Teacake Bake Shop

I love love LOVE cupcakes... bite sized bits of delicious and I'm fortunate to live in the Bay Area where cupcakeries are abundant.  That being said, one of the ones I've been to multiple times is the Teacake Bake Shop in Emeryville.  When I got a text from a roommate asking if I wanted one, I jumped at the chance.

Pink Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting

I selected the Pink Velvet cupcake, one I've had twice before.
Verdit: This one is hard for me to judge. I've had it twice and each time it's been a different experience.  I love that it isn't overwhelmed by frosting, but the flavor of the cake is a little weird.  The first time I described it as a "Strawberry cake that wants to be Red Velvet but can't commit". The second time the flavor was a little more distinct (not a weird mix of two) and was very moist in the middle, but again... not sure I'm a fan.  The cake was pretty crunchy and dry on the top, but since these cakes were bought at around 5:30 pm. Final Grade: B-

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

SK got the Chocolate Chocolate cupcake. I've had this one before and while the cake is pretty tasty, there is just sooo much frosting, it's almost overwhelming.  Her verdict on this cupcake: While the frosting is delicious, there is just too much and I had to scrape a lot of it off before I ate it; there is also a lot of sugar in it.  The cake is crunchy on top, but not stale and the cake is dense and really sweet. Final grade: B.

Folding Papers

One of the things that I have wanted to do since I moved to the Bay Area is learn to fold a paper dragon.  One of the many friends I've made here, Than, had a few in his room and when I saw them I just fell in love with the idea.  He agreed to teach me one day and today was the day.  At the same time, my new roommate, SK offered to teach me to fold a rose.

 

Allow me to Introduce Myself.

My name is Erin and well... lets face it. I'm a pessimist.  It's the honest truth and I can't really hide from it.  What I do know is I would love to change that.  So instead of dwelling on the negative, lets focus on the good in life, eh? So..

• I love reading books - especially young adult fiction.  Fairy tales are amazing and I love reading them in their original form as well as retellings with an updated twist.
• I love chocolate... and cupcakes... and chocolate cupcakes. Living in the Bay Area has allowed me the opportunity to try out a few cupcakeries and I have to say... I like the idea.
• I love baking. I can't really cook to save my life, but I enjoy making cookies, muffins, brownies, and cake (though I still haven't attempted cupcakes myself).
• I love animals - otters, dogs, foxes... so going to the zoo or aquarium makes me happy simply because I get to see these animals. 
• I'm a crafty being. I enjoy quilting and crocheting and trying new things (though I'll be honest, I get frustrated quickly and lose the enjoyment if things get too crazy).

So that's all I can think of at the moment. Not really interesting overall, but from this list I hope to begin to find the things in life that make it interesting and enjoyable. As I move around, I'll try new cupcakes, visit new zoos, and hopefully find now things to bake and new books to read.  And if I'm lucky, I'll be able to document my journey from bon-a-fied pessimist to partial optimist.