I knew I’d be traveling to California so, as I do any time I visit somewhere new, I immediately started researching GF options nearby. If you stay tuned, you’ll see my thoughts on a 100% GF bakery at some point soon. But for today, it’s cupcake time!
In one of my Google searches, I came across a cute looking little shop called Patty’s Cakes and Desserts in Fullerton, CA. Where some cupcake shops offer one or two GF options, their website appears to offer 20 flavors! I soon realized why. The way this shop works is that they make massive batches of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and after you order a certain cupcake, then they ice it. This allows for the 20 different options of GF based on two cupcake bases. Each cupcake is $3.50. A little pricy, but worth it to try these.
So many options, but, since I have to save room for other GF treats later this week, I had to narrow it down to three to try. And they all come with a sweet little GF flag on them!
First up, the Eclaire Cupcake! This is a Gluten-Free White Cake based cupcake filled with Vanilla Cream and topped with fudge frosting. The frosting is creamy, deeply fudge and delicious. The filling is sort of like custard and also very tasty. The cupcake base is alright. It’s mildly dry with a not-quite-vanilla flavor that’s kind of hard to describe. But the filling and topping help combat the dryness to make this a pretty yummy cupcake overall.
Next, the Salted Caramel Cupcake. This is a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake based cupcake topped with Chocolate Fudge frosting, and a caramel & sea salt sauce. It’s also filled with some sort of vanilla creme. The salted caramel sauce is amazing. Just the right amount of salt to give a real depth of flavor. As with the Eclair cupcake the chocolate is super rich and fudgy. My only complaint is that I don’t really need the creme filling. Maybe it’s meant to break up the chocolate overload? It’s alright, but definitely not necessary.
Lastly, the Mint Chip Mousse Cupcake. This is a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake based cupcake with a fluffy Mint Chip Mousse and mini chocolate chips on top. The mousse tastes almost exactly like mint chip ice cream. It is light and creamy and very easily meltable. (If you end up getting cupcakes to go, I would recommend sticking them in the fridge for a little while before eating. It makes them much easier to handle!) The cupcake is the same base as the Salted Caramel but without the filling. Tasty and less dry than the vanilla. A little difficult to get a solid bite because of how oozy the mousse is.
Overall, this is a solid find. The cupcake base themselves were alright. Not necessarily better than something I could make at home. But this shop gets big bonus points for the pure amount of options they offer. If I lived nearby, I’d be sure to try every flavor! They also offer custom gluten free cakes and gluten free mini cupcakes if you order ahead.
Gluten Free Gal 