Cupcake Quest: J.P. Licks

This post is part of the Cupcake Quest series on Fork it over, Boston!

Due to the exceptionally good ice cream at J.P. Licks, you might not have noticed that they actually have other treats as well. A few weeks ago, I found myself in Davis Square, early for an appointment to look at apartments. (That's right, Green Line: come September, I am finally abandoning you for the Red Line. I feel no guilt.) It was a hot day, and the line at J.P. Licks was miraculously non-existent, so I decided to bide my time with some ice cream (mint chip). While paying, I noticed a few giant cupcakes hanging out by the register. I made a mental note to return on a cupcake quest at a later date. I mentioned my find to my fellow cupcake quest co-conspirators.

Julia had finished up her contract at work a few days earlier, but she came in on Monday to meet Joy and me for lunch, bringing with her...cupcakes! From J.P. Licks!

Go ahead, make a boob joke. You know you wanna.

These lovely specimens are from the Newbury St. location of J.P. Licks. They tasted homemade, Julia thought. The frosting was thick, creamy, and buttery - one of my favorite frostings on the quest so far. The decorative pink rose was waxy and unpleasant, although it added a nice visual touch. The cake was unfortunately rather tasteless, but at least it wasn't dry. The frosting-to-cake ratio was appropriate, and the frosting adhesion was fine.

The Verdict: Excellent frosting but mediocre cake. Large, messy, and luxurious. These would probably be good for a birthday party. If you're going to J.P. Licks, though, your primary target should really be the ice cream, because it's just fantastic, especially the monthly special flavors.