Imagine a dessert that will satisfy your chocolate and alcohol cravings at the same time. It sounds something that you will never find anywhere. Luckily, my Halloween weekend trip to San Fernando, La Union this year led me to one delightful dessert discovery.
Alcoholic cupcakes (seriously, that’s what it’s called) is like your any regular chocolate cupcakes but with a twist. Its creamy filling is made of Jack Daniels or Bailey’s. Yup, the Jack Daniels and Baileys that can give you a bad hang-over and swear off alcohol. This dessert with a kick is sold at El Union Café in San Fernando, La Union along the beach stretch where surfers convene to ride with the waves. The café is a small one and has few items on the menu. Yet the charm lies in the hospitality of the owner. Everything in San Fernando, La Union is laid back and the coffee shop gives out that vibe.
The owner named Kiddo established the coffee shop business to support his surfing hobby. The cupcake is being supplied by Manskee, who is also from La Union but currently resides in Manila. The cupcakes are home-made and baked with passion by Mankee’s wife.
The chocolate cupcake is moist and is not too sweet even if the frosting is also made of chocolate. I couldn’t help but giggle with glee after the first bite because it’s the best cupcake I’ve tasted so far. After a few bites, I tasted the creaminess of Bailey’s. Bailey’s perfectly matched the sweetness of the cupcake. It is best paired with Espresso carefully brewed by the owner. One cupcake is not enough for a dessert lover like me so I ordered another one and this time, I ordered the Jack Daniels filling. First few bites are heavenly but I tasted the unmistakable strong kick of Jack Daniels. The hint of bitterness by Jack Daniels lessened the sweetness of the cupcake but the combination was perfectly balanced.
The overall experience of having an early evening dessert was wonderful because the sense of community in the coffee shop was genuinely felt. Customers know fellow customers on a personal level. Visitors are treated as new friends.
I’d definitely go back to San Fernando, La Union to hang out by the beach with those alcoholic cupcakes stashed in my beach bag.
/// Written by Mayleen Cadiz, The Philippines
Alcoholic Cupcakes, Anyone?
