Sprinkles Ice Cream

Earlier in this blog I had a post on Sprinkles Cupcakes. Well last month Sprinkles Ice Cream moved in right next door at 952 Avocado Ave, in Newport Beach. This is the second Sprinkles Ice Cream location in the country. They are open Sun-Wed 12-11pm, and Thurs-Sat 12-12pm.

Top left: Sprinkles sundae with peanut butter cup ice cream and a banana cupcake
Top right: Peanut butter pretzel cookie
Bottom: Store front
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 Sprinkles Cupcakes have become wildly popular across America, so it would only make sense that they would expand their business into other outlets.    

Sprinkles Ice Cream follows the same format as Sprinkles Cupcakes. They have certain cupcake and ice cream flavors that are available every day, like red velvet and captain crunch. They also have rotating flavors that are only available certain days of the week, or certain weeks out of the year for a limited time.

Top: Cupcake choices
Middle: Cone choices
Bottom: Cookie choices
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

An employee, Alicia, asked if I would like to try a sample. “We encourage everyone to try the ice cream before they order, just to make sure they are making the right choice,” she said. This is just one example of their excellent customer service.

           

Aside from the cupcakes and ice cream they also offer brownies, cookies, sauces, and candy toppings that can be used to create ice cream sandwiches and sundaes.

Website: www.sprinklesicecream.com

Petite Madeline Bakery

Petite Madeline is a Patisserie located in downtown Oceanside on Coast Highway. They are an artisan style bakery and make everything in small batches, to ensure detail is put into all of their dishes and pastries.

           

Their doors open at 7:00am and close at 6:00pm. Hours are extended on Thur/Fri/Sat to 7:00pm.  Breakfast is served 7:00am-3:00pm, and then the lunch menu is introduced. Though their menu is not extensive, it is very exquisite. They also have daily specials that are displayed on a beautifully framed chalkboard, right at the entrance of the bakery.

Petite Madeline Bakery dining area
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 Now let’s talk desserts. Employee, Cynthia, says their signature dessert is the chocolate pyramid which is a chocolate cake base, with chocolate moose, covered in dark chocolate.  They also serve fruit tarts, mini cheesecakes, chocolate lava cakes, dome desserts, and assorted bars. As you can see from the picture below that a lot of detail goes into the presentation of these small desserts. Most of the desserts are priced at $5.00.

Dessert case
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 Petite Madeline also creates special occasion cakes. They will need a two week notice and its best to set up an appointment to discuss the cake.

Green Bay Packer themed cupcakes, special order
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 Website: http://www.petitemadelinebakery.com/

Tip Top Meats

This hidden gem is a local favorite in Carlsbad. Tip Top Meats is located at 6118 Paseo Del Norte, right across from the outlet mall, and open daily from 7:00am-8:00pm. Its distinct blue awnings set it apart from other restaurants/markets.

For most patrons it’s an ideal breakfast spot, but they also offer a large assortment of European desserts that Cal State Long Beach student Carli Garsow describes as “out of this world.”

Napoleon
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

The owner of Tip Top meats, John Haedrich, is from Germany and spent many years in Berlin working as a butcher. This experience is what makes the food at Tip Top meats so authentic, including the desserts.

Almond Cake
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 

They offer a variety of pasties including black forest, carrot, and dark chocolate cake slices that are priced at $3.49. Plain, red velvet and turtle cheesecakes also priced at $3.39. One of their most popular menu items is the apple strudel that is only $2.49. They also make Italian pastries daily including Napoleons and cannolis. There is such a variety that you never know what sweets they will be serving up that day. Tip Top’s desserts are also very appealing to the eye, decorated as if straight from a small family-owned bakery in Italy.

Carrot Cake
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

Website: www.tiptopmeats.com

Carlsbad Chocolate Bar

The Carlsbad Chocolate Bar is located in the heart of downtown Carlsbad at 2998 State St. They are open Mon.-Thurs. from 9am-9pm, Fri. and Sat. 9am-10pm, and Sundays from 10am-9pm.

They offer a large assortment of truffles and treats. Unlike other places, they use white, milk, and dark chocolate in their desserts so there is something for everyone’s palate. The chocolates range from 75 cents to $3.95.

Top left: Dark chocolate peanut butter cup
Top Right: Dark chocolate mint truffle
Bottom: Daily assortment of chocolates
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

Aside from the chocolates they also serve cakes, pastries, and cookies. Since its walking distance from some of Carlsbad’s most popular restaurants, it’s an ideal place to stop for dessert.   

 If you’re looking for a quick pick me up they also offer a variety of coffee drinks and tea. They’re coffee beans are roasted locally by the La Costa Roasting Company, to make up their own special blend. Employee Linda says “we have a lot of people come in here for the coffee, since we offer options for everyone’s wants and needs.”

The Carlsbad Chocolate bar also sells wine by the bottle.

Website: www.carlsbadchocolatebar.com

Elizabethan Desserts

Elizabethan Desserts is a hidden treasure found inside Sunshine Gardens, at 155 Quail Garden Dr. in Encinitas CA. I know what you’re thinking, what kind of dessert place is located inside of a business that sells plants and flowers? Well don’t let the location fool you. Elizabethan has some of the most eye appealing, scrumptious desserts I have ever tasted.

           
The pricing on their cupcakes range form $1.75 for a mini, to $4.25 for a jumbo. The cupcakes having interesting flavors, and attention-grabbing names to go along with them. One example: Colin’s Peanut Butter Wag, which is chocolate cake, with peanut butter buttercream, hand dipped in milk chocolate, drizzled with white chocolate and peanuts. There’s also the “Mustachio” pictured below.

The Mustachio: White chocolate pistachio cake, with pistachio buttercream, and a chocolate mustache
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

They also have a range of pies from Strawberry rhubarb to Mississippi mud. They are priced from $20-28 for a whole 9in pie, or $5.95 for an individual version.

           
The thing that sets Elizabethan apart from other bakeries is that they go all out for holidays. For this past Easter they featured cake pops that looked like little chicks. As well as cupcakes adorned with chicks and bunnies, grazing on grass-like piping, all made out of frosting.

Elizabethan also offers an assortment of bars, cookies, whoppie pies, and scones. Their hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm.

Peanut Butter Caramel S'mores Bar: graham cracker crust with peanut butter, chocolate, caramel, and a marshmallow topping
Photo take by: Britta Garsow

Website: http://www.elizabethandesserts.com/

Frosted Cupcakery

Frosted Cupcakery is located in the popular Belmont Shore area of Long Beach, at 4817 E. 2^nd St. 

Unlike many cupcake bakeries that only offer a few daily flavors, Frosted Cupcakery offers 16, including a gluten-free chocolate cupcake with caramel buttercream. They also have rotating seasonal flavors including pumpkin with cream cheese frosting.




Royal white cupcake(s) with Nutella cream buttercream
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow



 Frosted Cupcakery has a flavor of the month as well. This month they are offering an almond cupcake with toasted coconut vanilla buttercream.

One thing that Frosted Cupcakery has that many other bakeries don’t is what they call “hi-top cupcakes.” These marvelous creations are made up of two mini cupcake tops sandwiched together with a frosting center. They are priced at $1.45 each or $15/dozen.

Megan, an employee of Frosted, said that the ice cream cupcakes are one of their most popular items, and for good reason. I think the name says it all but yes, these are cupcakes filled with ice cream. These are priced at $4.95 and the flavors switch daily.

Frosted also has mini cupcakes and jumbo cupcakes available through special order only.

If you have a canine companion, then you might want to purchase a “pupcake” for 75 cents each or $2.00 for a bag of three.  

Website: http://www.frostedcupcakery.com/ 

Sweet and Saucy Shop

On the outside Sweet and Saucy Shop looks unadorned and obsolete, blending in with the rest of the strip mall shops. But once you step inside you’ll see a variety of girlish, antique décor and stunning sweets. Yes, I said stunning.




Daily assortment of treats
Photo take by: Britta Garosw

 

Sweet and Saucy Shop is a staple for Cal State Long Beach students, being that it’s located right across from the school at 6400 E.Stearns St. The employee working yesterday, Melissa, informed me that they would be moving into a bigger building soon. The update would be posted on their website, www.sweetandsaucyshop.com. Their primary location is located on Coast Hwy in Newport Beach.

           
The Bakery specializes in wedding cakes and have been featured in many magazines including The Knot, People, and O Magazine.

Sweet and Saucy Shop has a range of desserts. I was impressed with their selection of cake pops because most bakeries don’t offer them, but they have nine different rotating flavors priced from $2.25-2.50. They also offer an assortment of mini cupcakes ($1.50-1.75), which is nice when you want a little something of everything. According to Melissa their most popular cupcake flavor is the candy bar cupcake, which was absolutely delicious. However my favorite dessert they offer are the French macaroons, which can be hard to find. They offer six different flavors, including the ever popular pistachio.

Mini candy bar cupcake, chocolate peanut butter cake pops, and a vanilla bean macaroon.
Photo take by: Britta Garsow

Covering the shelves behind the display case are hundreds of antique cake stands. I asked Melissa why they had so many, she said “We use them to display the desserts, and people can rent/purchase them for their weddings and private events.” I thought this was such a special service they offer because it’s hard to find cake stands that match the décor of most weddings.

Sweet Jill's Bakery

Sweet Jill’s Bakery in Long Beach has been serving up baked delights since 1987. Jill Kinney Pharis, founder of Sweet Jill’s, started the bakery with old fashioned cinnamon rolls that she learned to bake from her grandmother. They have been the bakery’s most popular item to this day, and my personal favorite. Tiffany C. of Yelp states “Cinnabon has NOTHING on the sweet, delectable cinnamon roll Sweet Jill's offers.  Everyone knows the best part if a cinnamon roll is the soft center. Well, their whole roll is the equivalent of a soft center.” 

There are two Sweet Jill’s locations, in Seal Beach and in Long Beach. The Long Beach location recently moved into a fresh space up 2^nd street and is now located at 5001 E. 2^nd St. The new, modern location is complete with a big screen TV, free Wi-Fi and an espresso bar. There are also two locations in the Long Beach airport for those who need a tasty pastry to keep them occupied during their flight. 

Sweet Jill’s offers an extensive variety of treats including: Cakes, coffee cakes, cookies, cheesecake bars, brownies, bread pudding, croissants, cupcakes, muffins, pull-aparts, pies, breads and more. The pastries are reasonably priced, as nothing is over five dollars. They only accept cash, but they have an ATM conveniently located inside the bakery.

Top: Cinnamon roll
Bottom: Peanut butter,cookie dough brownie & Red velvet cheesecake bar
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

One CSULB student, Will, says “whenever I’m having a bad day I go to Sweet Jill’s and get a cinnamon roll and it makes everything better.” Im sure many students at Cal State Long Beach have the same mentality.

Website: http://sweetjillsbakery.com/ 

Sprinkles Cupcakes

What makes a good cupcake? The quality of ingredients, the mix of flavors, or maybe the presentation? Well Sprinkles Cupcakes does all of these things to produce a product worthy of celebrity enjoyment.

Sprinkles cupcakes is the world’s first cupcake bakery, started in 2003 by Candace Nelson in Beverly Hills. There are now 11 locations across the country, including a Newport Beach location, located at 944 Avocado Ave, which is convenient for Long Beach residents.

Sprinkles La Jolla
 Bottom right: Eggnog cupcake & Triple Cinnamon cupcake
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

Sprinkles recently added a cupcake ATM outside of the original store. That way sugar addicts like myself can get a delicious cupcake any time of the day. A Sprinkles Ice Cream has also been born and is located right next door to the Beverly Hills location.

Sprinkles offers 10 standard flavors on a daily basis, including their most popular cupcake, red velvet. They also have 12 rotating flavors that are offered on specified days of the week, along with certain seasonal flavors. Sprinkles has vegan and gluten free options as well, so there really is something for everyone.

German chocolate, a seaonal flavor. Photo taken by: Britta Garsow

 Now you don’t have to live close to Sprinkles to experience its goodness. They offer delivery of their cupcakes and ice cream nationwide. Sprinkles can also create custom cupcake boxes for your party needs.

The cupcakes are priced at $3.50 each, or $39 for a dozen, and its worth every penny. If you follow Sprinkles on twitter they often provide a daily “whisper word” that, when whispered to a Sprinkles employee, will grant you a free cupcake!

 Mark Summers, of the Food Network, says “[Sprinkles Cupcakes] is turning a simple cupcake into the next star (www.sprinkles.com),” and I couldn’t agree with him more. I like to describe Sprinkle’s Cupcakes as “little drops of heaven,” and that’s an understatement. Try one, you won’t regret it!
Website: http://www.sprinkles.com/ 

Little Cakes Cupcake Kitchen

Little Cakes Cupcake Kitchen is located at 30 Main St. in Vista, CA. They specialize in cupcakes but offer a variety of other desserts.

I ventured to Little Cakes on Saturday to fulfill my cupcake craving. To my surprise there were at least eight different flavor choices. Little Cakes offers unique flavors like Almond Champagne and Pancakes and Bacon. Look at these beauties:



Top: Almond champagne cupcake & Chocolate peanut butter cupcake
Bottom: Vanilla cupcake & Chocolate hazelnut cupcake
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow



They also had mini New York Cheesecakes and Becksters available. What is a beckster you may ask? Only the best invention to ever come out of the dessert world. A beckster is two cookies, sandwiched together with buttercream and dipped in chocolate ganache. I asked the employee working, Teresa, why they are called becksters, she said “The owner’s wife is named Becky, and she specializes in cookies. These were her creation.” She informed me that becksters are usually available Fridays and Saturdays and they are always a different flavor. The one I have pictured here is two espresso cookies, with a coffee buttercream, dipped in dark chocolate ganache.



Coffee Beckster, see description in photo for details
Photo taken by: Britta Garsow



Little Cakes cupcakes run from $2.95-$3.50, and they always offer “yesterday’s batch” for half off (until they run out). Little Cakes hours of operation are 11:00am-8:00pm Sunday-Thursday and 11:00am-9:00pm Friday and Saturday.

Website: http://littlecakeskitchen.com/