This is not breaking cake news to most of you who are in the know.
But.
Robicelli's pretty much rules.
The name was not new to me, but when CS buddy Meaghan, who not long ago relocated from Seattle to Brooklyn, clued us in on Robicelli's Chicken & Waffles Cupcakes (" Vanilla “waffle” cake, vanilla buttercream, buttermilk soaked fried chicken dunked in pure Vermont maple syrup" ), it led to a little clicky-click over to their website, where we discovered even greater treasures.
First, how about the El Guapo (not to be confused with the sandwich by the same name at Seattle's HoneyHole Sandwiches) made up of "Sweet corn cake, cilantro lime buttercream, Iowa yellow kernel popcorn"...
...or the Creme Brulee--"vanilla cake, pastry cream buttercream, caramelized sugar"...
...but if that doesn't strike you as quite extreme enough, for your consideration, the Hot Josh Cupcake.Described thusly:
I really have no words to describe the Hot Josh. It’s a culinary acid trip; something that engages you, messes with your head and at the end of it all is completely unforgettable. I actually feel a little abused by this cupcake, to tell you the truth. It’s like that time I saw that movie where at the beginning I totally thought I knew what was going on, then I thought that there was going to be a twist and I had figured it out, then by the end I was just COMPLETELY wrong and was so confused and disoriented by the whole experience that I was rattled to the bone for days. I still cannot see anything about “Maid In Manhattan” without shuddering just a little.
Why does this rule so much? Not necessarily because of the savory flavors. They might not be your thing with cupcakes. Truthfully, as a sweets enthusiast, I personally might not reach for a chicken and waffles cupcake (I'd prob'ly go for the Creme Brulee first!), but I respect and thoroughly enjoy that sense of adventure and experimentation in baking. Keep on doing what you're doing, Robicelli's!
Want more? If you're in NYC, follow their day-to-day goings-on via their twitter and Tumblr feed. If not, go ahead and track them the same ways, and put them way up on your to-do list next time you visit the Big Apple.