You might have read or heard that the large national gourmet cupcake chain Crumbs shuttered 65 stores in 12 states, including two in Chicago.
But fret not! As you may already know, Chicago has plenty of other shops to suit a variety of tastes. Here are several and their top sellers — the widely beloved red velvet and beyond.
1208 W. Webster
Top seller: Classic yellow cake with vanilla buttercream frosting
“It’s classic, homestyle — the way your mom or grandma would have made it,” says supervisor Jordan Hutton. “It’s the childhood appeal and reminiscent of younger days.”
229 W. Madison
Top seller: “Not-Your-Mother’s-Salted-Caramel,” a “gourmet, airy devil’s food cake” that’s “enlivened with caramel inside and generously topped with salted caramel buttercream.”
1 E. Delaware Place
Top seller: Red velvet — red cocoa cakes with cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate square on top. Salted caramel is a close second.
SPRINKLES CUPCAKES, ICE CREAM AND COOKIES
50 E. Walton
Top seller: Southern style red velvet — light red chocolate cake topped with cream cheese frosting. Inspired founder Candace Nelson’s husband’s southern roots.
115 N. Wabash
Top seller: Red velvet with cream cheese frosting
705 W. Belden
Top seller: depends on the season. Summer: fruity flavors such as chocolate passion fruit and key lime pie; Fall: pumpkin s’mores, pumpkin latte; Winter: triple chocolate, peppermint, eggnog; Spring: s’mores, banana Nutella. (Swirlz uses Italian buttercream, which is lighter and less sweet than its American counterpart.)
2536 N. Clark
Top seller: The “Ron Bennington.” Named after a New York radio host (Molly’s also has locations in New York and Iowa City), it’s chocolate cakes filled with peanut butter topped with chocolate ganache and a Butterfinger.
1030 W. Taylor
Top seller: red velvet with cream cheese frosting
