Pasadena's Dots Cupcakes VS Eagle Rock's Auntie Em's
Judge: Shaun M.
Qualifications: The many red velvet cupcakes he's eaten
Bias: None, he's from Chicago!
His Hometown Favorite: Still looking
His comments:
Day 2 of my trip in Los Angeles. I told a friend how my favorite cupcake was of the red velvet variety, not necessarily due to its taste, per se, but because of its novelty to me; the idea of something so unnaturally hued just drew me in, just like my fascination with Cool Blue Gatorade.
It was upon parking to luncheon at Pasadena's Mi Piace that my insane friend spotted Dot's Cupcakes. After civilly consuming a Salmone Pizzone (i.e. lox shards on saltines) avec capers I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth, so we bought a Red Velvet from Dot's:
Resisting the urge to just "one-bite" the goodie, merely for the hell of it, we decided to wait and do a "cake-off" with the Red Velvet version from the oft-heralded Auntie Em's in Eagle Rock. When we got there, I was pleasantly surprised not just by the cup of joe that I had, but the many color schemes that awashed the famed bakery.
When our server asked for my order, I slyly (only in mind) requested the large Red Velvet cupcake, she not knowing of the deviousness I was about to unleash. At that point my friend had furtively unveiled Dot's cupcake from her purse. Because Dot had crossed enemy lines I did my best to conceal her identity with my coffee mug lest we be scolded and thrown out by Auntie Em herself.
Moments later, after the server had returned with our order, and the rest of my friends had joined us, judgment day had arrived. I placed the two cupcakes side-by-side, amused at how two pastry artisans had such vastly different approaches to their craft. The snacks were like two prizefighters in the ring:
In one corner was Dot, a dark red middleweight contender crowned with piped white icing and accented with a candy flower, unassuming yet flaunting a quiet confidence.
In the other corner was Auntie Em, a flamboyantly ruby heavyweight of a showman moussed with a cream cheese based frosting and adorned with red sprinkles.
The bell in my mind rang, and the showdown commenced...
Round 1: Taste. Both cakes captured the cocoa essence embodying most red velvet recipes, so the cake assessment was a tie. Dot's white frosting, candy flower included, seemed incidental at best, merely accomodating its crimson foundation in its sweet delectable journey. Auntie Em's frosting, however, not only tasted fresher (and perhaps was even freshly applied) but revealed surprising hints of lemon for a much more interesting flavor.
Round 2: Texture. Dot was so moist and spongy whereas Auntie Em tasted rather dry to the palate. Dot's frosting was soft yet meringue-like in consistency which seemed out of place in this context. Auntie Em's cream cheese frosting was as thick as slightly watered down paste to give it a somewhat homemade and nostalgic feel. The sprinkles, if anything, added another positive dimension to its texture.
Round 3: Appearance. Dot was a maroon beauty with warm and inviting red tones but at the same time possessed curious darker ones. However, the obviously piped frosting had a rather tidy but processed look, and the inclusion of the candy flower was a little cloying. Auntie Em was like a giant fuchsia Nerf softball dabbed with a rather thick and malleable white spread for an added rustic charm.
In a perfect world, my ideal dessert would have been baked like a Dot cupcake with the size and frosting of an Auntie Em's cupcake.
However, since there can be only one winner...
Winner:
DOTS CUPCAKES!
