Santa Fe is a city famous for its cuisine--namely bold southwest flavors. It's a city where chile (that's with an e, not an i) is king. And it's also a city where these famous flavors have found their way into cupcakes. I'm talking, of course, about one of the most interesting sweets I've tried recently--the "Santa Fe" cupcake at Dream Cakes Cupcakes.
I'll tell you the truth: everything I've stuffed in my mouth from this small cupcake shop has made me hungry for more. And the cupcake variety called the "Santa Fe" had intrigued me for quite some time, but I'd never been in the store on a day when it was on offer (they only offer a handful of flavors every day; vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet will pretty much be available every day, but with the others, it's kind of luck of the draw).
But finally, my day came. The Santa Fe was in the house.
The Santa Fe is composed of green chile flecked cornbread cake topped with honey buttercream. And goodness me, is is good. The "cornbread" is perhaps not quite accurate, as it is far more delicate and finer-crumbed than a typical cornbread--not to mention sweeter. It really is more corncake than cornbread. And I say that in a good way. The chile flecked throughout was not overdone--it added a little heat, but not to the point of distraction. I don't know about you, but when I look at the photo, it looks like there was red chile in there, too. Although I will confess, with it all mixed up, I couldn't discern the separate tastes of both types.
And the honey buttercream. Please, can I just buy a vat of this stuff and put it on a direct IV into myself? It is seriously that good. I scoured the takeaway container I got the cupcake in, to see if there might be an extra little smear left. It was smooth and buttery and with a beautiful honey-infused flavor that hit you almost as an aftertaste. Highly pleasant.
So, I am here to tell you that I've tried the Santa Fe, and I want more. This was a very, very good cupcake.
66 E. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe NM; find out more info here.