By Lexi Muir
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The art of cupcake baking is a sacred one. The secret to a great cupcake is to add the perfect amount of creativity to the flavor and look of the cupcake and combining it into one small and dainty treat! Cupcakes are perfect for any occasion; whether it’s a birthday, a wedding, a holiday or even just Wednesday afternoon, cupcakes warm the heart and are sure to fill the stomach with joy!
Many restaurants, bakeries and coffee houses have cupcakes on there menus but it’s not as easy to come by a shop that specializes in them. For those in Carmel who crave cupcakes often, Holy Cow, Cupcakes! may be the answer to their prayers, but it may also leave them disappointed and wanting more out of their cupcakes.
The title of the cupcake shop, Holy Cow, Cupcakes! leads the average person imagine a place with giant and unique cupcakes like they’ve never been seen before. That is what I imagined, at least. Walking into Holy Cow, Cupcakes! however, was a rather different experience.
Located at 545 S. Rangeline Road, Holy, Cow Cupcakes! is connected to the Crystal Flash gas station. Because of this rather secluded and odd location, few people know about this cupcake shop and even fewer can actually find it. In my opinion, cupcakes and gas just don’t mix. Inside the store was also not as warming as I imagined it would be. While standing in the front of the store (which is rather small, by the way), the kitchen was perfectly framed by the half-wall where I could see every tool and ingredient made for baking the cupcakes thrown around the tables in an unorganized fashion. Looking to the left was a rather bare lime-green wall that was covered with some sort of writing that I did not observe too closely. The store is also strictly carry-out as there are no chairs or tables to sit and enjoy your cupcakes.
As mentioned before, Holy Cow, Cupcakes! brings a picture to mind of many different flavors and sizes of cupcakes surrounding the store and overwhelming the customers. When I walked in, however, there were six flavors of smaller-than-average cupcakes. Chocolate, chocolate-cheesecake and vanilla were the only options of cake flavors and there were about three or four different icings on each flavor. Maybe my expectations were too high, but six options to choose from seems a little under-achieving of a shop that supposedly specializes in cupcakes. Definitely lacking variety in the store itself, Holy Cow, Cupcakes! less than impressed me with their selections.
The cupcakes themselves, which I was able to eat in only four average-sized bites, were nothing to brag about either. Slightly dry and average-tasting, the $2.50 cupcake was not worth my money or calorie intake.
Perhaps Holy Cow, Cupcakes! is more for catering and delivery needs, because they do deliver. Their website, holycowcupcakes.com, clearly states that they are happy to deliver for any special occasion, including weddings, birthday parties and any other occasion that may be in dire need of cupcakes. The dine-in experience was less than pleasing and lacked in appeal of both the atmosphere and the cupcakes. Choosing Holy Cow, Cupcakes! for a special occasion may work out for the best, but choosing to venture to the shop and enjoy a cupcake with a friend is definitely not my idea of calories well-spent.

Quality:
C

Atmosphere:
C-

Price:
$2.50 per cupcake

Overall:
C