Warning: the new bakery on Maple Street has a serious buttercream problem

I stopped by that new place, Sweet Rise, last week after hearing good things. I got a slice of their red velvet cake to go. The cake itself was fine, moist and a good crumb. But the frosting was a total let down. It was this weird, gritty, overly sweet mess that tasted like pure powdered sugar. I'm pretty sure they just whipped shortening with a whole bag of sugar and called it a day. It had zero butter flavor and left a weird film in my mouth. For a place charging $8 a slice, I expected a real buttercream, or at least something smooth and tasty. It's a shame because the shop is cute and the bakers seem nice. Has anyone else tried their stuff and noticed this, or did I just get a bad batch?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_hunt1mo ago

Ask for the Swiss meringue buttercream next time.

the_spencer1mo ago

That gritty mouthfeel from cheap frosting is everywhere now. I had a cupcake from a fancy food truck last month with the exact same problem. It feels like a lot of new places are cutting corners on the basics to look good on social media. They focus on wild flavors and pretty decorations but use low quality ingredients for the actual cake and frosting. It makes the whole experience feel dishonest, like you are paying for a photo, not a good dessert.