San Francisco Food Blog

Notes, Video and Photos by Tamara Palmer
The second-ever CupcakeCamp, a free tasting event and competition, provided firm proof that cupcakes are still a hot commodity in town. More than 2000 were submitted; platters were brought out to three tables every 10 minutes, disappearing in less than two seconds. A few 10-minute cycles after we arrived, and the fiending, vulture-like crowd needed to be gently lectured on the principles of sharing and composure.


Cupcakes still vanished in an instant after that, but people were much friendlier in letting strangers taste the precious cargo. Reading the flavors on the tasting boards to see what would come out on each cycle was really fun.
A few traditional varieties were spotted, but the majority were really adventurous, from wasabi-plum with white chocolate to a chocolate and Guinness creation that was a clear standout of the few that I sampled. Vegan flavors were a part of almost every rotation, but the lemon one I tried was a far and dry call away from the moist tastiness of local vegan cupcakes such as those made by Sugar Beat Sweets.
Now that hipsters have officially killed bacon, cupcakes are surely right behind, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that my favorite cupcake of the day was the Elvis (Graceland): a banana cupcake with luxurious peanut butter frosting and sweet shards of bacon on top. --Tamara Palmer