Kara's Cupcakes Opens New Store in Monterey

There's a new cupcake store in Monterey. This week marks Kara's Cupcakes' first week on the Monterey Peninsula. The Bay Area based business was created by pastry chef Kara Haspel Lind and opened it's first store in San Francisco's Marina district.The Monterey store is the 8th store and the first one outside of the Bay Area. Previously, Mrs. Delish's Cupcake Boutique was the only cupcake exclusive store in Monterey, although Layer's Sensational Cakes and Saving Room for Dessert both feature cupcakes as well as other desserts. In need of a sweet treat, we decided to check it out.

Exterior of Kara's Cupcakes at the Del Monte Center

Located in the Del Monte Center next to Williams of Sonoma,  Kara's is the only store offering cupcakes in the mall to our knowledge. The only other stores selling quick sweet treats are the Provence Bakery, Starbucks and Coldstone Creamery.

The interior of Kara's Cupcakes is pink and brown

Cupcakes are baked daily on site and according to the Kara's Cupcakes website, they are baked "using the finest ingredients sourced from local, sustainable and organic producers." The menu offeres "signature flavors" as well as "filled cupcakes" that feature a filling. All of the flavors can be found on their online menu. Kara's also offers "Kara's Cakes" which are a full size cake that serves 8. These can be ordered in most of their signature flavors.

Rows of freshly baked cupcakes are on display

To celebrate the new Monterey store, Kara's has made an commemorative cupcake called "Caramel by the Sea" which is a chocolate cupcake with caramel, chocolate frosting and toasted coconut topped with a blue sea star made of fondant. Kara's also offers a selection of gluten free cupcakes, with additional flavors available to order in advance.

A closer look at some of the cupcakes including the blue start topped "Carmel by the Sea"

Kara's features a selection of gluten free cupcakes

Kara's Cupcakes is an eco minded business and their website states that "our signature pink boxes are both compostable and recyclable. The utensils, cups, napkins and bags we use are also compostable therefore diverting a majority of waste from landfills." That's definitely good to know since Kara's was packed this weekend with customers eager to sample the baked goods. You can read more about Kara's green initiative here. 

Kara's Cupcakes compostable to-go bag

We decided to check out Kara's. They were having a special promotion for the opening and were offering a free Caramel by the Sea with any cupcake purchase to the first 100 transactions of the day. We ordered at Sweet Smores, and received the Caramel by the Sea (which was missing it's blue sea star.) We were also offered a sample of their frozen lemonade, which was deliciously refreshing and not too sweet. They also offer hot or iced coffee and tea. 

Sweet Smores cupcake in the foreground, with its fluffy toasted marshmallow topping

Once home the cupcakes did not disappoint. The Sweet Smores had a very light and fluffy marshmallow topping. The cupcake it's self was also surprisingly light as well. The cupcakes were very light and spongy and tasted as if they had just been baked.

A close up on the chocolate, caramel and toasted coconut topping on the Caramel by the Sea cupcake

The cupcakes are on the smaller side

The regular size (pictured above) is $3.25 each and $39.00 for a dozen. Kara's also offers a mini size for $2.00 and $24.00 per dozen. We wish the cupcakes were a little larger, the regular seemed on the smaller side compared to other gourmet cupcakes such as Crumbs Bake Shop. However the smaller size and the locally sourced ingredients allows us to feel less guilty about eating them whenever we hit up the mall. Regardless we are excited to have even more choices for cupcakes, especially right at Del Monte Center! Mall trip, anyone?