Known as America’s first cupcake boutique, Sprinkles’ highly-sought-after cupcakes are all the hype nowadays. However, customers are not as excited when they see the higher-than-average price. Cupcakes range from five to six dollars depending on both location and flavor chosen, but is it worth it?

To answer this question, we visited the nearest Sprinkles, located in Newport Beach, and tested three cupcake flavors according to cake texture, appearance and sweetness.

Original Red Velvet

A review on Sprinkles would be incomplete without including the most popular flavor: red velvet. Signature to Sprinkles, the decoration was minimal yet beautiful with a beautiful Sprinkles fondant dot placed in the center.

The unique frosting resembles more of an icing-like texture than buttercream frosting, yet it is not overly sweet or runny. The white frosting paired with the dark, scarlet cake created a synergy between texture and sweetness.

Carrot Cake

Characteristic to carrot cake, the cream cheese frosting included cinnamon and nutmeg. Unfortunately, the carrot cake fell short of high praise due to its texture. The carrots were not grated finely, leading to a stringy and unpleasant texture. True to Sprinkles, the carrot cake was finished with blue-and-orange sprinkle fondant.

Classic Chocolate

Chocolate shavings scattered atop the chocolate buttercream frosting kept the appearance simple and classy. The moisture of the cake was satisfactory with minimal cake crumbling due to dryness. The sweetness was spot on with the sugary frosting and bitter cake balancing out each other.

Though the price is higher than most cupcakes, just one will satisfy any sweet tooth.