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| Lemon Coconut Cupcake |
If you're not careful, you might walk right past Sweet Themez Cake and Cupcake in the heart of Adams Morgan. It's a basement location, meaning you have to climb down a few stairs to get inside; but some places are worth the extra effort. Great customer service, a wealth of choices (regular and vegan) and an affordable price point ($2.75 each, $28 for a dozen) make Sweet Themez the top destination for all things sweet in Adams Morgan.
It's a quirky setup inside... a bit too dark for my taste; but a friendly associate put me at ease in no time, kindly asking if this was my first time here. I said yes, and she promptly gave me a crash course in Sweet Themez ordering. I settled on a Lemon Coconut cupcake ($3.03 after tax) and she disappeared into the back to prepare it. About a minute later, she reemerged with a relatively small but delicious looking cake.
Seating options are limited; but I had the wicked-cool window seat all to my self. Four bites is all it took to make my dessert disappear. It's not too lemony: In fact, I thought it was yellow cake, until I was corrected (it's lemon.) The frosting is delicious (lemon cream cheese) with a messy coconut topping, that left me riddled with guilt (I hate making a mess anywhere.) Euphoria soon made my guilt disappear: This is one yummy cupcake... I only wish it was a little bigger (evidently I'm greedy too.)
Once I was finished, the sales associate asked me if I liked it (I'm amazed how some places don't care if you liked your order or not.) This kind of service makes me want to come back. Ditto for that lemon cream cheese frosting. I already have an eye on the Chocolate Mint, that was sold out when I arrived (almost 7:00 PM.) Speaking of time, I was told they stay open until 11:00 PM Friday and Saturday nights or until they sell out. That's dedication... not to mention confidence. I like both.
Appearance: B (Perfectly cooked, and yellow as a rose.)
Store Atmosphere: C+ (Quirky... perfect for Adams Morgan.)
Cake: B- (Looked great, but mildly flavored.)
Icing: B (Lemon cream cheese is to die for.)
Value: B+ (Hard to argue with $2.75 for a good cupcake.)
Overall: B (Nice to know I don't have to settle for a jumbo slice, when all I want is a bite of something sweet.)
