battle royale - red velvet cupcake

the newest monument to excess in the district of columbia (no, not kwame's suvs)?

the boutique cupcake.

there are no fewer than 3 cupcake-only purveyors in the district alone, not to mention all of the bakeries that have jumped on the bandwagon. we even have a food truck that sells nothing but cupcakes. and while each has its fan, the reigning grandmommy of them all is georgetown cupcake, she of reality television fame. many have tried but none have been able to match the morsels for which people have been known to: 1) wait in obnoxiously long lines (me included); and 2) pay handsomely (me included). until this week ...

earlier this week, sprinkles cupcakes of los angeles, the self-proclaimed "original cupcake bakery," LA Times-dubbed "progenitor** of the haute cupcake craze," and subject of its own reality television show set up shop just a few blocks away!

so tonight we headed to georgetown to conduct a comprehensive test. here are the results -

branding -


pink box wins! it SCREAMS "georgetown cupcake;" while the brown box, even with its sticker, could be mistaken for your lunch from kfc.

cupcake presentation -


they know how to make it look better in los angeles! the cake is bigger, the frosting has height, and the center confection is flirty. you can just see it riding shotgun in a convertible bentley down rodeo drive.

based on outward appearances we're all tied up. but now for the taste.



cream cheese frosting -

georgetown = smoother and creamier

sprinkles = cream cheesier and grainier

red velvet cake -

sprinkles = lighter and airier with more of a hint of chocolate

georgetown = denser

center confection -

georgetown = understated and complementary sugary bite

sprinkles = colorfully inviting, but make sure that your dental insurance premium is up-to-date before biting into this tasteless, rock-hard disc

and the winner is ...

georgetown cupcake!

in the end, it's the frosting that makes the difference and georgetown's is far superior to sprinkles. and hey, this is dc. we don't do big, flashy and overly sweet. we do unadorned effortlessness with a hint of ennui.

in my humble opinion georgetown cupcake will reign supreme until magnolia bakery decides to jump into the mix. until that time, the battle is won.

**don't worry, i had to look it up too! it means - a thing from which another thing originates.