spoke with the owner's sister who said they'd since gotten a new pastry chef, so if you're like my aunt and had tried them when they first opened, it's worth another visit. I hope to return to St. Louis this summer and will definitely go back (as well as hit up Sweet Art, which I didn't get to try and The Cupcakery again).
See my full Jilly's Flickr set here.
Jilly's Cupcake Bar
8509 Delmar Blvd
Saint Louis, MO 63124
314-993-5455
The bakery itself had plenty of room and a fun, cozy atmosphere, with high chairs and coloring sheets for kids and an assortment of coffees and teas as well as breakfast and lunch options.
Chocolate thunder cupcake
As I was sitting down with my cupcake and chili (I ate them separately), a woman said, "I like your cupcake bag." I said something like, "I have a blog about cupcakes" and it turns out she reads this very blog! Two of the women were celebrating birthdays, so we chatted and took a photo. Ladies, it was fantastic to meet all of you and I hope you enjoyed your cupcakes!
Me in orange with Birthday Girl #1 Pam L, Birthday Girl #2 Kayte, both of St. Louis, and JoLynn of Kansas City, Missouri!
It wasn't until I sat down and really looked at my chosen cupcake, the peanut butter and chocolate, that I realized why they were so expensive. They're filled cupcakes, plus they have two kinds of frosting on top.
Peanut butter chocolate cupcake
The frosting was mousse-like and rich; not thick but very sweet; I had trouble finishing it, but I did manage, with some help. The chocolate cake was very impressive, one of the lightest I've had in...ever, I think. It was just incredibly fluffy and worked well with the mousse. Most of the chocolate thunder cupcake got eaten before I had a chance to taste it, so that one was a hit. I was told to try the Jilly's on the Beach ("Madagascar vanilla cake infused with vanilla syrup, stuffed with key lime custard, and topped off with a mango cream cheese frosting and a kiwi buttercream"), but they were out of them and I was honestly full from the one I had. Oh, and these are definitely best eaten with a fork rather than trying to hold and take bites out of, since they can get messy.
My one complaint is that while these were delicious, I don't always want filled cupcakes. I wish they had more non-filled options and more of the slightly smaller kind of cupcake, for variety's sake, but barring that, it was a delight. I'm so glad they had real food too because I needed to eat lunch and a cupcake wasn't going to cut it.
I like that they have lots of different flavors and get creative with the fillings, so it's not just the same old same old. And this is not a complaint so much as me being a night owl; they are not open very late, probably because of their location, so if I worked there I doubt I'd have time to get there during the week.
(Note Cookie Monster cupcake in background - one of the women I met had snagged a Cookie Monster with huge marshmallow eyes that was super cute.)
My aunt told me that the cake there used to be very bad, and we spoke with the owner's sister who said they'd since gotten a new pastry chef, so if you're like my aunt and had tried them when they first opened, it's worth another visit. I hope to return to St. Louis this summer and will definitely go back (as well as hit up Sweet Art, which I didn't get to try and The Cupcakery again).
See my full Jilly's Flickr set here.
Jilly's Cupcake Bar
8509 Delmar Blvd
Saint Louis, MO 63124
314-993-5455
Comments
I too wish they had smaller cupcakes available. I can never finish the whole thing, but have to save it for later, and then when I do it looks all attacked and deflated and I feel dirty picking at the cupcake carcass.
But the first couple bites are heavenly!
It was WONDERFUL to meet you and your family! Hope I bump into you again next time you are in St.Louis. Please tell your grandparents hello from me!
Pam L.
Cupcakery is good but my word is Sweet Art amazing. First got hers at a local grocer and now that she's opened her own shop I need to make a point of getting over there more.
Because she makes even cakes that I don't generally like taste delicious. Which is quite a feat because I'm pretty picky about cake. Don't miss it next time you're around!