Flying Monkeys!

Great name for this little patisserie in the Reading Terminal. I'd been hearing that their cupcakes were all the rage so, after our lab holiday lunch outing, we skipped the fried ice cream at Penang and went in search of the elusive perfect cupcake. Judging from the website, they have quite a collection of interesting little frosted numbers, but we were disappointed with the variety on Friday. The moist cakes themselves are quite good, vanilla or chocolate, with the mushrooming top cooked to a crisped edge perfection (takes me back to the muffin top Seinfeld). However, frosting is what really makes the cake for me. I love a sugary whipped buttercream that's good enough to entice you to lick the paper wrapping, leaving no trace behind - c'mon, you know you've done it. Maybe if I'd gone with a standard buttercream or even the creamcheese topping, I've have been satisfied, but I pushed back traditional constraints and sampled the espresso and Jim Bean, both on chocolate of course! The frosting was decidedly slimy - the texture ruined it for me and I'm backed up on this one by the 3 year old with whom I shared. The quest lives on!
Flying Monkey Patisserie
12th and Arch Sts