Friday, May 29, 2009
Chow Cupcake Royale Opening on Capitol Hill
Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, May 29, 2009 at 2:07 PM
...at the end of July, at 11th and Pike near Boom Noodle. Take it away, press release:
With a bakery nearly three times the size of Cupcake Royale’s current World Headquarters in Ballard, the company’s baking capacity will get a much-needed boost.... The new location is designed by Domestic Architecture, led by Roy McMakin (artist and longtime neighbor/customer of Cupcake Royale in Madrona), and artisans handling the build-out include Dovetail Construction (which recently completed Molly Moon’s and Oddfellows), Sterling Voss, Big Leaf Manufacturing, and glass artist Greg Lundgren (owner of Hideout, and Stranger Genius award winner for Vital 5). The space is housed within the first commercial building by internationally acclaimed architect Tom Kundig.The conceptually designed cupcake café will feature a semi-private party area, a community table for gatherings, and a bakery peep show with a picture window exposing back-of-the-house operations to the cupcake-obsessed customers.
As Megan Seling noted in October, it's the trend that won't die—see also the Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co., the cupcake shop that opened two weeks ago in Belltown.
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1
Mkay, I don't want to slander Cupcake Royale, because I'm a fan. BUT... their cake is sooooo mediocre. The frosting is where it's all at, but frosting isn't always enough to pull off a good cupcake. I wish they'd work on their cake recipes--it always seem to be too dry and too boring to fully enjoy.
2
OMG. First Molly Moon's comes to Capitol Hill, and now Cupcake Royale! I'm going to be in heaven. Morbidly obese and piss-poor heaven, but heaven nonetheless.
3
Between this and Molly Moon's, how am I going to fit into my ridiculously tight black jeans when I stroll around Capitol Hill? No other outfit goes as well with my handlebar mustache!
5
Thank goodness I'll be walking to work starting in November. Unfortunately, both MM & CR will be pretty much on my route.
6
Now, I can finally use the coupons I get from Three Dollar Bill Cinema in my own neighborhood accept I don't like cupcakes.
9
Dammit! If only they opened this month, then I'd have had my birthday party there! Oh well. Also, for @1, have you tried them recently? They've had a new cake recipe for about a month or so. The vanilla is denser, a little fluffier too (and doesn't stick so much to the wrapper), and the chocolate is more moist than before.
10
@1 you hit the nail on the head; I like the idea of their cupcakes better than the cupcakes themselves. Trophy beats them for flavor hands-down.
11
What #1 says. (I find their cupcakes overly dry and the frosting a bit too grainy and lacking in flavor) But they seem like nice folk so good for them.
12
Just wait for the Snuggie wearing street vendor guy that sells bacon topped cupcakes. I think it should be called the Plotzing! Hipster.
13
It won't die if you keep giving it free press. The cupcakes are way too dry, I make better cake from a box. I can't wait to book their private room and help subsidize the expensive build out. Also, two block hack alert?
14
Cupcake Royal does not make the best cupcakes, or anything near the best cupcakes. They are too airy and light, and the frosting too insubstantial, to even be considered "cake," really. Where do people get this idea that cake should be light an airy? Proper cake is fairly dense and moist and rich, so much so that a smallish piece is all you need. A proper cupcake should feel weighty, and its frosting should be extroverted (ideally a butter creme). I just don't think Cupcake Royal really understands CAKE. They understand cup and royal, but not CAKE. And not frosting.
15
@1 & 10:
Try them again when they're up on the hill. They brought in Sue McCown (formerly of CoCo La Ti Da) to tweak their cake recipe.
Try them again when they're up on the hill. They brought in Sue McCown (formerly of CoCo La Ti Da) to tweak their cake recipe.
16
#3, More like Banana Republic jeans and polo shirts. 15th Ave (aka Microsoft's bedroom community) is creeping down the hill. That part of Pike/Pine is a weird mix right now, but hipsters wouldn't be caught dead at Boom Noodle, Molly Moon, Cupcake Royale, and the foie gras establishments in the neighborhood. Only older gay men cross the boundaries between the two Pike/Pines, due to seniority, money, and street cred.
17
@16 - Hipsters find it so much more interesting to lick foie gras off each other tattoos. Nummy :D
18
I agree with others - Cupcake Royale's cupcakes are way too dry. Or were, I guess. Good for them for changing the recipe, but I prefer to bake my own.
ps - hey Stranger, how about some love for the frozen custard place that's going to open on Pike between 13th/14th?
ps - hey Stranger, how about some love for the frozen custard place that's going to open on Pike between 13th/14th?
19
In the future, everyone will be five years old forever. You won't be able to get a fucking drink for less than twenty dollars, but you'll have your choice of fifty kinds of cupcake.
No thanks.
No thanks.
25
Oh hooray, another twee fucking nothing stand. With architecture. Hold my baby while I vomit.
That being said, @16 you hit it on the head, and as an older gay man, I appreciate that you appreciate our special place.
That being said, @16 you hit it on the head, and as an older gay man, I appreciate that you appreciate our special place.
27
the last thing capitol hill needs (or any burrough for that matter) is another overpriced hoity-toity sugary goodies shop. new ice cream store, new frozen custard shop, top pot in the last 2 years. why can't there be just a nice medium priced asian joint or some other ethnic speciality similar to rancho bravo (and that western fusion bullshit of a restaurant Boom Noodle does NOT count.) specifically, some bomb authentic japanese ramen, korean bbq, chinese dim sum...something good enough so i wont have to go to the international district to get it. CMON ASIANS.
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