I watched Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice the other night featuring ‘names’ like Joan and Melissa Rivers, Dennis Rodman and ice skating champ Scott Hamilton. Donald divided the ego’s into two teams. The girls called themselves “Athena” and the boys decided upon “Kotu” being an acronym for ‘Kings of the Universe’ … how very “high school” of them. Their first challenge was to bake cupcakes and sell them on the streets of New York City. The team that raised the most money (for charity) won. Both teams chose to bake chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, but the boys failed dismally, which isn’t surprising considering they forgot the sugar in one batch. Some members of the pubic were able to snag $20 ‘Celeb Apprentice’ cupcakes, but other generous donor’s (friends and acquaintances of the celeb’s) paid thousands for one cupcake. The long and short of it was that I soooo craved cupcakes that night. And I didn’t bake any because it was so late. A few days later.. I ventured to Williamstown and finally got to try cupcakes from The Cupcake Queens. It’s where Dannii Minogue sources her sweet-fixes (I know this because of Twitter).. and she even bought her son’s first birthday cake there. (Giant cupcakes are $70 by the way). The last time I attempted to visit the ‘Queens’ they were closed for a while because they were in America, researching more cupcakes. My kind of business trip!
A reassuring sign on the footpath points you in the direction of cupcakes.
The ultimate carb fix down an alleyway is somehow fitting. No-one can hear you munching. The blackboard sign says a cupcake and coffee is $6.
These tables and the alleyway was crowded a few minutes later. We must have summoned the masses.
$3.50 each, half dozen = $20 or 1 dozen = $36. Mini-cupcakes are $2 each.
Bottom/right: Mini-cupcakes $2 each.
I appreciated the protective box our half dozen came in and also the fancy bag (which was optional, but I said “yes please”).
All of the cupcakes I’m about to mention have buttercream icing flavoured according to the title. Going from the photo below, top/left we bought: Jaffa (chocolate cake base + Jaffa lolly on top), Passionfruit (vanilla cake base + sugar flower on top), Musk (vanilla cake + musk stick on top), Vanilla Vanilla (vanilla cake with sparkly powder on top), Peanut Butter (choc cake base + crushed peanuts on top), Cookies & Cream (choc cake base & mini-Oreo on top).
After sampling my way through all six cupcakes (.. as in ‘shared’ them, I didn’t eat six cupcakes).. I preferred the vanilla cake and my most favourite out of all of them was the ‘Vanilla Vanilla’ cupcake. I was pleasantly surprised by how soft and fresh the cakes were. All of the icing was plentiful and superior too. The Cupcake Queens know their stuff. Dee-lish!
I paid more for cupcakes (from another company) at last year’s ‘Taste of Melbourne’ and found those cakes to be muffin-like and mostly stodgey. I also don’t think ‘The Cupcake Bakery’ (in Melbourne Central) is anywhere near as good as the ‘Queens’. So yes, we’d go back again! I’d like to try the ‘Mocha’ (which they didn’t have today).. but to be honest, I think I’d be happy with six Vanilla Vanilla’s. Or twelve.
The Cupcake Queens. Shop 3/12 Douglas Parade, Williamstown, 3016. Ph: 1300 972 827. There are also stores in Armadale and Albert Park (Melbourne).
