Cupcakes are still having their moment in the spotlight. An edible glitter-covered fifteen minutes of fame. Some might argue that they’ve had their time and we should move onto something else but they are a lot of options in Greenwich. But which are best? I went for a wander around Greenwich, trying the tastiest cupcakes I could find, all in the name of research.
Monsoon, Turnpin Lane. Strawberry. £1.95.
The smallest of the bunch, and actually one of my favourites. But only because I really like Strawberry Angel Delight and that’s exactly what the frosting on this cake tasted like. I was bouncing off the walls after trying this one. It was definitely the sweetest I tried, which is impressive given its petite stature.
Real Baking Company, Greenwich Market. Red Velvet. £2.50.
It’s HUGE! Gosh, that’s one heck of a cupcake. The Real Baking Company really know how to make their cakes look good. I had no complaints with this cupcake, although the frosting was very buttery and there was a lot of it. That’s what you want from a cupcake, isn’t it? If you don’t want frosting on your cake, then you buy a brownie.
Rhode’s, College Approach. Lemon. £2.75.
Oooh, that’s a pricey cupcake. But hello, what’s the inside it? Lemon curd! AND a candied lemon peel decoration on top of the frosting (actually looked nicer than it tasted, bluergh). This was the fanciest of the cupcakes that I tried. And it’s nice to see the Rhodes staff smiling a little more after my chocolate brownie adventures.
Ruby Tuesdays, Greenwich Market. Vegan raspberry and chocolate. £2.30.
WOW. If there wasn’t a sign on Ruby’s Greenwich Market stall telling me this cupcake was vegan, I’d never have known. It was rich and chocolatey, with a perfect swirl of raspberry frosting. Actually, that’s probably the best cupcake frosting I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting all over my face.
Others: A vanilla cupcake from Red Door cafe (£2.65) was my least favourite. Admittedly I visited quite late on a Sunday afternoon but the sponge was a little dry and frosting hard. I wanted to try Black Vanilla but I watched two people arrive after me and get served before me so I left, cupcakeless.
And the winner is…
Ruby Tuesdays is definitely the winner for me. Not only was the cake the tastiest I tried last week, but the service was really friendly as well. I love that her cakes are suitable for special diets. She’s a brilliant addition to Greenwich Market. If the queue for her offerings is too busy, head to the Real Baking Company, or around the corner to Rhodes.