Once the prized dessert of bake-offs and barbeques, this fiery redhead is finally dusting off her southern roots and making her way into the hearts of true cupcake aficionados. Red velvet cupcakes may seem like simply another flavor option to some, but be warned; one bite could easily transform your vanilla-cupcake-eating ways into the seedy underground culture of red-velvet-eating bliss. Maybe it’s the delicate taste of cocoa that draws people in, or maybe it’s simply the visual allure of the sensual red cake topped with creamy white frosting, but no matter what it is, red velvet has most certainly developed its own cult following, making it the Rocky Horror Picture Show of the cupcake world.
Here are a few favorite versions of the classic red cupcake around town. Keep in mind that these passionate velvet creations would make a terrific treat for your beloved (wink).
Bliss Bake Shop
Just walking in to this bakery made the little girl in me giddy with polka-dot and striped joy. Glass jars billowing with marshmallows and green and orange poms hanging from the ceiling only added to the cutesy presentation of the cupcake I tasted. A smattering of pink sugar crystals sat atop the generous dollop of cream cheese frosting, with a deep maroon cake resting below. After biting through the slightly hardened crust of the cake, I got to the moist and airy core that lived up to the reputation of true red velvet. The sweet cream cheese frosting offered a nice balance to the cocoa flavor of the cake, and the pink crystals gave the frosting a lovely crunch every so often. Bliss also offers a gluten-free version with chocolate shavings instead of the sugar crystals.
Cupcake price: $2.75
Bliss Bake Shop
4708 NW Bethany Boulevard
Portland, OR 97229
503.645.6000
Saint Cupcake (vegan)
As a non-vegan, it seemed only appropriate that I entered Saint Cupcake while ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Love” serenaded my walk to the counter. I admit, I had my reservations about how good a vegan cupcake could be; so when I sat down with this dark red creation with vanilla buttercream frosting I half expected a “good-for-vegan” reaction. Instead, I was blown away. It was an extremely moist and delightfully dense cupcake, with a very delicate essence of cocoa. And the frosting. Oh, the frosting! I may or may not have actually said, “I can’t believe this is vegan,” as I licked my fingers to make sure I got every speck of that delicious buttercream into my mouth. Saint Cupcake also offers a conventional red velvet cupcake sure to inspire flashbacks of Franka Potente’s hair in Run Lola Run.
Cupcake price: $3.00
Saint Cupcake
407 NW 17th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
503.473.8760
Saint Cupcake Deluxe
3300 SE Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214
503.916.9835
Cupcake Jones
Portable, palatable, and anything but petite, this cupcake’s got it going on. As a sucker for garnishes, I started off with the earthy yet sweet candied rose petal—plucked, hand-dried and sugar-coated at the bakery—and quickly moved on to tackling this mammoth of a cupcake. The cake had a lovely, non-scary red tint and was filled with a generous amount of vanilla bean pastry cream, adding to the already moist texture. Although the cream filling put a twist on this southern classic, the lightly tart cream cheese frosting and subtle chocolate flavor stayed true to red-velvet form.
Cupcake price: $3.25
Cupcake Jones
307 NW 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
503.222.4404
Pastrygirl
Even though the Pastrygirls don’t refer to their cupcake as red velvet—they prefer Crushed Velvet Fairy Cake—their version of the red velvet cake was one of the most authentic adaptations I’ve ever had. Just like their store front, this cupcake was unassuming, comforting and subtly sweet. Instead of pouring pounds of red dye into their mix, they stick with the traditional way of coloring the batter: unsweetened beet juice. This nostalgic and romantic take on red velvet came with classically swirled cream cheese frosting with chocolate shavings sprinkled atop. The chocolatey cake, although not very red, was not too moist and not too dry and brought back memories of childhood birthday parties spent outdoors.
Cupcake price: $2.50
Pastrygirl
7919 SE Stark Street
Portland, OR 97215
503.254.5433
Robots Love Cupcakes
This new business is already off to a great start with its hip vibe and delicious treats. Even though the store has modern twists and décor throughout, their red velvet cupcake is the epitome of the classic dessert. Silky red cake sets the stage for the swirled cream cheese frosting, dusted in glitter and topped with an edible gold jewel. This incredibly moist cake mixed well with the sweet and creamy frosting, but, truthfully, this new business won me over as soon as they handed me my cupcake in a Chinese take-out box. Robots, cupcakes and take-out food... ah, Portland.
Cupcake price: $2.75
Robots Love Cupcakes
3954 N Williams Avenue
Portland, OR 97212
503.327.5556
Dessert Labs (gluten-free)
Husband-and-wife team Joe and Karen, the masterminds behind Dessert Labs, began making gluten-free red velvet cupcakes as soon as they switched their diet, since it’s Karen’s favorite flavor. Having a red-velvet groupie and dedicated gluten-free diner behind this recipe paid off in creating a tasty gluten-free cupcake. The cake was surprisingly bouncy and spongy (unlike the gummy texture of most gluten-free baked goods) but, in my opinion, could have used a bit more moisture. The lightly-sweet vanilla Swiss-meringue buttercream, with vanilla bean specks, offered a wonderful, buttery balance to the gluten-free goodness of this cupcake.
Cupcake price: $2.00
Dessert Labs
1902 NW 24th Avenue
Portland, OR 97210
347.513.5461
