I am a cupcake freak; love every kind of cupcake made and can eat them until I’m sick! Carrot, Chai Latte, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut, Lemon; you name it, I’ll eat it. So imagine my delight when I was told of a new cupcake bakery that opened in Burbank several months ago.

Yummy Cupcakes is the name, and they are located on 2918 West Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, California not far from Hollywood Way. Check out their website (www.yummycupcakes.com)  They have so many flavors it’s hard to choose which one you’re going to pick. If you’re like me, you’ll leave the shop with several to sample. Why get only 1 or 2, when you can get a dozen!

Anyway, last Saturday was the day I made my way to the shop. As I drove there, I was full of anticipation. Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills (www.sprinklescupcakes.com) is my absolute favorite cupcake shop thus far, so imagine my excitement at the possibility of a cupcake bakery closer to home.

As I pulled up, I thought cute shop. It’s dressed with a tan and white awning out front, and much of the inside is dressed in pink. I went in and was immediately greeted by several well-groomed, friendly and knowledgeable salesgirls, dressed in pink shirts with the shops logo on it (the shirts are for sale if you are so inclined). There were at least 8 cupcake varieties on the counter, and of course, you can special order flavors in advance, but I was there for the spontaneity of whatever cake was available that day.

I decided on 4 cakes; the Yummy (their signature flavor which is chocolate cake, pink icing and chocolate sprinkles on top, priced at $2.50 each), Pina Colada (complete with a marchino cherry on top), Cosmopolitan (white cake, pink icing) and Red Velvet (white cake, dyed a bright red, with cream cheese frosting – and each of these priced at $3.00 each).

Let me also mention that you can buy spoonfuls of icing for .50 cents each, which I thought rather strange, but whatever; some people enjoy icing more than the cake. I however, am not one of those people. To me, the texture and taste of the cake is what makes a great cupcake. You should be able to enjoy the cake as much as the frosting, and they should compliment each other; not one element over-powering the other.

I drove home with my four cakes in hand (well, actually in a cute box that has their logo on it) filled with great anticipation, knowing that Mr. Ludy and I were in for quite a taste treat.

I took the Yummy cupcake out first and cut it in half. Moist, chocolate cake with just the right amount of icing on top, and not so sickly sweet it made my teeth hurt. Took a bite, and thought nice…moist, tastes like chocolate; and compatible in taste and texture with Sprinkles Cupcakes.

On to the next. I cut in half the Pina Colada and noticed right away the texture of the white cake was a little dry. Mr. Ludy and I took a bite and almost immediately looked at each other and expressed the same opinion; not as moist as the chocolate, and the flavor was very odd. The cake had no Pina Colada flavor; it had only a bisquick, raw flour taste. Not good at all. And unfortunately, that’s what we found with the other 2 white-bottom-based cakes. There was no flavor in the cake itself, and it appeared as if the icing was flavoring the cakes, instead of the cakes being flavored and the icing an accompaniment. The cake should not be the vehicle to sell the icing; again, both should compliment each other.

The Cosmopolitan cupcake was flavorless except for the bisquick, raw flour taste, and the icing bland.

The Red Velvet tasted like the other white cakes, only it was dyed a strange, bright red color, and the cream cheese frosting was overpowering. And I must add this as well; none of the cakes had the appearance worthy of a$3 per cupcake price.

Now, in Yummy’s defense, the shop is going for that homemade look and taste, which is a very good thought and hook; however, in my opinion, if you’re charging $3 per cake, it should look like a $3 cake. And their signature cake, the Yummy Cupcake is very close in taste and texture to Sprinkles Cupcakes – it’s definitely worth a taste.

With all that said, I will probably go back in October/November to try what will inevitably be the cupcake of the month – Pumpkin with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I’ll give Yummy another try and you should too; perhaps I’m just partial to Sprinkles Cupcakes.