Return to Elizabethan Desserts

Saturday was a pretty big day for me! I raced in my first olympic-distance triathlon. My husband promised me that if I finished in less than three hours, he would take me to Elizabethan Desserts in Encinitas. My goal for the race was three hours and five minutes, so that would mean finishing five minutes faster than I thought I could. I guess the motivation worked! My final time was 2 hours, 48 minutes, 50 seconds.

Elizabeth Desserts is located in Sunshine Gardens Nursery in Encinitas. I had been there before, and was so excited to go back! This time we had our camera with us
I love the atmosphere of this place. It is so homey. The last thing I want is corporate produced cupcakes. These desserts seem to have time and love put into them.
My husband got permission to take a few pictures of the bakery from Elizabeth herself. Both times we have been there, she has been behind the counter making cupcakes. The love the fact that she is so hands-on with her products.
Last time I tried the Monkey Business cupcake (banana cake, white chocolate frosting, caramel drizzled on top) and it was definitely the best cupcake I have ever tasted. I knew I couldn't go wrong with something so wonderful, so I got that cupcake again. I also bought a few of the Chocolate Peanut Butter ones and a Coconut to share with my family. In hindsight, I wish I had bought some other flavors. I guess that means I need to go back soon.
The verdict? Just as tasty as before! My husband was talking to Elizabeth who said that the Monkey Business cake was a little bit denser than usual. I had noticed that also. She explained the difficulties of baking with fruit and finding the right consistency for denseness and moistness. Elizabeth was debating on whether to pull the cupcakes because they weren't as delicious as possible. Even though I enjoyed the cupcake as much as the first time, I also appreciated Elizabeth's attention to detail and care for the product. This kind of attitude may have helped her business to become as successful as it is. I had an epiphany on the drive home. These cupcakes are definitely different than any other cupcake that I have tried before. I think the difference is that these cupcakes are more like desserts in a cupcake shape. The cake in Monkey Business is not the same as the usual consistency of a "normal" cupcake. Having thought this, it does not change my opinion at all. Elizabeth Desserts has just differentiated themselves by going beyond the traditional cupcake idea. I love their cupcakes and need to go back soon to expand the number of flavors tested. Thank you!