Zaro's Boston Cream Cupcake

Zaro's Bread Basket Boston Cream Cupcake, $2.95, Grand Central Terminal, http://www.zaro.com/

I love Boston Cream pie, I love Boston Cream donuts, but how would I enjoy a Boston Cream cupcake? This is my first one ever, and although I did not enjoy it, I blame the cupcake itself more than the concept-- I think Boston Cream cupcakes can be delicious if well executed, and I'll make it a personal goal to find a good one and let you know where to find it!

Taste: The chocolate icing on top is not at all sweet, but is richly chocolatey, though tastes like dark chocolate which is not typical for boston cream. The custard inside is lightly sweet and egg-y, and has a good taste for boston cream filling, a traditional custard taste that is just right and similar to tastes I've experienced in boston cream pies-- The taste of the cream filling is truly delicious, although unfortunately its awful texture ruins it (see below), but on pure taste alone, excellent custard. The cupcake taste is pretty good too-- yellow cake, slightly sweet but not too sweet, a nice complement to the custard inside. Overall Taste Rating: 4 out of 5 sprinkles

Texture: OK, the texture is this cupcake is just BIZARRE! The cake is a little dry, which isn't the craziest thing in the world, but the icing and the custard are RUBBERY. The cream is gelatinous, and when pulled on with a fork does not break and stays firmly together when pulled on, stretching like a rubber band! The texture is so weird and creepy and is grossing me out!! The chocolate icing on top also sticks together and comes off in one piece when tugged at with a fork, but in a less gross way-- the top frosting is similar to the texture of the type of frosting on top of a black & white cookie, thick and fudgy. But the texture of the custard filling is seriously revolting, custards should not be gelatinous and rubbery all at the same time. Gross! Overall Texture Rating: 0 out of 5 sprinkles

Aesthetic: The aerial view of this cupcake is nice, a layer of smooth dark colored chocolate frosting with pretty white stripes marbling the top. From the side, the appears the chocolate frosting is atop puff pastry that sits like a lid atop of the custard frosting, revealing the cream inside. It's not perfectly symmetrical or precise, but it is charming enough. Overall Aesthetic Rating: 3 out of 5 Sprinkles

Satisfaction: Although I was impressed with the custard taste (and the custard quantity was generous, because in addition to the middle being filled with custard inside, there was also a thick layer of custard directly below the chocolate frosting layer and on top of the cake), the texture of this cupcake was seriously GROSS, mostly the texture of the custard. I could pick up the entire layer of custard on my fork and it just dangled there in one solid piece and jiggled. It was disgusting. And doesn't custard need to be refrigerated? This cupcake was definitely not refrigerated, I hope I don't get sick from this. The texture was seriously problematic. Please see below for a photo of the custard dangling from my fork after I pulled on it to break it apart and it refused to budge but instead stretched out like a rubberband:


As you can see, it dangles from my fork in a congealed mass. And although the photo doesn't reveal it, the consistency was rubbery. Custard should not behave in such ways!!! Overall Satisfaction Rating: 0 out of 5 sprinkles

Overall Cupcake Ranking: Sprinkles (7 out of 20 possible)