Chocolate Face Cupcake and Brownie

                                                                        "Shark Bite"
                                          (Dark Chocolate Cake with Tinted Buttercream,
                                           topped with a sparkly white chocolate shark fin)

Allow me to preface this post by saying that Chocolate Face has made it onto my Top 5 list of cupcake shops. It opened in Summer of 2011 and I'm almost positive that I stopped by during their very first week.

Chocolate Face sits right on Route 9, the road leading directly to Cape May, NJ. It's parked right in front of a campground entrance (the one where I spent my summers) and was once the campground's office and store. However, the owners and bakers of Chocolate Face transformed the entire yellow building into an inviting little cupcake shop, attracting vacationers on their way to the beach.

This place is absolutely incredible when it comes to dessert. The assortment of cupcakes and brownies is perfect for the mid-day munchies. Very few days passed when Caroline (pictured above) and I would not hop on our bikes and ride over to pick out our favorites for the day.

I wish I could list all the flavors we've ordered, but I've been there so many times that the list is easily in the dozens. So, to keep the list brief, here's a list of my family's all time favorites:

• Irish Tator (Vanilla Cupcake, Vanilla Buttercream, rolled in green tinted coconut)
• Cookies and Cream (Chocolate Cupcake, Vanilla Buttercream, rolled in oreo crumbs and rainbow sprinkles)
• Peanut Butter and Jelly (Vanilla Cupcake, Grape Jelly Filling and Topping, Peanut Butter Frosting)
• Thin Mint (Chocolate Cake, Mint Frosting, topped with a Girl Scout Thin Mint)
• Mini Me's (Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Buttercream, topped with an iced mini Reese's Cup)
• Banana Split (Banana Cake, Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate filling and drizzle, topped with sprinkles and nuts)

My family and I tend to be plain and simple when it comes to cupcakes, which explains the relatively traditional flavor choices. Don't think for a second, though, that Chocolate Face lacks imagination. They actually have some of the neatest choices I've found anywhere. Just to name a few:

• Maple Bacon
• Blueberry "Cobbla"
• Jewish Apple
• Key Lime Butter Cake
• Chocolate Salted Caramel
• Cookie Gut
• Dreamsicle
• Espresso Chocos
• Hot Chocolate

I could go on and on about the taste, but everybody knows that you eat with your eyes first. Chocolate Face really "takes the cake" when it comes to decoration. I visit year round, and every time I walk in, I see several treats decorated to celebrate the nearest holiday or season.

"Spring Forward"

(Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Buttercream,

 rolled in yellow coconut flakes)

 

 

This little Easter Chick cupcake was picked up in mid-March. In the background is a Mini Me cupcake and a partial view of an Emmy's Choice cupcake. On that visit, we also ordered a blonde brownie which came with white chocolate and milk chocolate chips. Delicious.

Chocolate Face continues to amaze me with what they're able to do with a cupcake. It's become a regular stop for us, and I never pass up an opportunity to peek into the display cases to see the daily varieties.

                                                                   Happy Shark Week!

Laura