Print out this page for your Cincinnati cupcake tasting party. Then invite your guests to bring cupcakes from different Cincinnati shops. As you taste each cupcake, rate each of the following on a scale of 1 to 10. Be sure and have plenty of milk on hand to cleanse the palate.

1 Appearance_____

Does the taste live up to the appearance? A cupcake that looks wonderful but doesn't deliver is always a disappointment. On the other hand, a cupcake with a modest appearance that tastes heavenly is always a welcome surprise!

2 Chocolate_____

The use of top-quality European chocolate has been steadily trickling down from the great pastry chefs of Europe into discriminating bakeries in the Unites States. Observe the taste and texture of the chocolate. As the chocolate melts in your mouth, the complex flavors of good chocolate gently envelope your tongue, releasing an intense aroma which enhances the pleasure. The number of flavor compounds in good chocolate exceed those found in red wine. All-natural chocolate is rich, smooth and complex; industrial chocolate contains additives that leave an unpleasant flavor in your mouth.

3 Vanilla_____

Real or artificial vanilla? Real vanilla is made up of dozens of organic components, which gives the flavor great aroma, depth and complexity. Artificial vanilla has only one flavor component. One of the world's most intense vanilla beans is from Madagascar. It has a deep, smooth, flavor and is noticably aromatic. The taste of real vanilla gradually evolves and unfolds on the tongue. Artificial vanilla opens up in one sudden burst of chemical flavor.

4 White Chocolate_____

White chocolate has had the chocolate liquor removed. It is basically just cocoa butter, milk solids, vanilla, and sugar. The best bakeries and confectioners use the finest white chocolate from Belgium, Italy, or Germany. (We have heard that Barry Callebaut, who makes some of the world's richest chocolate for artisans and chefs, has opened a chocolate factory in Canada).

5 Orange, lemon, and other fruit flavors._____

Many bakeries get them from a bottle and you can tell by the sharp, too-sweet taste. The best pastry chefs use lemon or orange zest, the part of the fruit just underneath the skin, to create the unforgettable essence of lemon and orange flavors. They leave a fresh, summery taste in your mouth.

6 Buttercake_____

You can tell if the cupcake is made from real butter or just butter flavoring. Real butter has a flash point of about 95%, so it literally "melts in your mouth". "Cupcakes made from real butter remind me of crisp autumn days and the taste takes me straight back to my childhood." --Chef Seth Barnes.

Look for surprising combinations of flavors that you never knew would work well together and add 10 points for good ones_____.

7 Sugar_____

Sugar can mask a lot of faults! The great pastry chefs have taught us that the rich complex flavors of real fruit and nuts should never be covered with too much sugar. Too many bakeries cover up the fact that they are not using natural ingredients by loading their products up with sugar. This helps mask the chemical aftertaste of artificial flavors. When you only use natural flavors, you have to hold back the sugar to let all the flavor through.

8 Nuts_____

Nuts in a cupcake should be easily crunched and not too large. Pistachio fillings are best when made with real pistachios ground into a paste. Almonds should be thinly sliced and roasted prior to being folded into the cake batter. Artificial almond and pistachio flavor is one of the horrors of the industrial age.

9 Balance of flavors_____

Notice how well flavors complement each other in the cupcake. Some flavors just don't work together. Strawberries, for instance, work well with dipping chocolate, which is smooth and creamy, but don't work well with some other types of chocolates. Strawberries with extra dark chocolate can be quite disconcerting--the natural sweetness of the strawberry clashes with the bitter taste of the dark chocolate. Be sure and add your favorite combinations of flavors to our blog.

10 Fillings_____

Fillings are an extra surprise and can help keep the cake moist, so it doesn't dry out so quickly. A good filling will increase the quality of a cupcake by at least 50%. We've gotten so spoiled by fillings like the mocha java filling at right that we won't even buy cupcakes without fillings anymore. Don't confuse these with the fillings in commercial cupcakes which are just more sugar. A good filling will stand on its own as a supremely enjoyable confection!

11 Icing (frosting)_____

Notice if the taste of a fruit topping clashes or complements the taste of the icing and the cake. Plain white icing should be an honest buttercream, not the vegetable shortening and sugar with artificial flavoring that many bakeries use. Real buttercream is basically whipped butter with natural flavorings added. In really great chocolate frosting the balance of cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar, and vanilla will yield a smooth texture with overtones of both bitterness and sweetness.

Add 10 points for interesting toppings, like chocolate shavings, fruit, or crunchy sugar._____

12 Overall satisfaction_____

Does it have an aftertaste? Cupcakes made from all natural flavors leave a fresh, clean taste on your palate. Cupcakes made with artificial flavors leave a chemical aftertaste. Does it leave you feeling full or wanting more. Do you want to wash away the taste with a drink or do you have a clean taste in your mouth, as if you had just eaten a fresh apple off the tree?

All of these considerations are taken into account when we sample cupcakes from different vendors. Make your own list and add them to our blog. Cupcake tasting can be a serious hobby! Bon Appetite!