Return to Moxo!

I had long awaited Cafe Moxo's unveiling of its spring/summer cupcake menu, and I finally got a chance to swing by and check it out this past Friday. I was able to try a new flavor (raspberry lemonade) and an old favorite (peanut butter, which I first tried several years ago). 

The raspberry lemonade cupcake had a base of moist white cake with a delicate raspberry filling, and it was topped with a generous cap of thick, creamy and subtly-flavored lemon frosting with a drizzle of raspberry sauce. This raspberry-lemon cupcake was delightfully fresh and light on the stomach. I expected lemon cake instead of white, but I think the vanilla cake worked well in this instance because it ensured that the lemon wasn't overpowering. 

The true highlight of the day, however, was Moxo's peanut butter. I remembered loving this one the first time I had it, but I wanted to try it again for the sake of this blog (and, well, because I knew I would love it a second  time!). Oh, wow. This is hands-down the best Moxo cupcake I've had. It's one of the best cupcakes I've tried, period. What I loved about this one versus some of the other peanut butter cupcakes I've tried (most of which have had a Reese's bent) was the simplicity in the combination of chocolate and creamy peanut buttercream frosting. Much as I love Reese's peanut butter cups, sometimes adding them to a cupcake can make it more complicated than necessary. Moxo's peanut buttercream frosting is so decadent that it would almost be a shame to cover it over with bits of candy. The flavor is such that it should be savored independently of any distractions (other than the bit of chocolate syrup and peanut halves sprinkled on top). The frosting works in perfect concert with the fabulously fresh chocolate cake, but who are we kidding -- I could eat a gallon tub of the frosting all by itself. For anyone who loves peanut butter, this is a must-have!