The Cupcake Counter

Update: I still do not have a functioning oven. This is putting a damper on my blog! In the meantime I’m taking the opportunity to try out some bakeries around Chicago. New to the list: the Cupcake Counter on West Madison Street in downtown Chicago. The Cupcake Counter is quite literally that: a counter. The tiny bakery is tucked in next to a parking garage and the La Quinta Inn hotel. Normally I’d walk right by it because it’s pretty unassuming from the outside. But not today – I was on a mission!

I would have normally made a birthday treat for my friend, Suzi whose birthday is on the 26th. But without an oven, it was impossible this year. I needed a cupcake bakery downtown that was close enough to Union Station in order for me pick up a few on my lunch break and hop a train out to meet her for dinner. The Cupcake Counter is convenient in that it’s only a couple of blocks away from my office. However, I was a little disappointed in the selection. The basics were available (chocolate, yellow, carrot and red velvet) with a few flavor-of-the-day choices. No frills like fillings or fancy icings were available, but the choices they did have looked sufficient considering the pinch I was in. If given the choice between a basic cupcake and no cupcake – basic cupcakes win every time!