Last week over school vacation, Ebby and I were able to pack up and head west for a quick overnight trip. We went to visit my bff Kathy and 2 of her 3 daughters. Kathy's husband and oldest daughter spent the week in London (and Edinburgh and Paris...). Rather than feel sorry for ourselves that we weren't also touring Europe, we headed out in search of cupcakes.
Just as good, right?
The company, yes. The cupcakes, not actually as good as a European vacation. My expectations may have been a bit high...
After a few quick google searches we settled on our destination: Coccadotts Cake Shop in Albany, NY.
Note: all opinions are mine, based on my taste, design aesthetic, and rigorous cupcake standards ;-).
Location Whereas I'm not familiar with the area, it's a bit harder to judge the location of the shop. It seemed pretty good to me. Located in a freestanding building on a city boulevard, it's close to the highway, numerous car dealerships as well as endless big box stores including Joann, Etc. ☺. Parking, to the front and side of the shop, was ample and easy.
Shop Appearance
Exterior: The brick building was a bit commercial looking, but the cheerful awnings and colorful signage definitely upped the curb appeal. Besides, what's not to love about a neon CUPCAKE window sign?
Interior: The black/pink/polka dot theme from outside is carried into the shop as well. I would describe the decor as craft store chic--again, cute, but the vintage charming feel that I'm partial to. The pink striped walls were fun, as were the giant paper mache letters spelling out Coccadotts. The polka dot fabric valance over the bakery cases was a nice touch but the white feather boa stitched along the bottom was a bit much.
The signage on the baked goods was clear and easy to read but I felt missed an opportunity to add some of that elusive cupcakery charm.
The shop itself is cozy but not tiny. They do have one high top table with 3 stools located in the front corner. The girls sat and ate one of their cupcakes. It was a bit crowded with Kathy and I also standing there given that the table is right next to the shop door. We had to ask for napkins and we didn't see any drinks for sale, so it definitely seems like more of a to-go location than a cafe.
Cupcakes
Variety: Coccadotts scores high here! There were at least 17 different varieties available when we arrived at 3pm. Great selection.
Appearance: The cupcakes looked good. Many were cute, with a creative or thematic twist. Several cupcakes also had fun names (Sex in the City, Almond Joy). Slightly disappointing was the fact that most of the embellishments appeared to be pre-made or out of a package (Strawberry Shortcake picks, hard sugar flowers). On the other hand, the duck and bubbles on top of the Rubber Ducky cupcake were adorable.
Taste: There were 5 of us and we each selected 2 cupcakes. It was too hard to chose just one, what with all the yummy sounding choices in front of us. The girls got Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Cup, Cookies & Cream and Coconut. All flavors got a thumbs up from the 13 and under crowd. Now, onto the more sophisticated palates. Kathy and I both got an Almond Joy and a Strawberries and Champagne. I had my Almond Joy at the shop. In a word: disappointing. I guess I had fantasies of a coconut cake infused with chocolate ganache and a nice crunch of almonds. I may have watched one too many episode of Cupcake Wars...Anyway, what I got was this: yellow cupcake, chocolate frosting that literally tasted like Betty Crocker out of the can, a sprinkling of flaked coconut that provided texture but no taste and 2 almonds (which were crunchy and good). Kathy tried the Strawberries and Champagne.
Her reaction: no hint of champagne and the strawberry that was encased in the yellow cupcake tasted not fresh but rather coated in a sugary gel much like pie filling. Now don't get me wrong, we ate them. And they were good. But there were more grocery store good, not cupcakery good. Overall the cupcakes and frosting tasted like they were created using mixes and prepackaged ingredients rather than from scratch. And for many people, including several patrons that came in while we were there, that's fine.
Value: At $2.50 a cupcake, Coccadotts is reasonably priced for average sized cupcakes at a city bakery.
Overall
The staff (and the shop decor) was friendly and cheerful and the variety of cupcake offerings was great. Cupcakes were good, but not gourmet. And while our trip to Coccadotts was a fun excursion, when we visit Kathy again I'd rather search out new cupcake lands to explore.
Fun bonus: We saw the Coccadotts cupcake truck parked in the side lot. During the milder weather, that would be a cheery sight to see!
Stay sweet,
