Kara's Cupcakes, San Francisco CA

Having changed my route back to the hotel after pizza at Orgasmica in order to check out a store off Lombard, I was happy to see the cute sign on Lombard pointing toward Scott Street that said “Cupcakes this way.” Having tried Kara’s expertly crafted cupcakes at Ghirardelli Plaza on my last visit to San Francisco I had mixed feelings – while delicious, the cakes were small and while the ingredients were quality the prices were high. That noted, having read some other reviews after coming back to Ohio it appeared I’d missed out on the best – the Chocolate Velvet, so I stopped in for a bite. Like the Ghirardelli location I was greeted by wonderful customer service, smiling faces, and a pristine store.

As I walked into the store I browsed the selections and surprisingly noted they were all out of the velvet - C’est la vie, I figured, and instead I ordered a filled passion fruit. Speaking briefly with the clerk I was told that if I hung out for 2 minutes a fresh batch of Chocolate Velvet would be out – so hang I did. Notably, during those 2-3 minutes four more persons came in to pick up orders or individual cupcakes including an older woman who waited with me for the Chocolate Velvet. Finally receiving my prize, still warm no-less, I paid and made my way to the street.

Once again eating while I was walking (the third time that day, already) I first addressed the Chocolate Velvet. Clearly fresh and loaded with soft and smooth icing the texture of this beauty resembled more of a soufflé than a cake and the overall effect was quite literally like Chocolate velvet – light, smooth, airy, and wonderful – the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever tasted, topping Kara’s sublime Fleur de Sel from my last visit.

Finishing the small cake in short order, I next proceeded to devour the Passion Fruit. Sweet and smooth, creamy and citrus, I must admit this cake was a bit more dense than the Chocolate Velvet and perhaps even a little too sweet. Certainly not as nuanced as the Passion Fruit at Vanilla in Los Angeles, regardless.

All told, I like what Kara is doing with her “as healthy as cupcakes can be” approach and absolutely love her chocolate flavors while her fruits tend to lag behind a bit. Highly recommended.

Kara's Cupcakes, San Francisco CA

Knowing that we would be getting an early start up to Muir Woods, Napa, Sonoma, and Yountville my family and I decided to grab breakfast-y treats the day prior. Items for this gluttonous smorgasbord included the left-over Devils Food Cake from Gary Danko, the Chocolate Pudding from Tartine, some Chocolate Figs from Sharffen Berger, and four cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes near Fisherman’s Wharf/Ghirardelli square.

Having sampled the famous cupcakes of Magnolia, Sprinkles, Yummy, Crumbs, Bleeding Heart, Mrs. Beasley’s, and Bouchon previously and planning to check out Love At First Bite, Kara’s, Vanilla, and Citizen Cake on this trip I have to say my expectations were high. Tucked away in Ghirardelli square, near the soon-to-open Danko Brasserie I must admit I was somewhat shocked by the prices at first, but after reading about the ingredients this shock soon passed. Selections were numerous and some quite unique – no Red Velvet was a bummer - and we decided on four options to be split and shared. My choice was the Fleur de Sel while my mother chose the Meyer Lemony Lemon and my Aunt picked the Banana and Kara’s Karrot.

Remember where I said share? Apparently my mother forgot about this and in the glee of “it was amazing” polished off the Lemony Lemon all on her own. Fortunately my Aunt was more giving, especially as she ate way too much of the rich Chocolate Pudding from Tartine, and I was able to sample the rest.

The Banana, in my opinion, was pretty standard fare and although the cupcake was moist and tasty it didn’t hold a candle to Tartine’s banana bread, Bouchon’s Banana Muffin, or the Banana Cupcakes at Yummy. The Karrot, on the other hand, was heavenly and probably the second best Carrot based dessert I’ve ever tasted (bested only by Keller’s Carrot Cookie at Bouchon) – the frosting especially was so impossibly light yet tangy and sweet.

The final option, and the best of the group by far, was the Fleur de Sel. A dense Ghirardelli chocolate cupcake with thick caramel filling, heavy and dense chocolate ganache frosting and a light sprinkling of fleur de sel was a perfect balance of sweet and salty, chocolate and caramel, light and heavy – possibly the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever tasted. The small size was somewhat fortunate as I know I’d have overindulged had there been more.

All told, a good little cupcake place in an interesting location. Prices could be a little bit more approachable for the size, but certainly aren’t as absurd as Miette or Sprinkles. The quality is tops and you get what you pay for.