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Lena Singer was raised on a farm in Central Illinois. She went to journalism school in Champaign, was an editor in Chicago for a couple years, then came back to Champaign for more school. Now she writes and edits here. She plays records once a week (at Mike 'n' Molly's) and hosts a trivia night once a month (also at Mike 'n' Molly's). She loves food, periodicals, pop music, and ABBA; separately or together, always with complete seriousness.
Cupcakes, among life's extravagances, are now available to regularly indulge in at Cakes on Walnut, a cupcake shop at 114 N. Walnut open for business today (April 22) at 7 a.m.
Vanilla, chocolate, classic yellow, red velvet, salted caramel, green tea and strawberry balsamic are the cupcake flavors featured on the shop's opening menu, which will rotate from time to time, according to
owners (and sisters) Trisha Bates and Amanda Bates.
Cakes on Walnut also serves tea, coffee, sandwiches and salads for the daytime crowd (they have free wireless, too, for those who like to plant themselves downtown to work). For the night crowd — they're open
until midnight Tuesday through Saturday — they'll also be serving wine, Champagne, port and beer.
The cakes, which come in two sizes ("big" at $3.25 and "small" at $2.75), are moist and have substance. They're pleasantly sweet, though maybe not as sweet as expected — a good thing considering all are topped in different flavors of rich buttercream. You don't get the oily sponginess you often experience with commercial cakes, but on the other hand, they're a little crumbly.
The red velvet cupcake, one of the more traditional flavors, is a rich cake topped in cream cheese buttercream. This topping is flecked with bitter cocoa nibs, which successfully counteract the frosting's intense sweetness. Salted caramel — a pleasing though somewhat deceptive flavor — earns its name from a piece of salted toffee wedged in buttercream (possibly caramel flavored, but, if so, subtle) covering a chocolate cupcake.
According to Trisha Bates, the shop had guidance from Bacaro staff, including the restaurant's pastry chef, in creating both the cupcake and sandwich menu. This shows in flavors like strawberry balsamic, a simple cupcake that appeals to gourmet tastes, using droplets of balsamic vinegar to balance the light sweetness of strawberry buttercream atop vanilla cake.
Sandwiches like white bean and Parmesan and turkey apple quince might also reveal the Bacaro influence (and could remind former fans of Persimmon of their old favorites), but aren't as fully formed as expected, particularly at $7 and coming pre-made out of the fridge. The turkey apple quince sandwich blends the mild, every day-ness of turkey with sweet, upscale quince paste and the tartness of thinly-sliced Granny Smith apples. But, truth be told, even though it's tasty enough on the crusty baguette it's served in, it's a short piece of bread for the price, particularly without a slice of creamy cheese like Brie or Camembert.
This is exactly what many people in Champaign-Urbana will likely take issue with: high prices when a shop hasn't yet hit its stride in the excellence department. A $3.50 bowl of store-bought cereal (such as Special K or Lucky Charms) and milk — the shop's only breakfast item — is simply extravagant. Ask any Midwesterner: it doesn't make economic sense to eat it when leaving the house for a meal. Particularly at a
cupcake shop, where most people would expect and would be more inclined to pay something like that or less for a freshly baked muffin.
That said, every item on Cakes on Walnut's menu has potential, and the Bates sisters have nicely renovated an old shoe repair shop into a comfortable, modern space.
Photos by Justine Bursoni and Seth Fein
Comments (5)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:38 PM
Oh man, we walked in there on Saturday 'cause the door was open and it seemed like people were milling around. Sadly, they were not customers. But I want a cupcake now, Daddy!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:55 PM
These cupcakes are simply not very good. At least, not yet.
Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines beats these to a pudding pulp with stiff peaks.
Speaking of which, they should do just that: put some puddin' in these cuppers.
Also, $3.50 for a bowl of flakes?
Thanks. I live in Champaign to avoid that BS.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:21 PM
A cupcake shop that sells port and Champagne... now that's a novelty!
Man, I know the economy is crap and flour has raised in prices... but honestly... I'd be in this place a ton if the cupcakes weren't so expensive. And ditto on the cereal... makes me wonder how expensive the coffee is.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:21 PM
Some might say "subtle," others might say "flavorless."
I was there for the soft opening on Sunday, and I got a free salted caramel cupcake.
I was expecting a far stronger flavor (not necessarily sweeter) out of the frosting, with maybe some nice grey French sea salt on it.
The red velvet definitely beat the salted caramel. But the texture could have been a bit more moist.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 1:01 AM
Despite what others may think, I was in there tonight and had a salted carmel cupcake. Delicious!!!! The flavor wasn't too sweet, just perfect. I also tried the straberry balsamic vinigarette, that was yummy too. The Balsamic vinigarette cut the sweetness of the strawberry but was very subtle. I think these ladies are doing an excellent job. It is a tad pricy, but I am willing to spend the money to support a local business and help keep them running. The place is cute, quaint, and cozy. I can't wait to go back to try lunch and order a dozen cupcakes to share with friends.