Sprinkles Cupcakes, Palo Alto

393 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, California 94304 (other locations and online)

Good for: Everyone including those needing gluten-free or vegan ingredients
Price Range: A bit pricey but not outrageous ($3.50 per cupcake, $39 per dozen)
Features: Delicious, has gluten-free and vegan red velvet cupcakes

I decided to take a drive down to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto to take advantage of a current promotion for a free cupcake at Sprinkles Cupcakes. I had a chance to try them in New York and they were so tasty. The shop is located along the outer edge of the shopping mall. The tiny shop was bright, cute, and super busy. There were business people buying after-lunch treats and cupcakes by the dozen, as well as those picking up custom orders.

The main reason why the $3.50 price tag is worth the splurge is that the cupcakes here are more than just pretty, they actually taste good. The ratio of frosting is just right and the flavors, though varied and many are unique, are wonderful but not over the top or too exotic. The cupcakes are medium-sized so you can fit your mouth (if you have a fairly large mouth) around the full height of the cupcake to get a perfectly portioned bite of yumminess. They are fresh, moist, and not overly sweet. So far I’ve tasted the ‘black and white’ flavor and the lemon coconut – both delicious. According to their site, they change out the flavors based on days of the week or special offerings. I’d love to try their key lime pie (limited time) and banana.

The location is awesome. You can choose to eat at the table along the full-sized window and people watch or stroll the other shops lining the mall. It’s such a cute area and very relaxing. The trip to Sprinkles felt more like a special family excursion than it did a drive to a cupcake shop. I plan on returning (not too often because I’m trying to curb my sweet tooth) for another treat.