project cupcake | mckinley's

My previous three project cupcake posts have been about cupcake food trucks, but today I'm writing about an actual bakery with a storefront. McKinley's, conveniently located in University Park Village, has been one of my favorite places to get a cupcake fix for years. I actually got my first cupcake crush when I was introduced to their delicious strawberry cupcakes!

Aside from an awesome food menu [the turkey pesto panini and barbie salad are my faves], their bakery is unreal. Everything is baked from scratch each morning, so you have to get there earlier in the day to truly see the entire selection. They have a huge variety of cookies, cakes, pies, monster cinnamon rolls... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. But the star of this post is obviously the cupcakes.

Cupcake flavors I've tried and liked: Lemon and Strawberry. The end!

Description: These cupcakes are the perfect size. The frosting is always delicious and the cupcakes are always dense, moist, and flavorful. Although I love chocolate as much, or more than, the next girl, I have to say I found the chocolate cupcake verrrry rich. Thus, I usually alternate between Lemon and Strawberry flavors. Also worth noting, the prices for baked items--especially the cupcakes, I've noticed--are the best I've seen so far in Fort Worth. I'm a sucker for a bargain.

Address: 1616 University Drive, Suite 301, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Bakery hours: 8am - 6:30pm Monday-Saturday, 11am - 5pm Sunday

project cupcake | red jett sweets

I wish I hadn't waited so long to write about one of my favorite Fort Worth cupcake vendors. Red Jett Sweets has been a go-to stop when I needed a quick fix for my sweet tooth when I was in the West 7th district, as their truck could often be found at the Fort Worth Food Park.

As of June 9th, the business closed due to the increased amount of time and energy the owners were putting into the business, which resulted in less time for family and friends. Though my heart was deeply saddened with this news, I can only hope some good soul out there will buy the brand and keep these cupcakes going! Because honestly, they are phenom. xo.

Top left: Nuts for Kentucky. Bottom Right: Spotty Dotty Lemon.

Cupcakes I've tried: Red Jett Velvet, Coconut Comet, Nuts for Kentucky, Spotty Dotty Lemon, and Peter Pumpkin.

Description: Perfection. Fantastic texture and density. Perfect frosting consistency. Flavor packed without being too sugary to handle. Normal sized--not too small, not to large.

Address and Hours: None right now! Fingers crossed Red Jett Sweets 2.0 will hit the streets in the coming months.

Twitter: @RedJettSweetsFW

project cupcake | cup cakin machine

I've been wanting to try Cup Cakin Machine's cupcakes for quite a while, but always seemed to miss them on the few times they made an appearance in Fort Worth [this cupcakery on wheels largely sticks to the Dallas area.]

I finally got a chance a few weeks ago to get a cupcake after a yummy dinner at the Fort Worth Food Park. Since it was late in the evening, they only had Red Velvet left, which was fine with me since I do love some classic red velvet!

It takes a lot for me to say I that I just straight up didn't like a cupcake. I'm usually so easy to please. However, I was so disappointed with my cupcake from Cup Cakin. The frosting was not cream cheesy enough. The cake was not red velvety enough. It tasted ordinary, and very sugary. The cocoa was a little too prevalent, resulting in more of a brown instead of a true red hue. I could go on. Overall, I do not think I'll be a repeat customer, unfortunately! If you live in the DFW area, let me know if you have tried their cupcakes before and had a better experience than I did. xo.

Cupcake flavor I tried: Red Velvet

Description: Very large, very sweet, but did not taste like a classic red velvet should. Cream cheese was not a major ingredient in the frosting. Decent texture, but it didn't seem to be mixed well as the coloring was not evenly red throughout.

Address: Check their schedule online to see where they will be during the week.

Twitter: @cupcakinmachine

project cupcake | hummingbird sweet shoppe

In the second installment of my Project Cupcake series, I introduce Hummingbird Sweet Shoppe.

This bakery on wheels has been on my "to try" list for quite sometime, and I finally caught up with it at Fort Worth's newest food truck park, Clearfork! I ordered the "Hummingbird" cupcake, which had decadent flavors of banana and pineapple topped with cream cheese frosting and pecans. It really knocked my socks off, y'all. I can't wait to go back and try a new flavor!

Address: Check their schedule online or follow them on Twitter for daily updates of their whereabouts!

Twitter: @HBirdSweets

xo.

project cupcake | stir crazy baked goods

My obsession with cupcakes began with the first bakery-fresh strawberry frosted delight from McKinley's in Fort Worth. I've always had a major sweet tooth, but the store-bought baked goods didn't really do much for me.

Needless to say, I was inspired to begin a mission to try cupcakes from as many different bakeries in Fort Worth as possible and share my review of each with you! My reviews will be in no particular order, just in the order than I happen to eat and photograph them [this is a true challenge when I usually eat them before I even think of taking a picture].

First up: Stir Crazy Baked Goods.

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Located just off of South Main Street in the up and coming Near Southside district, this sweet little bakery is vintage perfection. I mean don't you just adore those turquoise-painted re-purposed chairs? I love the open and airy atmosphere, with the sunlight pouring over the glass case stuffed with the bakery's daily rotation of baked goods. From cupcakes, to cookies, to the oh-so-delicious sweet rolls, these people know their way around the kitchen! I definitely recommend a stop by this place if you live in or visit Fort Worth. I love it so much, this is the second post I have written about them! [First post here.]

Cupcake flavors I've tried and liked: Mimosa, Coconut-Lemon, Lemon, Red Velvet & Chocolate with Stawberry frosting.

Description: These cupcakes aren't particularly large, but about the size they would be if you made them at home, which adds to the "made-from-scratch" charm they have. Though I love me a good giant cupcake piled with yummy frosting, these cupcakes are probably the better portion size and always leave me wanting more, which is a good thing! The cake is moist and dense while the frosting is airy and light.

Address: 106 E. Daggett Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104

Bakery Hours: 7am - 2pm Tuesday-Saturday

Twitter: @StirCrazyBakery [follow them for their daily menu listings!]

Let me know if you visit Stir Crazy and what flavors you try! xo.

cupcakes make me happy

Saturday morning I woke up with the sun and decided that I would visit the newest Fort Worth bakery and check out their selection. Stir Crazy Baked Goods is located on South Main and Daggett in the cutest spot! They've taken over the corner of an old brick building [not sure what it was, once upon a time] and transformed the inside into a charming and ecclectic bakery filled with natural light.

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Possessing great restraint that even surprised myself, I purchased just two cupcakes: chocolate with strawberry frosting and lemon. All I have to say is they were delicious. And I will be returning. Soon. Perhaps to try their sweet rolls or Adam Bomb cookies.

What is your favorite type of cupcake? xo.