Magnolia Bakery Caramel Cupcake

Caramel Cupcake from Magnolia Bakery, $3.00, http://www.magnoliacupcakes.com/)

Taste: The frosting is super light and super fluffy-- I think it's meringue, it's definitely not a buttercream-- Upon a second taste, it's definitely meringue, light and whipped and sweet with that distinct sugar-and-egg-white meringue sweetness. There is also a soft caramel flavor to the meringue frosting, which is further enhanced by the drizzles of caramel across the top of the cupcake. The cake tastes to me like standard vanilla cake, not too strong in flavor and not too sweet, but tasted together with the frosting and caramel topping this is a lightly sweet caramel treat-- not ultra-sugary or ultra-sweet, very subtle. Overall Taste Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Sprinkles

Texture: The meringue frosting is ultra light and whipped so its perfectly smooth. The caramel drizzled across the top is soft and sticky. The cake itself is dense and a little dry, especially around the edges, which are crispy. The top of the cupcake is crispy too-- the crispy edges and top actually have a distinct flavor that reminds me of a Nabisco Nilla wafer, and I like it. Overall Texture Rating: 4 out of 5 sprinkles

Aesthetic: The cupcake is cute, and I like how the icing was applied high around the edges but lower in the center, like a sort of frosting bowl in which the caramel could puddle-- but be assured that all that caramel drizzle was as sticky as it looks! The caramel zigzags are attractive though, and everything is neatly applied and pretty to look at even if messy to eat. Overall Aesthetic Rating: 4 out of 5 sprinkles

Satisfaction: Definitely the best full-size cupcake I've had yet from Magnolia, so I was pleasantly surprised, since in the past I've been disappointed. It wasn't putting me into the "cupcake heaven" I've spoken of when reviewing other cupcakes, but it was a pleasant treat, and I was glad to have tried an interesting new flavor like caramel, so I was left feeling pretty satisfied. Overall Satisfaction Rating: 3.5 out of 5 sprinkles

Overall Cupcake Ranking: 15 Sprinkles (out of 20 possible)