This past week, Felkerino and I ventured out with his daughter to do some cupcake commuting. Destination: Hello Cupcake on Capitol Hill.

Sheesh, was it hot. Temperatures hovered around 100 degrees and bright sun abounded.

Curious to see how cupcakes would fare in the Hello Cupcake to-go box, we each committed to eating a cupcake in the store and to eating one later. It was a family sacrifice for science.

Cupcake Commuting Team

This also followed some advice we had received previously. If you are going to haul cupcakes around for science, make sure that what you’re carrying is worth it. They were. I can’t say Hello Cupcake makes the best cupcakes ever, but they definitely satisfied my sweet tooth, and their cream cheese frosting is well worth a nibble.

Felkerino, certain that the to-go container would send the cupcakes tumbling all over the place, insisted on putting plastic wrap over the top. The woman at Hello Cupcake helpfully provided some for us.

A little plastic wrap will do the trick.
All boxed up and ready to roll.

We stashed the cupcakes in my Acorn saddle bag, where they nestled rather nicely.

Acorn saddle bag. Perfect cupcake transport device.

And then, the two-mile test began.

First, I employed the Goldilocks principle, trying not to move so fast as to disturb the cupcakes, while simultaneously maintaining forward momentum. I needed to get the cupcakes home as quickly as possible so that the brilliant heat did not melt the edible treasures.

Game face. Cupcake commuting on the Velo Orange

Upon arrival, we looked to see how we had done.

Cupcakes upon arrival. Some melting going on.

Overall, we did pretty well. The cupcakes’ frosting had begun to spread and stick to the saran wrap, but not terribly so. In addition, they had not tossed around in the box at all.

Well done, Cupcake Commuting Team! By the way, we also confirmed that the taste of the cupcakes was not affected. Yum.

Enjoy the weekend, all! If you go out to cupcake commute, be sure to document and tell me about it.


5 responses to “Cupcake Commuting: (Hot as) Hello Cupcake Edition”

  1. ultrarunnergirl Avatar

    Thank goodness there are people like you doing this kind of research.

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  2. Rootchopper Avatar

    Anytime you want to try a long distance cupcake transport, the Rootchopper Institute offers itself as a destination (albeit of ill repute).

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  3. aem2 Avatar

    Every month in Toronto, we have a cupcake ride where we start at one bakery, eat cupcakes, then bike around until we get to another bakery and eat more cupcakes. I’m a wee bit behind in my own write-ups so I encourage you to go to the source at http://www.cupcakeride.com/blog/ . I did write up a macaron commute I did in March. http://aem-physicsgirl.blogspot.ca/2012/03/tour-du-macaron.html

    Every time I’ve tried bringing cupcakes home on my bike, they’ve wound up somersaulting in the box, landing icing-down. Tasty, but a bit messy. I’ll have to try to the cling wrap trick next time!

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    1. MG Avatar
      MG

      I remember reading your macaron post! They are becoming quite popular here. Look out, cupcakes! Wait, I think they can coexist, though macarons are easier to transport. Cupcakes do love the somersault.

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  4. Cathy (Mom) Avatar

    Such a great topic. I think the cupcake commuters look fine.

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