Love At First Bite

For better or for worst, cupcakes are the latest rage when it comes to trendy desserts. Though they are not my first chocolate preference, when I heard about a little cupcakery near school that featured vegan chocolate desserts, I knew I needed to check it out.

Located near the corner of Shattuck and Vine in Berkeley, "Love At First Bite" has a side selection of cupcakes, cookies, and cakes. Though all of them looked beautifully tempting, I have learned that looks can be deceiving as I've sampled more than my share of chocolate desserts that looked delicious and decadent, but were anything but.

I walked in this small little shop, located off the main drag, and knew exactly what I wanted. Described as "the richest, moistest chocolate cake you'll ever taste," the Vegan Chococake has no eggs or dairy, and is crowned with vegan mocha frosting. After a productive afternoon in thesis mode, this was my reward. I was excited.

To be cliche, it truly was "love at first bite." This standard-sized cupcake was soft, light, and tender. There was a smooth creamy texture to the cake that needed to be savored. Resting on your tongue, this cupcake did not want to be chewed as much as it wanted to simply melt in your mouth.

While the frosting on its own was more sugary- sweet than mocha-d, it did bring out the chocolatey bite in the cupcake which on its own was a rather mild but pleasant semi-sweet. The frosting and the cake brought the best out of each other in terms of flavors. They needed one another to bring out the "love" in this dessert.

Though the Vegan Chococake was the complete antithesis for my preferred dense, dark, and rich chocolate palate, I definitely found myself falling under its spell. It was a $2.75 delight that was gone too quickly.

Overall assessment: 4.5 cacao beans (out of 5)
Not quite perfect for me, as my taste buds still prefer the deep, dense, dark undertones of bittersweet chocolate. However, if you enjoy light, fluffy, and mild, the Vegan Chococake is the perfect cupcake for you. And did I mention it is VEGAN? Not only is it good on the palate, it is good for the planet.
(review date: 2010_03-02)