The Cupcake Brake

Totally agree with Greg D. We had the cupcake brake stop at my workplace a couple of weeks ago to support our Relay for Life efforts and the cupcake was outstanding… fresh, light fluffy cake, filling and frosting… was able to do a compare to NoRA out of Middletown (they just stopped today) and Cupcake Brake was MUCH better! I highly recommend the Charter Oak Chocolate with the peanut butter filling and frosting!

I’ve stopped by a few times and have left unimpressed each time. If this place wasn’t in a truck, I can’t imagine it would still be in business. Maybe the truck element fools people into thinking the food is good… who knows.

Do not normally seek out cupcakes but son of a bitch these things where great!
While staying at the Hartford Marriott and Convention Center I saw this truck parked by the parking entrance. Food trucks are like a magnet to me and I can’t resist them. It wasn’t actually open to the public as in they would not accept money. As it turns out they were hired by a group of what appeared to be College girls to cater their event. They kindly gave me a coupons for (2) free cupcakes.
I picked my own design with peanut butter filling and a local chocolate topping style.
Sweet happy son of a bitch! They were great, and I now hold the unofficial Unilocal record of using the phrase «son of a bitch» three times in a tasteful and accurate review. :) Oh the Hartford Food Truck scene, and we are gonna get to that!
The Cupcake Brake: What a sweet ride indeed.

I’m visiting from California and decided to take in the sites of downtown Hartford. I had lunch and wanted something sweet. Low and behold I noticed a cute decorated truck with the only word my eyes focused on… CUPCAKE!
I created my own cupcake of mystic marble, Boston crème filling topped with chocolate buttercream frosting. I watched the chef assemble my choices and gently place it in a clear plastic container. Poor cupcake didn’t last long in its clear plastic shelter cause I removed it… took one bite… and couldn’t stop eating it. THAT cupcake has been the best cake I’ve had in a long time! Moist… not too sweet and fresh… thank you cupcake chef and I look forward to following your truck the next time I’m in town! Yum… yum…yummy!

Hired The Cupcake Brake for a corporate good will function today and it was a huge success. The cupcakes were delicious. He offered a lot of choices which people loved — my favorite was the brown sugar icing. Mr. Cupcake was professional, responsive, easy to work with and punctual. I would hire him again for another event!

Good cupcakes at a reasonable price, their cake pops are even better than the cupcakes in my opinion. Would give 4 stars but the line takes sooooooo long to get through I can’t get a cupcake during my half hour lunch break most times. Definitely needs some improvement in line management efficiency.

I really enjoyed the cupcake I got this past weekend when the Cupcake Brake was parked on the Wesleyan campus. It took me a while to decide what to order — there were a few cakes to choose from, more frostings than cakes on the list, and fillings. $ 2 for a cupcake with frosting, $ 2.50 for a filled cupcake. I went for a chocolate cupcake, peanut butter filling, and chocolate frosting. It was absolutely wonderful. The plastic box that held my cupcake along with my boyfriend’s vanilla cupcake with brown sugar frosting felt super heavy as I walked it to my car. When I was finally able to enjoy my cupcake (I had to get home and pour a glass of milk first), the cake was moist, the peanut butter filling was nice and fluffy, and the frosting was the perfect sweetness. My only complaint would be that the peanut butter filling felt a little salty, but it could just be in contrast to the sweet cupcake and frosting. I tried some of my boyfriend’s cupcake, and it was simple, and delicious. If I see this truck parked anywhere again, I’m definitely getting in line.

I love everything about Hartford to begin with but THIS just takes the (cup)cake. So I have to admit– I was bummed to see the poor reviews from other Unilocalers. Sorry to hear about your negative experiences!
After hunting down the Cupcake Brake and standing in (an entirely female) line for 20 minutes, it was finally time for my order. Gotta say, it was worth the wait.
My friend opted for the Charter Oak Chocolate cupcake with brown sugar buttercream frosting. I chose the Capital: moist vanilla cake with pecans, pineapple, & banana… I also selected the brown sugar buttercream & had the cupcake filled with Boston Cream.
Almost as good as the custom cupcakes are their clever CT inspired names: Plain Twain, Mohegan Mocha, Charter Oak Chocolate, Colony Carrot, Yankee Lemon & more. Keep in mind– different flavors are available on different days. Glad to see Hartford has some tasty mobile treats running around town! Now it’s time to track down The Pie Brake…

The cupcakes are to die for. With no cupcakery in Hartford to walk into for a quick fix, the cupcake brake fills that role… when you can catch them. The cupcakes are delicious. So far, Hale Hostess and the Pumpkin Spice cupcakes were my favs. The only reason it doesn’t get 5 stars is because of the infrequency of the stops and the fact that the truck doesn’t go out on weekends! However I’m excited to hear that Larry is opening a shop in Vernon and that the Pie Brake is on its way.

According to Mr. Murphy and his laws if there is only one place to get cupcakes near I work; those cupcakes will be terrible and horrible things will happen as a result of buying said cupcakes.
Luckily, Murphy has never worked in Hartford and tried The Cupcake Brake. I also doubt that Murphy ever tried a cupcake or there would be a «except if there is a cupcake involved» clause to all his laws.
The Cupcake Brake is a brightly coloured yellow truck that parks in different areas of Hartford each day. You can either leave getting a cupcake to the serendipitous chance of running into the truck… or if you’re more aggressive about your cupcake hunting you can sign up for the email updates (on the website) or follow TheCupcakeBrake on Twitter.
Larry (or as I call him «The Cupcake Man») makes phenomenal little cupcakes that really pack a powerful punch. How’s that for accidental alliteration? Upon arriving at the cupcake truck you’re met with an absurd amount of choices as you choose the type of cupcake base, the frosting and whether or not you’d like it filled (and if so, with what!). Decisions, decisions.
My first impression upon lifting my cupcake from its nondescript white paper bag was that I should go back and order one more. It seemed smaller than the monstrous ones that have become so popular (Crumbs.). I was wrong however, and I was completely satisfied with one.
The frosting was buttery and rich and not overwhelmingly sweet. The cupcake base was moist and dense, a nice contrast from the frosting. I’d ordered peanut butter filling that was nice and nutty, but I think I’ll have to try the marshmallow or Boston crème next time.
I finished my cupcake and had to fight the urge to try capturing the icing that had been left behind inside the bag.
Take that Murphy.

So I really, really wanted to like the cupcakes from The Cupcake Brake. I love baked goods and this is Hartford’s answer to the Cupcake Truck that frequents New Haven. What could be better than delicious goodies that travel to you. I was super-​optimistic because, in a one-​upsmanship with the Cupcake Truck, The Cupcake Brake offers fillings!
Unfortunately, I was not a fan. I tried 3 different combos so that I could try the different frostings and cupcakes, and did not truly enjoy any of them. They are served in a wax paper bag that got all covered in frosting mush by the time I got to my destination. The frosting was too light and sloppily put on for my taste (the chocolate frosting was the best one though). And the cupcakes themselves were disappointing. Too spongy and dense for my liking.
Oh well, I guess I’ll have to stick to driving to get my own cupcakes at Sugarbelle or waiting for the Cupcake Truck to come back to Hartford again.