Tempo does a roundup of the best cupcake places around town. In this review Saniya Ali includes Bloomsbury’s ‘Double Chocolate Heaven’, Kitsch’s ‘Caramel Crunch,’ Maison Sucre’s ‘Red Velvet’ and Sugar Daddy’s ‘Kit Kat’.
Where: BLOOMSBURY’S
What: Double Chocolate Heaven
Build: Chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge icing
Comment: Located at the heart of Al Wahda Mall, this cupcakery is hard to miss. With its red and black décor and mahogany furnishing, this little café provided me with a pretty classy experience. The staff was more than willing to help me pick out the perfect cupcake to indulge in and I was soon munching my way through a Double Chocolate Heaven cupcake. Chocolate heaven: the smooth texture of the fudge icing mixed with the chocolate sponge left me wanting more. The sponge was baked to perfection with the moisture completely locked in, making it possibly the best cupcake I have ever had!
Recommendation: My best cupcake experience so far.
Rating: 5 stars
Where: KITSCH
What: Caramel Crunch
Build: Vanilla sponge with crunchy caramel and crushed nuts
Comment: Decorated in basic white this tiny take-out café has rows of cupcakes lining the counters. An intense battle took place in my head and I eventually picked the Caramel Crunch cupcake. I received my cupcake in a Chinese style take-out box complete with a thin metal handle. The cutlery provided in the café was made of wood and was biodegradable. I eagerly took my cupcake home and sat down to eat it. The topping on the cupcake consisted of a thin layer of butter cream icing with deliciously crunchy caramel and nuts covering it; this is not your garden variety vanilla sponge cupcake!
Recommendation: Wild combinations, I want to try them all!
Rating: 4 ½ stars
Where: MAISON SUCRE
What: Red Velvet
Build: Red velvet sponge with cream cheese icing
Comment: This adorable cupcake café is hidden amongst some busy city streets. Decorated with soft pastel colours and candy themed décor, when it came to the cake this café definitely left me wanting. First, the staff seemed impatient and was not very helpful when I asked about the toppings. I decided to stick to the traditional Red Velvet, assuming that nothing could go wrong with the house specialty and café namesake…but was I in for a surprise! The sponge had an odd consistency; it lacked moisture and the cream cheese icing was somewhat lumpy.
Recommendation: Disappointing, but I’m no quitter; I’ll go back someday and try another cupcake.
Rating: 3 ½ stars
Where: SUGAR DADDY’S
What: Kit Kat
Build: Chocolate sponge with vanilla butter cream and crushed Kit Kat
Comment: Sugar Daddy’s is one of the oldest and most popular cupcakeries in Abu Dhabi. It is located on the Corniche, which in my opinion is probably the most ideal place to enjoy a sinful treat such as this. The friendly staff greeted me with warmth and cheerfully handed me my cupcake. Because of my soft spot for chocolate I picked the Kit Kat cupcake and sat down to fully appreciate the taste and texture of the cupcake. I loved how the vanilla butter cream complimented the crushed Kit Kat topping and the rich lightness of the sponge cake.
Recommendation: Yummy cupcake, and perfect place to enjoy it
Rating: 4 stars
