When Kate Carrara ditched her desk job as an attorney to go full-time selling her delicious homemade cupcakes from an old converted mail truck, Buttercream, Philly’s first mobile bakery, was born. Carrara and her assistant bring about 400 cupcakes with them to a predetermined spot each day, posted on Buttercream’s website and Twitter feed. Recently, requests from University City fans have prompted Carrara to add stops around Penn’s campus to her busy schedule. She has also reached out to the university community in other ways; last week, she joined the philanthropic efforts of “Penn Thinks Pink” and donated half of her proceeds to breast cancer research.
The cupcake selection is ever changing, featuring about eight flavors each day. And at the wallet-friendly price of $2 per treat, there’s no reason to limit yourself to one flavor. Just keep in mind that the best flavors tend to go quickly, so it’s important to arrive early for a guaranteed variety. In addition to the standard vanilla/vanilla, vanilla/chocolate and chocolate/vanilla, patrons can choose from red velvet cake with cream cheese or vanilla frosting, pumpkin cake with vanilla or cream cheese frosting (seasonal), chocolate with peanut butter and chocolate with ganache, among others.
Each cupcake is wonderfully light and moist with a generous dollop of frosting, though some flavors are more authentic than others. Don’t miss the chocolate peanut butter, even if it means sneaking out of class a little early to beat the lines (that’s how we snagged ours!). The dense chocolate cake is paired with a tongue-tickling peanut buttercream that will satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. While the pumpkin cupcake is also a must-try, especially with cream cheese frosting, the red velvet cake tastes a little too commercial for our palates.
Buttercream will hopefully make 34th and Walnut a regular stop, but be sure to keep an eye on the online schedule to stay informed of the truck’s whereabouts.
