Another cupcakery I had the pleasure to visit on my trip to northern California was Kingdom Cake, on Union Street in the North Beach neighborhood of San Fransisco. Things didn't start out well for this visit -- Chelsea Mead (owner/cupcake designer) was late, and there was no signage or any indication that I had found the place (and it's up a very very steep hill). Plus, I had to take the Muni bus, which I had some difficulty with, and ended up taking it in the wrong direction. (Note: the BART was a lot easier to navigate...)
It's in there:
I was with my friend and guest taster, Stephanie, who kept me calm while we waited for Chelsea and the cupcakes. (Thanks, Steph!)
Luckily, before long, Chelsea pulled up in her cute li'l car with her adorable cupcakes, and she was so apologetic I sorta felt bad for being antsy. Chelsea told me they'd only been open for less than two months and that she planned to install signage soon. It's just a wee storefront (Chelsea, although slender, barely had room to move in there.
Chelsea happily set up shop for us and posed for some shots:
Also, she stumped me, which doesn't happen very often. She had a cupcake flavor I'd never tried before made with a root vegetable that I'd never even heard of! (That's so rare for this vegetarian, by the way.) The yummy purple mini was made with ube, a purple yam that's new to me. I must have some more of it, it's awesome.
It was amazing, possibly my favorite of all the delicious Kingdom Cake mini cupcakes I tried. Chelsea gifted me with a box of favorites, and I can see why these were all seasonal best sellers. Chelsea reports that her red velvet and basil lemon blueberry are best-sellers.
Here's my sweet and patient guest taster, Stephanie from San Diego, who lent her palate to these minis and to the other cupcakeries we visited. (More reviews to come.)
The flavors we tried were the aforementioned ube (sweet and vanilla-y with incredible moistness and gorgeous purple color, which I could have eaten many more of), red velvet (with cream cheese frosting, natch), hummingbird, chocolate peanut butter, basil lemon blueberry, and toffee nutespresso. Some of the cupcakes were topped with fruit or findings, some with edible glitter!
I enjoyed all the cupcakes, and was so impressed with how moist and, well, almost wet they all were. Soft and sweet and delightful, each flavor was fairly distinct. In fact, we liked them so much, Steph and I ate most of the minis before we even made it back to the hotel.
I very much enjoyed the basil lemon blueberry (so very good and summery!) and Steph was most impressed with the toffee nutespresso. One thing about these cupcakes that I didn't enjoy (and was kind of confused by) was the oil slick they left behind on my hands and lips. Ah ha! So that's why they are so moist! I didn't think the cupcakes tasted greasy or oily at all, but after I ate them my hands were covered. Weird. I am not sure if it was just that batch, or if that's a function of their ingredients and design, but if you are sensitive to that, these may not be for you.
If you are visiting San Fransisco (or are lucky enough to live there) try these treats and let me know what you think. And don't settle for the $8 for the four pack, you will probably want more.
Kingdom Cake (in SF, also serving Seattle)
524 Union Street
415.860.1142
orders@kingdomcake.com
times vary, but when I was there the hours were Thursday through Sunday, noon(ish) until 6 pm
special orders require 2 dozen minimum and several days notice
minis approximately $20 to $24 per dozen
vegan, alcoholic, savory and holiday flavors available upon request
delivery available for additional charge
You can see the whole photo set here; all image by Stacie Joy for CTTC.
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