How Does That Taste?

Cupcake By Design

1971 E. Beltline NE Ste. 126 
Grand Rapids, MI 49525   616-364-9787 or 1-888-644-3848

Website:  http://cupcakebydesign.com/

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The Arrival …

I arrived at Cupcake By Design (located inside of Cookies By Design) in Grand Rapids, MI at about 3:00PM.  It is located in a strip mall next to a Meijer.  When I entered into the bakery, it had a very cute and welcoming appearance!  There is a display case full of cupcakes & cookies, tons of items to buy such as mugs, stuffed animals, paper products, and other various trinkets.  The bakery looked very neat and tidy, organized and inviting.  A blonde haired lady asked me how she could help, if I was looking for cupcakes or cookies or something else.  She was very friendly and patient (I had my young sons with me again).  I said “I will take 1 of every cupcake you have”, I love that they had labels on all the cupcakes so I knew what I was looking at!   She asked me if I wanted a pink box (which I think is there signature box) or a white one (I chose the signature box) and she started to put all the cupcakes in the boxes, she asked me if she could get me anything else, and I decided to grab a sugar cookie for my boys to share.  She range me up on the register which came to $29.70 (they do a price tier for their cupcakes meaning the more you buy the cheaper they get, check their website for prices).  I paid her and she said thank you, have a great day and she waited till I was out the door before she stepped back into the back of the store.  

Chunky Monkey Cupcake—Banana Flavored Cake with Chocolate Chips was dense but moist; the Peanut Butter Buttercream was very yummy, not to sweet but perfect! That was then dipped in Chocolate Ganache which was very good, perfect consistency and taste. Then it is drizzled with Peanut Butter Drizzle on to that just adds a little something special to this tasty cupcake J

OVERALL RATING  -  4

Chocolate Supreme Cupcake- Chocolate Cake was moist, Chocolate Buttercream was pretty sugary.  It was a decent cupcake but not my favorite.

OVERALL RATING - 3

Lucky Irish Mint Cupcake – Chocolate Cake was moist and had a few pieces of brownie in it which was also very tasty, again it had a mile high of the frosting which in this case was mint, it had a nice mint taste to it but was too much for me and I ended up scrapping half of it off into the trash, the frosting had a grainy texture too it.  It was dipped in chocolate Ganache which was good and then topped with a green clover candy, which had a nice flavor. For me this cupcake was alright, I wouldn’t buy it again.

OVERALL RATING - 2

Chocolate Divine Cupcake – Chocolate Cake was somewhat moist, filled with chocolate Ganache, it was then dipped in a chocolate Ganache before it was iced, the Ganache was good.  There was too much chocolate buttercream for my taste (which is how all their cupcakes are frosted), but it was good flavor, a little grainy but not as much as some of their other frostings.  It had chocolate shavings on top, which in all honesty I didn’t really taste with all the other chocolate going on.

OVERALL RATING - 3

Red Velvet Cupcake – Red Cake was good, not dry but not really moist, it had a cream cheese filling in the center which was my favorite of the whole cupcake, the taste was not overpowering, it was light a creamy, the cream cheese frosting was good as far as flavor but sweet and grainy.  I could not finish all this frosting.

OVERALL RATING – 3

Snickerdoodle Toffee Cupcake– Vanilla Cake with Cinnamon & toffee bits, was dry, I did not like the taste of this cake.  Cinnamon Buttercream had too much of a cinnamon taste to it.  This cupcake failed for me.

OVERALL RATING – 1

Cookies and Cream Cupcake- I was supposed to get one of these but she made a mistake and gave me 2 of the Chocolate Supremes instead, so I cannot rate this cupcake.

OVERALL RATING – NA

Peanut Butter Paradise Cupcake– This was an outstanding cupcake!  The chocolate cake was moist flavorful and I enjoyed it very much it had peanut butter in the center which was a nice treat!  The chocolate peanut butter frosting was oh so good, perfect texture. The peanut butter cup on top was a great added treat!  This was wonderful!

OVERALL RATING – 5

Give Me Smore Cupcake– Chocolate Cake was dense & somewhat moist, there were “gram cracker” pieces throughout the cake and a “center” of “gram cracker”  this gram cracker didn’t really taste like anything at all.  The Marshmallow frosting was good but I would have liked a little more than what was on the cupcake, then there were marshmallows a chocolate drizzle and a piece of Hershey bar on top which all were good it also had gram cracker sprinkled on top as well.

OVERALL RATING – 4

Cho-Cho Cookie Dough Cupcake – White cake with a piece of chocolate chip cookie dough on the bottom (or at least that is what it was supposed to be, didn’t really seem like cookie dough more uncooked cake dough with chocolate chips and it is described as having chunks and I had only 1 chunk) the cake was dry and the “cookie dough piece” was not very pleasing to taste, Vanilla frosting with some chocolate chips (although it’s is described of having chunks of cookie dough in the frosting, so not sure where the cookie dough was?) was alright in taste but had a grainy texture to it.  This cupcake was not a hit with me.

OVERALL RATING – 1

Vanilla Bean Cupcake – Nothing light about this cupcake (as stated in the description!)  The white cake was dense and somewhat moist, not much of a flavor at all.  The buttercream frosting was heavy, grainy, almost flavorless.  For being a “vanilla bean” cupcake I didn’t taste anything vanilla bean about it.  This was another cupcake that disappointed me.

OVERALL RATING – 1

Banana Split Cupcake  – Banana Chocolate Cake was delicious, moist and flavorful!  The Vanilla buttercream was good and the Ganache it was dipped in was very nice!  The sprinkles and Cherry on top just make it a great cupcake!

OVERALL RATING – 3

Signature Sugar Cookie  – Vanilla Sugar cookie shaped as a bunny head with yellow colored icing, was moist and oh so good! The flavor of this cookie was out of this world!!  I can see why they started out with the Cookie By Design store!! Will definitely be ordering some of these again J

OVERALL RATING – 5

FINAL ACT…

Cupcakes By Design in Grand Rapids, MI is a DECENT bakery for cupcakes but an AWESOME bakery for cookies!  Their cupcakes were delicious, their signature sugar cookies were to die for (I would have to say I liked their cookies more than the cupcakes!), add to that the atmosphere and good customer service, this place gets an A .  I was very happy with my purchases today and will defiantly be going back next time I am in Grand Rapids!  The down falls were this:  if you do not buy in “bulk” like I do you will be spending a pretty penny for a cupcake at the price of $2.95/each, they are the most expensive cupcakes in the Michigan area that I know of.  The cookies on the other hand are a nice $1.50 (give or take depending on kind) and I believe that is comparable to other cookies from bakeries in the area.  The frosting to crumb ratio is off for me I like it to be more balanced where I don’t feel like I have a mouth full of frosting, but if you like A LOT of frosting then you will love their cupcakes!

Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don’t waste your money!

                         2 = It's Alright

                         3 = Good

                         4 = Excellent, worth another try

                         5 = Desert Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!

PLEASE NOTE:  All items are tasted within an hour of receiving them.  By doing this, it takes out any false claims that the freshness, temperature, texture, etc. where compromised by not tasting them when served.  All precautions are taken when preserving the “freshness” of the products I receive. 

I arrived at Chick’n Lick’N in Vriesland, MI at about 6:30PM.  I had placed an order to go by phone.  It is located in the same building as the Vriesland Country Store.  I didn’t have to even go inside the restuarnt for this order because they have a drive thru for pick ups!  A man opened the window and asked me for the name (who I now find out is the owner of the restaurant), he rang me up and said it would be just a moment because they are packing it up right now.  He then came back to the window handed me out the bag and said your all set and thank you.  I drove back to the hotel with my very yummy smelling food.  I arrived at the hotel created a plate of all the items I ordered and then sat down with my family to start tasting.

Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Gravy (family)—These mashed potatoes were a nice consistency, not lumpy or runny, the chicken gravy with pieces of chicken in it was VERY good!  Overall these were a really nice mashed potato!

Mac Cheese Triangles (6pc) - Nicely fried and crispy on the outside, the mac and cheese in the center was good.  Overall a nice flavor.

Crinkle Cut French Fries (Small) – Fried to perfection, I like them to have a golden “overdone” look to them and these had that!  They were crisp and good tasting.

Fried Chicken (12pc mixed bucket) – I have heard they have good chicken and well they do!  It was fried nicely, it was moist and juicy.  Had great flavors and crunch in the skin.  I was very happy with this chicken.

Chick’N Lick’N is definitely a place to go for some homemade fried chicken goodness!  Not disappointed with this one at all.  Food was hot and fresh, tasted great and was enjoyed by the whole family.  The Customer service was good and the drive thru for pick up was an added bonus for on the run people!

Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don’t waste your money!

                         2 = Just Alright

                         3 = Good, what it should be

                         4 = Excellent, more than expected

                         5 = Food Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!





Happy Tasting!
~Briar Rose

I arrived at the Little Pearl Cupcake in Grand Rapids, MI at about 4:30PM.  It is located in a little strip mall next to a Thai food restaurant.  When I entered into the bakery, I did notice that it was not the most “organized” or “appealing” bakery as far as appearances, defiantly not like many other bakeries I have been too!  But I never let the appearance of a place make the judgment on the product (even though we all eat with our eyes first).  They had a few glass cake pedestals on a small counter with 8 different cupcakes to choose from.  I heard a women’s voice from behind the folding screens that separated the front from the back say they would be with me in a minute.  She came up and asked me what she could get me and I said 1 of everything you have (I had no idea what she had because there are no signs to tell you what they are!).  She said ok and grabbed 2 plastic cupcake carriers and started to put all the cupcakes in the boxes, she then range me up on the register which came to $20.00 ($2.50/cupcake).  I paid her said thank you and I was off.  One thing I do have to say is that the customer service could be a little more friendly, I had my two young boys with me and could have used some help opening the door but she jetted off back to the back, so on the way out with struggling with the cupcakes and helping my boys out the door my youngest got his head smacked as the door shut, poor little guy!

 

Red Velvet Cupcake—Red Cake was dry & very unusual in flavor (it actually had a taste I have never had before in a red velvet cupcake), Cream Cheese frosting was sweet and VERY strong on the cream cheese taste (not a very good balance).  Between the dryness of the cake and the frosting, I did not like this one.

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcake- (Dark) Chocolate Cake was dry & had an unusual taste to it (again something I have not tasted in this flavor cupcake) and I can’t say it was that of a true dark chocolate cake, Chocolate “glaze” was alright but didn’t really taste it, Chocolate Buttercream was more of a “runny” consistency rather than the normal texture I am used to for a buttercream frosting and the flavor was that of a grocery store taste.  Overall did not like this cake either L

Grasshopper Cupcake – I am guessing that is what this one was (that is the only one on the menu on their website that has mint in it, I would have guessed Andes Mint because that was on top of it, so I am not sure for certain, like I said they had no signs to tell you what they were).  Chocolate Cake was dry & again had a unusual taste to it (getting a little disappointed with all the dry cakes!  Seems like these cupcakes have been sitting around for a day or two before they put them out to sell, not good L) the Green Mint frosting was extremely minty and really over powered the whole cupcake and was not a good balance, felt like I was eating a mouth full of mint chalk (the texture of the mint frosting was very chalk like).  Again, not a good cupcake.

Oreo Cupcake  – Again I am guess that is what this one would have been called, I don’t see an Oreo cupcake listed on their menu but there is no other one on there that matches this cupcake at all. Chocolate Cake was dry and again had the unusual taste to it (I have a feeling now that all the cakes are going to be dry and unusual in taste), it was cored out and had a white cream filling inside that was alright, not to sweet but not to plain, the Chocolate Vanilla swirled frosting on top was alright in taste but did look pretty in the swirling of colors, and it had an Oreo piece of cookie on top.  This cupcake got a bit better than the last ones.

Birthday Cake Cupcake – This was a White Cake with sprinkles in the cake with Chocolate Buttercream with Sprinkles on top.  White Cake was VERY VERY dry (I could not even finish it, it was that bad!), the Chocolate Buttercream was not good, it was chalky and bland.  This cake failed terribly!

Almond Cupcake - White Cake was dry & had a very slight hint of almond, the Almond Buttercream was very sweet and not so much almond in taste, but it did smell like almond.  One thing I did notice is that the ingredients seem to be artificial rather than natural (artificial color, flavors, etc.), which makes for less appealing cupcakes.  This cupcake was not a big hit for me.

Little Pearl Cupcake  – White (Vanilla) Cake was dry but the overall taste of the cake was alright, the Vanilla Bean Italian Meringue Frosting was interesting, it didn’t have much taste at all let alone the claim of vanilla bean but it did have a very “oily” consistency and slickness  about it, not at all like Italian Meringue frosting I have had before.  Overall this cupcake was “alright”.

Rating Scale:  1 = Bad, don't waste your money!

                         2 = Just Alright

                         3 = Good, what it should taste like

                         4 = Excellent, more than expected

                         5 = Cupcake Heaven, Oh So Scrumptious!