Review: Red Velvet Gluten Free Cupcakes in Washington DC

Traveling is so much easier if there's a place you know you can stop for a gluten free baked good. I know I can find salads (oh, the salads), fruits, chips, even the occasional lunch meat or hamburger when I travel, but it's not often when I have a bakery or cupcakery that offers gluten free cupcakes nearby.

It started when I stopped into Marvelous Market last weekend. The farmer's market was going on outside, and inside Marvelous Market, I knew there was a chance I could find something gluten free. In addition to the Pirate's Booty and some fancy soda, I asked the girl at the counter if they had anything else gluten free.

"You mean, besides the cupcakes?"

Whoa. Sure! She pointed out a few other flavors of potato chips and some boxes of Nut Thins, and then packed me a little box of Red Velvet cupcakes!

I got some White Velvet (vanilla) cupcakes and some Dark Velvet (chocolate) cupcakes. They've actually made great breakfasts this week, along with some fruit and energetic swigs of cold water.

Of the two, the Dark Velvet was definitely my favorite. The flavor was a little bit more pure, I guess, without the distractions of "tasting gluten free."

I was pleased to find out when I stepped into the 7th Street Red Velvet store tonight that they had more Dark Velvet cupcakes in stock. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have another flavor to try, like the website implied. Oh well, Dark is good! They carefully handled my cupcakes, taken from a top shelf on a baking rack. I do wish they were labeled gluten free somewhere on the box/cupcake liner.

Each cupcake currently runs $3.25, the same price as the gluten-filled cupcakes. I thought the cake was tender and moist, and the frosting in good proportion to the cake. The flavor of the frosting was also very good. My one complaint would be that they dried out rather quickly (2 days?), even in the moist DC hotel room. It could be more that the Marvelous Market cupcakes had been in the store longer. The ones tonight from the Red Velvet store were obviously much fresher.

Overall, thank you Red Velvet!

Last Year: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
Two Years Ago: Review Pier 49 Gluten Free Eats (Salt Lake City)