Cupcake Camper

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Hubby and I took a four day weekend to go visit my family in Illinois. It was a rainy chilly weekend in the Midwest so our original plan of going apple picking got foiled. Instead, we decided to head to the Shoppes at Grand Prairie to do a bit of shopping. It was a very successful shopping trip, especially since we saw this when we walked out of our last store.

That’s right! A cupcake camper. I know some of you have seen the cupcake trucks that go around NYC selling cupcakes, but this camper was at an outdoor mall in Peoria, Illinois.

We decided to wait outside in the misting rain to grab two cupcakes to split between the four of us. First the girl wasn’t there, so we waited a few minutes and she returned. During that time we decided on our flavors to try. We wanted to try a chocolate cupcake with pink frosting and a spice cupcake with orange frosting.

All of the cupcakes were in the camper in plastic boxes behind the counter. It appears that the cupcakes are baked somewhere else and then sold from the camper. When the girl came back, she gave us our two cupcakes. I asked the girl who baked the cupcakes (hoping that she would give me the name of a bakery or something), she said “I dunno, bakers?”.

When I looked down at the two cupcakes, I asked if the one with orange was in fact a spice cupcake, and she reassured me that it was a spice cupcake. I didn’t believe it at first since the spice cupcakes I’ve made are always a dark brown color and this one was clearly white. But since she had confirmed the order twice before going to get the cupcakes, AND verified again after she gave us the cupcakes, I dropped the line of questioning.

We paid and took our cupcakes home to enjoy. They were definitely big enough for us to cut them into four so everyone could have some of each. The chocolate cupcake was a bit dry. The cupcake to frosting ratio was about spot on. We all agreed that the frosting was ok. Nothing great, but also not overly sweet or bland.

On to the vanilla cupcake. Again, we had ordered a spice cupcake and were given a vanilla cupcake. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because this was a great vanilla cupcake. Maybe one of the best ones I’ve ever had.

Overall, the Cupcake Camper experience was ok. The employee working the day we went had no clue about what was going on. As a cupcake enthusiast, this was somewhat frustrating. My dad also commented that he was surprised they had so few flavors to choose from.

Cupcake Camper does have a website that is currently under construction, and a Facebook page that you can check out. I still have no idea where the cupcakes come from, so if anyone knows, I’d love to hear about it.

Don’t forget about my Power of Pink Challenge going on all month.

Cupcakes, Travel

6 comments »

38 Responses to “What’s your secret?”

#
1

BMK — January 28, 2008 at 1:15 pm

Those are adorable! I love the idea of lemon meringue cupcakes.
#
2

~Amber~ — January 28, 2008 at 1:51 pm

They are adorable!! Great job and I am glad you had success with the recipe.
#
3

Shawnda — January 28, 2008 at 2:27 pm

Congrats on a successful challenge!
#
4

slush — January 28, 2008 at 3:03 pm

OMG, are they cute! Like little porcupines. So glad it turned out for you. Fab job!
#
5

Aparna — January 28, 2008 at 3:24 pm

I really liked your idea of making the cupcakes. No cutting up and great single sized servings. They look just great.
Makes me wonder– why didn’t I think of that?
#
6

Tempered Woman — January 28, 2008 at 3:36 pm

Hey~ I made lemon maringue cuppies too! I am so sold on making pies this way in the future- very fun. Love the spikies- great job.
#
7

Nikki57 — January 28, 2008 at 4:39 pm

Your LMP looks great! I love the cuppies
#
8

CB — January 28, 2008 at 5:22 pm

LMP cuppys rule! ::high five:: love all the pictures of your process… great job!
#
9

Marye — January 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm

I really like the little pies everyone is making..now I want to redo mine.blessings,
marye
http://bakingdelights.com
#
10

michelle — January 28, 2008 at 7:15 pm

Oh so cute! I had considered trying my second attempt in a cupcake tin… until I waited until the last minute, that is! 🙂
#
11

ruthEbabes — January 28, 2008 at 9:27 pm

Congrats! These look fabulously divine!
#
12

Butta Buns — January 28, 2008 at 9:40 pm

Ah ha, another fellow Boston baker! Your tarts are beautiful! Love the peaks on the meringue!
#
13

How To Eat A Cupcake — January 28, 2008 at 10:19 pm

Those are so perfect!

PS: I have those red measuring bowls. I love them! 😀
#
14

I(dot)J — January 28, 2008 at 11:49 pm

so SMART to have all of your ingredients out FIRST. I really should know this by now.
#
15

Dolores — January 29, 2008 at 1:52 am

Ooooh, I love your cupcake-pies. How’d you make the meringue spikey?

And what did the husband think of the final product?
#
16

breadchick — January 29, 2008 at 2:00 am

your little ones are adorable. Great job on your challenge!!
#
17

MrsPresley — January 29, 2008 at 2:35 am

your lemon meringue cupcakes are so cute! job well done! 🙂
#
18

Beth G. — January 29, 2008 at 2:36 am

They’re so cute!! Great job!! :O)
#
19

kate — January 29, 2008 at 2:54 am

i had that crust shrinkage problem too. it’s a bummer.

———-
kate
http://www.thecleanplateclub.net
#
20

Jen — January 29, 2008 at 2:58 am

Dolores – I just spread the meringue around and then using a spatula, pressed it into the meringue and pulled it out and voila! Spikes!
#
21

Andrea — January 29, 2008 at 3:06 am

Your little cupcakes are adorable! That was a great idea!
#
22

Princess of the kitchen — January 29, 2008 at 7:32 am

Your little tarts lok just lovely. well done!
#
23

Big Boys Oven — January 29, 2008 at 8:31 am

a challenge executed incrediblely well!
#
24

Deborah — January 29, 2008 at 3:54 pm

They look just perfect!!
#
25

Candace — January 29, 2008 at 4:10 pm

Nice job!
#
26

Megan — January 29, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Too cute! Love the cupcakes. I want one!
#
27

Carrie — January 30, 2008 at 12:02 am

My crust did the same thing! Your cupcakes look great though!
~Carrie from bakersbakery.wordpress.com
#
28

Lane — January 30, 2008 at 6:35 am

Your “pie-cups” look perfect. Great job!

Jane of VeganBits.com
#
29

Lunch Buckets — January 30, 2008 at 6:48 am

Very cute! Did you turn away and silently mock your husband “my mom makes a great…”, no of course you wouldn’t have, I must be projecting 🙂
#
30

Sheltie Girl — January 30, 2008 at 3:19 pm

You did a wonderful job on your lemon meringue tarts!

Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go

~ We’re lactose intolerant at our house too.
#
31

Quellia — January 30, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Nice cupcakes! And if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been a DB’er for a year and friends and family, all non-bloggers, always know what I’m making. They kinda have to since I always tape the recipe up on the kitchen cupboards!
#
32

creampuff — January 30, 2008 at 8:52 pm

Yayy! I love reading success posts like this! They look great and that’s a good idea to bake them in muffin tins. Well done!
#
33

BrineS — January 31, 2008 at 7:22 am

I love your little lemon meringues!
#
34

Jen Yu — January 31, 2008 at 5:53 pm

Awesome! I love how differently everyone’s turned out, but these little cuties are so adorable 🙂 Great job!!
#
35

Claire — February 1, 2008 at 1:34 am

So cute! I’m sure everyone enjoyed you addition to the spread!
#
36

Jigginjessica — February 2, 2008 at 4:31 pm

I love cupcake idea. One big pie seems so messy, these seem neat and tidy. Congrats on another successful challenge!
#
37

Jelli Bean — August 20, 2009 at 3:09 pm

The shrinking crust always affects my mini cupcake pies too. The trick is to make them overhang the cups enough so that they shrink down to just the right size. Your little pies are darling!
#
38

kijiji in edmonton canada — September 14, 2013 at 11:12 pm

It’s awesome for me to have a website, which is helpful in
favor of my know-how. thanks admin