Today I had a lovely day off from the dissertation and went on a wonderful 10 mile mystery tour round London with one of my best friends, Henna. We got our nails done, became ladies who lunch, dressed up as knights in the National Gallery, wandered round Harrods, got attacked by a squirrel in Hyde Park and, to top it all off, indulged in a luxurious cupcake whilst soaking up the sun in St. James’s Park.
Fortunately, this meant that I got a lovely scenic photo of my cupcake on a park bench for this post!
I found this beautiful carrot cupcake in a tiny little shop called the Sweet Couture Cupcake Boutique in Covent Garden. I’d never actually been down this road in Covent Garden before and I have to say I was absolutely delighted to find so many wonderful independent small businesses, particularly the foodie ones! However, with its giant glass windows, which allow for optimal spying on the delicious range of cakes in the display cabinet inside, all topped with an extremely large, perfectly-swirled mound of icing, I couldn’t resist purchasing one of these cakey works of art. With all of their regular signature cupcakes on display it was a hard choice to make, but I decided on the carrot cake, as I have just started my graduation diet and I’d convinced myself that it was the healthiest option! I do also LOVE a good carrot cake! It was carefully placed into an adorable little takeaway box with its very own handle, and £2.50 later I was on my way with this delightfully tempting treat teasing me blissfully the whole way to the park.
As much as I loved the cute little box, I couldn’t wait to tuck in! This cupcake was absolutely gorgeous. With beautifully subtle hints of cinnamon and ginger firing through the soft, sweet sponge, which was baked to absolute crumbly perfection, this really was a treat that was worth indulging and sacrificing the diet for! I have to admit, I was slightly worried that the mountain of cream cheese frosting would ruin everything, but in actual fact it was perfectly complimentary; it was not overwhelmingly tangy like some cream cheese icings can be, especially when there is so much of them, but instead it was a delightful and welcoming accompaniment that added a soft, smooth, and delicate sweetness to the whole experience. And to top it off, the crumbled walnuts sprinkled over the top not only added to the beauty of the whole cupcake, but they truly complimented the slightly grainy carrot cake texture, adding a beautiful nutty crunch to finish off this baking masterpiece.
Even the pigeons enjoyed the crumbs!
I will definitely be back to try one of their deluxe cupcakes, which change every couple of months so that seasonal ingredients can be used! Furthermore, I think this bakery has to be commended on its dedication to using British ingredients; all their eggs and milk are sourced from British farms, so by purchasing a cupcake from this beautiful bakery, you are also supporting our hard-working British farmers! You can never go wrong by eating cake AND completing your good deed for the day at the same time!
And as a special treat for reading to the end of my post, you may be rewarded with a picture of me dressed as a knight at the National Gallery!
The Three-Tiered Cake Stand 