Guest Review by Monica Nares and Jen Jicha (AKA Sugar & Spice) who reviewed Sweetness Bake Shop, the new bakery in Miami.
Sugar & Spice visited Sweetness Bake Shop, newly opened in Miami at 9549 Sunset Drive. They offer cupcakes, cookies, flan, and gelato as well as coffee and tea. We visited twice: the first time we tasted both regular and mini sized cupcakes. "Thrilla in Vanilla" is a vanilla bean flecked cake with a vanilla buttercream. The frosting is artfully swirled and medium in consistency with a thin crust. The cake itself is a little bit salty, but with the buttercream the flavors are more balanced. The peanut butter cup mini is chocolate chip studded cake with a peanut butter truffle filling reminiscent of the center of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and the frosting is a rich chocolate buttercream. It was decadent and very intense for a mini cupcake. I would be interested to taste the same flavor in a regular size. On our first visit they were all out of their guayabera (guava) cupcakes, which here in Miami are almost as standard as a vanilla cupcake. We also tasted the regular sized red velvet, which tasted like the vanilla cake topped with a perfect cream cheese frosting, not too sweet and not too tangy.
On our second visit there were only minis to be had, which brings us the the mini vs. standard sized cupcake debate. We tasted the "Thrilla in Vanilla again, a guayabera, and an Irish car bomb (chocolate chip studded chocolate cake with a Jameson whiskey filling and topped with a Bailey’s buttercream).
There are pros and cons to minis. The pros: they have fewer calories, they can be less messy than regular size, and they allow for more room to taste other cupcakes. The cons: in mini form the cake can be easily overwhelmed by the buttercream and fillings and they fall over easily due to top heaviness.
If the frosting and filling overpower the cake in a mini cupcake you might as well be having a frosting shot. Sugar and I have what we call the perfect cupcake proportion. The ratio of frosting: cupcake should be 1:3. It is a highly scientific formula that has taken several years of intense scientific study to achieve. We like our cake to be the main attraction in cupcake form and the frosting to compliment the cake. Likewise, a filling and or toppings- including sprinkles or fondant decorations should complement the cake and not overpower it. That being said: Sweetness bake shop’s minis are truly their specialty. Truffle making has definitely carried over into their minis. The Irish Car Bomb mini was by far our favorite flavor at Sweetness. The Jameson filling was strong, but not overly alcoholic in flavor. The Bailey’s buttercream was smooth and rich, with a subtle hint of the liqueur. And with our predisposition to standard and jumbo sized cupcakes that is a "mini- miracle". And by the way, the whole is something else than the sum of its parts.
Sugar & Spice visited Sweetness Bake Shop, newly opened in Miami at 9549 Sunset Drive. They offer cupcakes, cookies, flan, and gelato as well as coffee and tea. We visited twice: the first time we tasted both regular and mini sized cupcakes. "Thrilla in Vanilla" is a vanilla bean flecked cake with a vanilla buttercream. The frosting is artfully swirled and medium in consistency with a thin crust. The cake itself is a little bit salty, but with the buttercream the flavors are more balanced. The peanut butter cup mini is chocolate chip studded cake with a peanut butter truffle filling reminiscent of the center of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and the frosting is a rich chocolate buttercream. It was decadent and very intense for a mini cupcake. I would be interested to taste the same flavor in a regular size. On our first visit they were all out of their guayabera (guava) cupcakes, which here in Miami are almost as standard as a vanilla cupcake. We also tasted the regular sized red velvet, which tasted like the vanilla cake topped with a perfect cream cheese frosting, not too sweet and not too tangy.
On our second visit there were only minis to be had, which brings us the the mini vs. standard sized cupcake debate. We tasted the "Thrilla in Vanilla again, a guayabera, and an Irish car bomb (chocolate chip studded chocolate cake with a Jameson whiskey filling and topped with a Bailey’s buttercream).
There are pros and cons to minis. The pros: they have fewer calories, they can be less messy than regular size, and they allow for more room to taste other cupcakes. The cons: in mini form the cake can be easily overwhelmed by the buttercream and fillings and they fall over easily due to top heaviness.
If the frosting and filling overpower the cake in a mini cupcake you might as well be having a frosting shot. Sugar and I have what we call the perfect cupcake proportion. The ratio of frosting: cupcake should be 1:3. It is a highly scientific formula that has taken several years of intense scientific study to achieve. We like our cake to be the main attraction in cupcake form and the frosting to compliment the cake. Likewise, a filling and or toppings- including sprinkles or fondant decorations should complement the cake and not overpower it. That being said: Sweetness bake shop’s minis are truly their specialty. Truffle making has definitely carried over into their minis. The Irish Car Bomb mini was by far our favorite flavor at Sweetness. The Jameson filling was strong, but not overly alcoholic in flavor. The Bailey’s buttercream was smooth and rich, with a subtle hint of the liqueur. And with our predisposition to standard and jumbo sized cupcakes that is a "mini- miracle". And by the way, the whole is something else than the sum of its parts.
Comments