I talked about The Cupcake Shoppe in an article I wrote a few days ago.  In case you missed it, it’s here… Raleigh’s Cupcake Shop

We’ve had Russell Stover’s chocolate (a gift), oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate covered pretzels lying around that he had to help finish first! But anyway, the cupcakes from the Cupcake Shoppe are like most cupcakes where they only have a certain shelf life, ya know!

I realized after the day I brought ‘em home, that the cupcakes lost their moistness. They actually feel lighter in weight the next day. Eric said it was just okay. He’s not a big cupcake fan to begin with…he’d much rather have an Outback Chocolate-Thunder-from-Down-Under. And he’s a more of a pie man anyway. Me, I’m definitely a cake girl. Or I should say a cake and cookie girl…ooh, my weaknesses!

…He, like me didn’t eat the cupcake frosting. If you like really sugary, hard frosting on baked goods then you’ll like this, but if not, then you probably won’t. I kinda like in between hard and soft frosting. The hard frosting reminds me of cupcakes I had during my childhood from the Giant Foods bakery where my family shopped. This lemon cupcake I thought was supposed to be infused with lemon filling but he said it was just a lemon cake batter, and not lemon-y enough for him. But to be fair, he says that about most lemon desserts…well except for the one that used to be at Carino’s Italian Restaurant. Do you know the one I’m talking about? That one had just the right amount of lemon and just the right consistency…not too heavy, not too light. Sorry…I checked their website and it doesn’t appear to be on their current menu.

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Here’s a photo of it. I took a few bites and that was more than enough.

Valentine's Day Special Cupcakes - Strawberry Champagne Cupcake on Right

I actually liked the classic red velvet cupcake the BEST. The cake itself wasn’t nearly as dense and buttery as the Special Strawberry Champagne one. The red velvet one was more a classic cake batter. You know…you could see some air pockets. I prefer my cakes a ‘lil light and airy. Not rich and buttery.

The cupcakes are $2.75 each and you can order a mini version…bon bon size. But those have to be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance. Me, I bought a 6 pack for sample…the jumbo size ones

When I was in there, the store wasn’t crowded but there were a few visitors. There was a woman sitting down eating her cupcake. I could tell she was lovin’ every bite. She did mention that she couldn’t keep the cupcake from falling on its side. That’s ‘cause the frosting weighs about a ton. They use a cream cheese frosting recipe that makes the cupcake top heavy. So yeah, you probably will need a fork or spoon for this cupcake dessert if you don’t wanna mess everywhere. I’ve always eaten desserts with a fork but my husband eats with a spoon. What do you use? I think you’re more likely to shovel more into your mouth faster with a spoon…but that’s just my opinion.

Not a strawberry, chocolate or vanilla fan? Well…as I mentioned earlier, the red velvet cupcake ‘Big Red’ is awesome and could be YOUR TREAT fav’rite too! That’s one of the #1 sellers. It’s a regular cupcake there on the menu in case you can’t make it to the store by tomorrow. The first time I’d heard of red velvet cake was from ‘Steel Magnolias’. In the movie, that’s what the Groom’s cake (another southern thing!) was made of. But down here in the south, red velvet cake is a common thing. In the red velvet batter, buttermilk and cocoa are common ingredients …AND of course the red dye gives the shocking red appearance.

Are you counting down the last day to Valentine’s Day? Okay, there’s a part of me that could care less…it’s a Hallmark holiday creation isn’t it? And then there’s a part of me that thinks, what a great day to be able to celebrate hearts, pinks, chocolate, cute cards, stuffed animals, jewelry (if I’m lucky!)…and all that girlie stuff I’ve been around since a ‘lil girl. …And still love! So, the adult me has compromised. To me, getting a cupcake and going out to dinner is perfect. Who says ‘a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’? Well…I think it can apply to women also… oh and definitely pets!

By the way, I’ll let you know how the other 4 cupcakes I try are. C’mon I can’t eat ‘em all in one sitting… that would be way too dangerous! I’m gonna give my Valentine the Lemon Zinger cupcake…his fav’rite. So I’ll let you know what he thinks… I’ll probably share with him the mint chocolate one also but I don’t think he’d like any of the others.

Oh, and I let my other Valentine sniff the ‘Pretty in Pink’ cupcake. But he’s gonna have to settle for a teenie weenie Greenie treat for his Valentine’s day treat. If only he knew what he were really missing! I could go to the Just Dogs! Gourmet kiosk at Crabtree Valley and get ‘em a carob frosted ice cream cone, but I think he likes the healthy stuff better. It’s hard to tell…he gobbles just about everything down we give him. Don’t worry we just got him weighed. He’s still 12 pounds so no doggie diet needed.

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