The cupcake trend is like the Energizer bunny. It just keeps going and going with no end in sight. However, many bakeries that are riding the cupcakery wave are run by business people capitalizing on the dessert’s popularity and profit margins as opposed to passionate bakers who truly care about their product. After being inundated with cupcakes for the past several years, it takes an awful lot to get me excited about a cupcake anymore. This week in Rockford, however, I found a cupcakery that reminded me why cupcakes became popular in the first place.
The Sweetery is a wholesale and catering business, so they only sell cupcakes by the dozen. Individual cupcakes are available at The Rockford CIty Market on Fridays though. Lucky for me, I was attending a lovely dinner at Prairie Street Brewhouse and had the chance to try three of their flavors – Rockford Peach, Chocolate Hazelnut Turtle and Triple Vanilla. All three were center-filled, as I believe all cupcakes should be, and all were incredible.
Rockford Peach Cupcake
If you twisted my arm and made me pick a favorite, I think I’d go with the Rockford Peach cupcake, named after the Rockford Peaches professional women’s baseball team that played from 1943 – 1954. I had no idea that women ever played baseball professionally, but met a couple of the former Peaches at the Midway Village Museum and these cupcakes are a fitting tribute to the badass lovely ladies who weren’t afraid to beat the boys. Here, a peach cake is filled with a chunky peach jam and topped with light peach whipped cream. An ode to summer and to pretty girls who pack a punch.
Chocolate Hazelnut Turtle Cupcake
Next, I had to try this decadent chocolate cupcake, topped with chocolate hazelnut cream cheese and chopped hazelnuts. The best part was the salted caramel filling inside, so rich but so good. This cupcake successfully walked the fine line between deliciously indulgent and cloying. I was really impressed at the freshness and intensity of the ingredients and how the frosting, cake and filling all complemented one another so well.
Cupcake tower with chocolate hazlenut truffle, triple vanilla and Rockford peach cupcakes
Normally, I don’t bother with vanilla cupcakes. Why try a Plain Jane flavor when there are more interesting options? But based on how much I enjoyed the first two flavors, I was curious about the Triple Vanilla. I wondered where the third aspect of vanilla would come into play. I could see the cake and frosting…but could there possibly be a vanilla filling too? I had to find out, so I took a third cupcake from the tower, intending to take just a couple bites. Yeah, that plan didn’t work out so well once I cut into the vanilla pastry cream center. The tangy Madagascar cream cheese frosting had flecks of vanilla bean in it, contrasting with the mellower and thicker vanilla pastry cream inside. The simple vanilla cake held its own with these flavors and I think this may be the sexiest and most ambitious vanilla cupcake I’ve ever had. Keep up with them on Facebook to see the new flavors they work on on a daily basis!
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