Monday

Tasting Cake at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe

There are lots of places to visit on the quaint Mainstreet in Hopkins Minnesota.

I have frequented many of the little shops over the years, finding treasures in the Thrift stores, unique handmade items by local artisans, or bits and pieces of vintage memorabilia from the antique booths.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

But the frosting on the Mainstreet cake these days, is located at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe.

Mmmmmm mmmmm.

See Mr. Tasty Cake below...... don't be jealous but I had that chocolate fellow for dinner along with two of his closest friends, Mr. Salted Caramel and Mr. Mint Chocolate.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Daughter #2 and I visited the cake shop of Amy Brace to do some sampling for wedding cake.  Yes we sampled wedding cake in cupcake form - no rules against it that I know of.

I had to show restraint because I wanted to just pick up each cupcake, run my finger through the frosting, and put it in my mouth.

Back before the dinosaurs when I got married, if there was such a thing as cake sampling no one told me about it, so I also wasn't familiar with the etiquette of it.

The etiquette being all the cupcakes were not mine alone to eat.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

If you're getting married or having a party and need a super taster like myself to tag along on sampling day, just ask - I would be happy to help you out and probably steer you toward Mr. Salted Caramel and then also ask to be invited to your event.

Hands down the salted caramel was T.H.E best cake and frosting combo flavor that ever passed my lips on it's way to my thighs.

You, me or the beef cake next door can have salted caramel turned into a cake of any size for a wedding, birthday, baby shower, bar mitzva, or to send to your favorite blogger.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

The word on the sign may say cupcake shop but it's so much more.  Specifically, this is the place to go if you're needing any kind of cake, and it just so happens around the end of September a princess at the ranch is in need of a wedding cake.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Think about it..... how many times do you come to a screeching halt to stop in at a place for a "slice" of cake?

A slice of pie maybe, but cake not many ..... but when you see CUPcake on the sign you know there is an individual portion of delicious cake -that no one has sliced into- waiting just for you inside.  The upright plump little piece of happiness is all yours, fresh and wonderful.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

So now that I have cleared the air on the fact you don't just get cupcakes at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe let's get back to cake tasting.....

I had to say arrivederci to the salted caramel cupcake, because just like popcorn tasting at PoppedCorn..... the opinion as the queen isn't the most important one.  Since this isn't my wedding it's all about the princess.

But just an FYI, there will not be any complaints from me that the groom requested Chocolate.

CHOCOLATE!!   What's not to love about THAT choice?  Remember the beginning of this post when I told you it's what's for dinner in my book.

The mint chocolate cupcake was nothing to shake a stick at either, unless of course you are putting that cake on the stick to use as a fork for sticking in your mouth.

Get it?  Sticking?  Hardy har har Bliss.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

The three most popular flavors at Amy's are the Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean, and Wedding Cake, and the favorite of the boss baker herself is the lemon chiffon filled with lemon curd.

As a total lemon lover myself I think that could become my favorite too once I get over the salted caramel.

The shop has new flavors every week, and with the Minnesota State Fair about to commence I've got the inside scoop from Amy that there will be some fun state fair inspired flavors showing up.

I have mentioned in past posts that Daughter #2 is a peanut butter loving lady, and her intended has a nut allergy.

I'm sort of surprised the wedding is still on based on that fact, but there will be no nut products until the life insurance policy is in force.

Just kidding!!!

The cakes and cupcakes are groom safe, and if you are gluten free or vegan there are also treats for you everyday in Amy's shop.  She even makes a vegan lemon curd and lavender jam.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Minneapolis has been hearing a lot about Amy's Cupcake Shop and now I know why.

From my first taste it was obvious Amy makes a delicious moist cake - have I mentioned how I feel about the salted caramel? - but that slice of Hopkins heaven is so much more than great tasting baked goods and a cute cake shop.

It's Amy herself.

Amy is a down to earth, hard working entrepreneur, with a warm welcoming smile, a sense of humor, and a steady stream of customers.

While I was sitting at the long farm table her father made for the shop, practicing my cupcake etiquette, I noticed she even remembered a customers favorite flavor from a previous visit.

I liked Amy instantly, and the main reason was because she is as REAL as her cupcakes.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Amy gets to work with people she loves, one of which is her father Rick.  Rick left a job working at a lake resort in beautiful northern Minnesota, just to work with his daughter.  #Oneinamilliondad.

I suspect the real boss however is the cute-as-a-cupcake princess, Amy's daughter Caleigh.  Part of me wonders what answers I would have gotten if I conducted an interview with the pint sized baker.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

What a cutie patootie......just looking at her smile makes me smile.

In case you missed the Bliss Ranch Facebook feed (which you really shouldn't if I do say so myself) Amy's Cupcake Shoppe offers classes at the store.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Yes I said classes.... some for kids - like a decorating workshop - and how about a macaroon baking class for those of us who just wanna have fun (and eat macaroons!).

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

There are all sorts of treats at 701 Mainstreet in Hopkins..... macaroons, rice crispy treats, the cupcakes of course, and below you can see the cupcake parfaits.

Word on the street is that you can use a spoon, or stick your face right in the cup to eat one of those parfaits, because there is no judgement from the bakers.

My kind of people.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Then there are the Belgian Liege Waffles.

Here is the waffle description from Amy's website........

"Unlike any waffles you've had before (unless you've been to Belgium that is) these morsels of amazingness are made of a yeast bread dough with imported Belgian pearl sugar. Yes! We actually import it from Belgium. When the sugar crystals hit the waffle iron, they caramelize into little pockets of delicious."

If Chocolate is for dinner, than the Belgian waffles are surely for breakfast right?  Read that last line in Amy's waffle description again.....sugar crystals....caramelize..... oh yummmmmmm I say.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Stop in for Waffle Wednesday which features those made from scratch authentic Belgian Liege waffles with imported Belgian pearl sugar.....mmmmmmm.

Saturdays feature the Belgian waffles again along with cinnamon rolls in the morning but that is a "while supplies last" thing, and you know what that means - they run out!

Launched as a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to open the shop, Amy has been in her location just about one year.

One blissful seven thousand four hundred eighty eight pounds of butter year.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

Her shop is the reason to take a walk on the Hopkins Mainstreet, and her cupcakes and other goodies are the reason to come back.

The inside of the shoppe is as welcoming as she is, and it's a hands on operation from working in the shop interior to get it set up, right down to the bakers making all the fillings from scratch.

The curds, the jams, ganache, frostings and obviously the cakes - always from scratch.

For the love of God people of Minnesota, if you do nothing else you must stop in and get a salted caramel cupcake! 

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

There is plenty to pick from in the shop and believe it or not I didn't taste everything, not that I didn't want too, and there wasn't anything that I would have turned my nose up at.

If salted caramel doesn't rock your cupcake world, order some custom cookies, or have that Saturday special of cinnamon rolls and Liege waffles with a cup of coffee,  how about a scoop of Bridgemans ice cream, a root beer float, or turn that waffle into a sundae, whatever, just do it!

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe has two awards from The Knot and they were also just nominated for Best of 2017 from Minnesota Bride, because well....... brides know their stuff when it comes to picking the very best cakes.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

I am sure you are noticing that you don't see anything on those two spoons.  That's because I ate it.  I licked the spoons clean and I didn't feel one bit bad about that.

What you don't see on the spoons was the shop's new Cookie Dough.  Up to six flavors made daily without eggs, and the flour is heat treated to kill any organisms in it, so no baking is necessary.

How yummy is THAT!!!

I can answer that for you from first hand spoon-to-mouth experience.... it's very yummy.

Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Cookie Dough Hopkins Minnesota, Bliss-Ranch.com

While I didn't feel bad about licking those spoons clean, I did feel bad as I drove home when I realized I left my Amy's Cupcake Shoppe treat box with the leftover samples sitting on the counter. 

I was 35 minutes into my drive when the realization hit and I said OH S%i$ out loud. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew the shop had closed I would have turned my car around and gone back.  It was all soooooo good it would have been worth the extra drive time to have my leftovers come home with me.

But I can't cry over lost cupcakes, because now I'm thinking about the flavors I haven't met yet.  Mr. Lemon Chiffon Lemon Curd is having a wrestling match for my attention with one of those authentic Mr. Belgain waffles with the caramelized pearl sugar........ mmmm mmmm  mmmmmmm.



Click to drool on the treats at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe

Some oldie but goodie people and places posts.....

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6 comments :

  1. Oh no...forgot your leftovers!! The shop looks wonderful! I will have to stop there if I am over that way sometime! We are gluten free, so for my daughter's wedding we made a gluten free 2 layer cake...and my daughter decorated it so cute. Then we had cupcakes for the guests. It's so nice when no one has to cut a big cake for everyone (we had about 350 guests there!) Enjoy your special times with your daughter!

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  2. Sounds like a delicious day (except leaving your leftovers). What a sweet lady and shop!

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  3. Liege waffles are amazing! Can she open a store in California??? Enjoy the wedding and the cake!

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  4. I'll have 2 Liege waffles, 1 cinnamon roll, and a bowl of lemon curd please. My kids are elopers so I've never had to go through the process of getting ready for a wedding. But I know I would not like it. Except for the cake thing, of course.

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  5. This almost makes me wish my son was getting married - almost! He's 18, so I can wait. ;) I definitely want some cupcakes now, which cannot wait!

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  6. So, I totally read this post at work the other day, and now I just read it again. I am in love with cupcakes. I make traditional yellow with chocolate frosting for our neighborhood block party, and Phil and I have been following a low-carb diet, so they were def OFF PLAN!!! Seriously, these cupcakes look amazing. Why does sugar make me fat? It's so delicious. I made all the desserts for Emma's wedding, but they weren't this pretty.

    I want to visit Amy's. And Bliss Ranch. =D

    xo
    -andi

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