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12 reviews for Cupmakes
12 reviews in English
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Review from Jenna M.
Philadelphia, PA
12/4/2009
Tried this place out last night, finally. Have to say, the atmosphere is lacking. I'd do away with the pink walls and maybe decorate a bit. The glass cabinet that holds the cupcakes could also be spruced up a bit. They could put up a big chalkboard and write out/illustrate the flavors in a pretty way.
But on to the cupcakes...delicious! I had the chocolate with peanut butter icing and butterfinger crumbles on top. The cupcake was a nice big size and it was very very moist. The icing was delicious, but I wish it was cold/cool instead of room temp.
I'll definitely be going back. -
Review from Monica S.
Updated - 9/9/2009
Heavens to Betsy! I completely forgot to update this review. The offerings here are Christ in a cupcake: completely divine!
Just like with the froyo craze, here at Cupmakes, you can pile on as many toppings as you'd like. Thankfully, they offer kind suggestions before you decide the chili con carne might taste great with drizzled strawberry sauce and sprinkles.
As for the sweet options, the banana's foster and vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing and sprinkles are my picks.
Now, if only I could plant their cupcake and grow a cupcake tree.Listed in: East of Broad, Best Neighborhood (ever), Let's Get Large, Treats a'Plenty
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2009 First to Review
Checked out this new spot over in Headhouse Square. They're making fresh cupcakes! You can pick your… Read more »
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Review from Emily C.
San Francisco, CA
9/10/2009 2 photos
Geez; it feels like I can't walk five feet these days without running into another cupcake shop. Tragic, I know. I was driving through Headhouse Square today when I saw a pink beacon of a sign proclaiming "Cupmakes," so I knew I had to make a stop and do some research.
I am indecisive enough as it is, so I was particularly stumped when I had to sort out flavors of icing, cake, and toppings for myself. The owner busted out pastry bags of icing to let me sample the "confetti cake batter" buttercream (mostly tasted like Amaretto, not cake batter), as well as the peanut butter (decent, but a letdown after the rich, nut-studded PB frosting at It's a Cupcake).
Their buttercream is too fluffy for me - it doesn't have the langorous, sugary density of Brown Betty's and Naked's, nor does it come close to the same concentration of flavor. The chocolate, which I ended up putting on my vanilla cupcake, was the best of the three. It had a nice strong cocoa taste (But would I take it over BB's chocolate frosting? Never.) Not to mention that it skeeves me out to think that they leave out pastry bags full of unrefrigerated buttercream all day. If they really used butter, it would solidify if it were refrigerated, so that makes me think it is either full of artificial crap or kept at room temperature.
I steered clear of the TCBY-like toppings and went with a purist chocolate frosting-vanilla cake combo.
Most importantly, I found the cake itself to be off-putting. I hesitate to say this in case I am in error, but it sure as hell tasted like a mix to me. It had that overly-springy, overly moist texture rarely found in scratch-baked cakes, and a telltale artificial taste. In fact, it tasted exactly like a muffin from Costco. When dressed up with enough cocoa icing it tasted OK (because I couldn't taste the cake), but believe me - this is not artisan-quality homemade pastry. I'll take my $3 and go to Brown Betty.
Sorry guys. I love to see creative local bakeries succeed, but I also hate wasting money and calories on inferior dessert. Prove me wrong! Until then, I'm sticking to my story.Listed in: Philly Cupcakes: Flock or…
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Review from Andrea t.
8/15/2009
I had these yummy babies at the yelp event!
Normally I'm a vanilla-cake ( not vanilla, teehee) kinda gal. So chocolate is not my first pick. I also normally go for vanilla or cream cheese frosting ( i love me some red velvet). So, armed with the choices of chocolate or chocolate banana frosting....chocbanana it was! It was light and airy and tasted like the dreamiest chocolate covered banana. I tried to get Mattea to taste it, but she doesn't like banana. I chomped that back..
Then the toppings. The sweetipie cupmakes guy brought the whole toppings bar with him. I had cookie dough.
Well I live up near Rittenhouse, but maybe if I walk there and back I will not feel so guilty about eating a cupcake?Listed in: cupcake queen reigns supreme
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Review from Sarah B.
8/12/2009
Cupmakes, you had me at "We have sprinkles!"
I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake, but after sampling the chocolate cake with chocolate-banana frosting, I'm a fan of Cupmakes! Michael was so friendly and explained what a regular visit to Cupmakes is like. He handed out loyalty cards and was overall super enthusiastic about the new shop. I can't wait to stop by and try everything! -
Review from Jaryn F.
Philadelphia, PA
2/3/2010
I remember when Cupmakes was housed someone's dorm in Harnwell. The cupmakes were huge and customized to the nines with whatever frosting and toppings you wanted. They were awesome!
...Then I ordered some. It was my 21st birthday and I decided to treat myself (and my friends) to Cupmakes. Sounds great, right? WRONG! I placed my order, expecting cupcakes of the size that I sampled on campus (that they advertised online). I got standard size (maybe a bit smaller) cupcakes. They had the toppings I wanted (butterfingers and the cinnabon/cinnamon frosting)....but they were so frickin small! For the price, they weren't worth it at all. The cupcake itself is underwhelming (too oily with a crummy consistency) ... the only selling point is the size & ability to customize.
I was extremely disappointed, both in the cupcakes and the customers service. Whether it was temporary or not, no one from Cupmakes bothered to let customers know that they would be substituting cupcakes of a (way) smaller size for the same price. Moreover, no one replied to my e-mail when I expressed my confusion. Finally, since there was no physical store at that point...I had no other recourse.
Ordering customized mediocre cupcakes isn't worth the hassle and disrespect. Even though they have a legitimate storefront now, I will not be ordering from Cupmakes again. -
Review from Rachel W.
2/8/2010
I'm not even going to sugar coat it. These cupcakes are really gross.
The only advantage they have over it's competitors are the size, they're really big, which is cool.
The cake was dry, the icing tasted paste-y, and it was just really really overwhelming.
I could make a better cupcake anyday.Listed in: cupcakes all day. get fat.
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Review from Dannie T.
9/23/2009
I love the Cupmakes concept, I so wanted Cupmakes to be ....... Fabulous.
To begin,
I LOVE DESSERT. Enroute to Cupmakes I was thinking it would only take me 10 minutes to get here from work, I could park in the loading zone, it's usually not crowded around here for lunch and I could easily justify spending $3 a day for my cupcake lunch (sweetheart I'm saving us money, I could have gone to Buddakhan for lunch) As I pull up to the empty loading zone, I begin to think to myself "My life is too good, I'm so underserving." As I walk up to Cupmakes, I smile. There's no one in Cupmakes, just me and Chris / Co Owner of Cupmakes. As we begin to discuss the fabulous creation I'm about to devour I'm thinking I Iove a business owner who is passionate about their product. I order a regular cupcake (vanilla cake chocolate frosting) because I have to establish a median level. (I know I'm not the only person that does this. LOL) Then I ask Chris to whip me up his favorite creation. He said he would make me a chocolate strawberry shortcake. I'm excited, that sounds FABULOUS. I said "Ok Chris." He reaches into a small refrigerator to grab ingredients, "oh no" I'm thinking,the refrigerator is so dirty. Then he squirts something into the chocolate cake base, but I'm still freaking out about the refrigerator, "oh no what was that." Then he opens a jar and is placing something ontop of the cupcake. "Oh no I'm thinking. What the heck was that? What did I miss?" He wraps it up and he is so excited for me to try the creation. I'm a trooper, I know I have to try this, too many people are relying on me. It saddens me to say I hated both cupcakes. The cake base is light and fluffy but has no substance, no distinctive flavor. I wouldn't say it tastes like a box cake, I can't describe the flavor, it did nothing for me. The frostings are quite tasty but they too are light and fluffy. I'm so sorry Chris. I so wanted to love the Cupmakes cupcake but I was so disappointed. -
Review from Erik s.
9/18/2009
When you walk into this place you think it is one of those bodegas fronting for a pot dealer. The walls are bare and 80 percent of the space is empty. All they have is a case with chocolate or vanilla cupcakes, a tiny frig similar to the one you had in your college freshman year dorm, and a lap top... not exactly screaming made from scratch bakery. Either way their cupcakes are super moist and very light, which I found odd b/c most homemade cupcakes are alot more dense. Either way I like the icing alot, also different then the usual heavy cream cheese style icing that I would eat off a bum's ass but still enjoyable. You can dump a bunch of dairy queen quality toppings on your creation which I always do, but I would take it easy cuz their cupcakes and frosting is boderline too sweet to begin with. Not bad but brown betty's and most of S philly bakeries do a better job.
Listed in: FOOK U MR. ATKINS (philly…
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Review from Jessica H.
Philadelphia, PA
4/18/2010
Where did you go Cupmakes? It literally is just a walk in store front, where they customize the frosting and toppings on the cupcake for you. The cake isn't anything to write home about, but the frosting, including the cake batter, is amazing. Plus it's conveniently located and cheap for a huge cupcake. But Cupmakes has disappeared, the store is still there but has not been open for months so I am not sure if they are re-opening for the summer or not.
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Review from Morgan H.
Philadelphia, PA
11/18/2009
I don't even EAT dessert. My boyfriend ONLY eats dessert. But I do enjoy herbal supplements which then make me crave something awful for me and my rapidly sagging ass.
Such was the night I discovered CUPMAKES.
It was as if God knew exactly what I wanted. Something homemade (but not by me) Huge (utterly, like it had to be at least 1/4 lb of cupcake! IT WAS 2 DAYS WORTH OF CUPCAKE!!) , and sickeningly complex (like sprinkles, peanut butter cups, cookies... FTW!)
I had just a plain vanilla cupcake with the confetti frosting ( yes it does taste like amaretto, and i am MORE than OK with that.) Remember Funfetti frosting, now I'm talking the old school stuff, with like little round discs of colorful flavor mixed IN with the frosting.. the stuff they don't make anymore?! THIS FROSTING IS SO DAMN CLOSE! it was like I was 12 again and all was right in the world because the sprinkles were mixed in with my frosting, and didn't have to be applied afterward.
The very worst part of my evening was when my boyfriend dropped the container holding my Cupmake.. he dropped it, and the frosting smoshed and the cupcake came apart a little. I was devastated that my piece of edible art was now destroyed. So i ate it with a fork. this did not diminish my love for the cupmake. It may have helped spread the frosting a bit. The only way they could make these better is with custom shaped containers to prevent this atrocity from ever happening again.
Not only will i go back, i may buy a house closer to South street just to be closer to the world of Cupmakes. (unless of course they would be willing to open a shop in EPX neighborhood.. please? C'mon I'm an organ donor? Doesn't that count for something?!)
Ps- the dessert connoisseur got a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and peanut butter cups, He finished 2 days worth of cupcake in 3 minutes. He gives his 2 peanut butter stained thumbs up in approval. -
Review from beth f.
Philadelphia, PA
11/9/2009
i have to say i was a little less than impressed with this place. the bodega/ warehouse-y feel is a little off putting, but i could over look that if the product was really good. i ordered a giant cupcake for a birthday and i genuinely felt robbed. first, i had to assemble the thing myself, since the top and bottom aren't connected- and when i attempted to do so, imagine my surprise when they didn't fit & i had to trim the bottom tier to level the cake. the icing was relentlessly sweet (it was peanut butter) and the toppings that i paid and extra $5 for were the same reeses mini's i could have bought at the eckard next door for $1.99. to top it all off the cake tasted like it came out of a box. i would have let the whole thing go, except the other night i saw a commercial for a giant cupcake bake set that retails for $19.99. i could have had numerous monster cupcakes for less than i paid for this disaster. oh, and the whole bag, no bakery string- just cake boxes- COME ON- could you make it any more inconvenient for the customer. next time i'll do it myself
