I went to Dot's for the first time last week after a sunny day rooftop-pool lounge with the magical blond duo Laure and Trevor, and bought 3 mini cupcakes - the likes of which survived about a 30 minute lifespan. And only so long because I had to savor some of them on the way home, careful not to spill over the sidwalk. The cake at Dot's is moist and dense but still very light and springy, somehow! After watching Laure bury her face in the big (normal size) cupcakes, I vowed next time I went there I would get myself at least two of those and go ape-shit on their fluffy, fresh, compact pastry asses. Sorry for the profanity, they're just that good.
Well that time has come and today I got two big ones: Strawberry Lemon and "Hostess" - the chocoalte bomb devil mistress-pie foodie version of an old school Hostess cupcake. I stuffed that thing in my face while waiting for the light to turn green on the way home, and finished the rest of it off with a glass of milk as soon as I got home! I also bought a tasty looking pumpkin and cream cheese mini cupcake to save along with the strawberry lemon one for later on.
The carnage was nothing short of heavenly. It fell apart at the last bite, the frosting yielding, the cream inside melting a bit with the top and sides of the whole luscious mess. The chocolate was dark but not too dark, evolving all over the tongue, with the tightest crumb I've ever had; a devil's food cake done classic but still gourmet. Familiar but heightned. Yet still very much in reach of the memory of a real Hostess cupcake.
Before Dot's woo-ed me back into cupcake land, there have been a few other highlights on the east side of Los Angeles, that I now call my home.
First were these gorgeous things from The Coffee Table - a little cafe near friend's Jordan and Vivien's place, with the most intense, juicy and lovely peach cupcakes (the one in front) that you could imagine.
That's frosting that would stop anyone's heart. Very fresh and bright, I remember that flavor. Not to mention how cute and pretty they look. MM!
Second was the absurdly beautifully tasting caramel cupcake at Lark Cake Shop in Silverlake.
HOLY COW!! I went with Jordan, Vivien AND Laure (I'm seeing a theme of accomplices here...) and we did it right. I dont' remember anything, however, besides that caramel cupcake. Or perhaps it was "burnt caramel"... I think it was. It didn't look like it would be so amazing but it was long standing the best cupcake in LA for me by far. Such a painfully true and wonderful caramel flavor, light and buttery cake...though I think Dot's Hostess has now taken the lead. At least until I get myself over to Susie's Cakes in Calabasas! From what I remember they have by far the best Red Velvet around! But that's for another post... :P'''
