Thursday, May 10, 2018

Magnolia Market: Most Anticipated Cupcakes

I took this photo the moment I walked onto the property from the parking lot. Gasp! There they are! The Silos at Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas.

The building to the right (white with black staircases) is the main Magnolia store. Ahead of me is the large green open space for running and playing corn hole. Below the silos is the covered stage where they host the music and microphones during the Silobration each year. 

*I just added "Silobration" to my computer's dictionary. tee-hee 
You can watch the official HGTV Silobration on YouTube above. 

When I told people that I was traveling to see Magnolia Market, the #1 reaction was, "Oh I love them," then when they had a chance to think about it, they asked if I was going to get a cupcake. So I am not the only one who's sugar-driven. I know the power of a good cupcake.
The patterned grass outside of the Silos Baking Company is so-darn-cute! A great example of Joanna Gaines adding a design element to make something better than we thought possible. I mean it, this courtyard is fabulous.

The 1st annual Silos Marathon was held the day before we arrived in Texas. That fantastic fundraising event brought 20,000 people to Waco and many of the participants stayed on into Monday. We were concerned that the crowds would be too big and that our Magnolia experience would be affected. Nope!
The retail store was busy and the bakery had a line, but it was just fine. To give you an idea, we got in line outside of the bakery at 2:45 pm on Monday May 7 and our cupcakes were paid for and ready to eat at 3:10 pm. Frankly, that is impressive considering the number of people visiting the Magnolia complex.
 
















When you get in line, you receive an order form and pencil to make your choices. So smart! It was fun to talk over the selections and ponder what would make us happy while we waited. 
The line outside moves along the wall of the bakery, complete with blooming flower boxes, and when it is almost your time, a shop girl lets you into the air-conditioned bakery to wait for the last 10 minutes. You hand in your order form and pay, and take pictures and marvel that it is really real. 
The staff is nice, and happy and friendly. And I would say the guests are even more so. If every there was a group of people who would pitch in and help if asked, it was these customers. 
Okay, remember the episode of Fixer Upper called "Sweet Surprise at Magnolia Silos" where Joanna and Chip work on the bakery? She finds an antique door and asks Clint to strip the paint off it and make it pretty. Yes, I took a picture in the bathroom, but I had to show you. Also, you need to know about this lovely 1-person air-conditioned bathroom for your trip. Don't miss it when you get into the bakery, the door is on the right.
And the wallpaper in the bathroom! Too cute! It's called "Homestead" and you can find it here.

I bought 5 cupcakes (It was research, I tell you.) The flavors I chose were: Toasted Coconut (seasonal), Silobration, The Classic, Lemon Lavender and Shiplap. The Shiplap and Lemon Lavender cupcakes had a green (white chocolate, I think, definitely edible) m-a-g-n-o-l-i-a leaf on top and we loved it. A darling touch that made us unreasonably happy.
The cupcakes were moist and delicious and that buttercream is no joke. Mmmmm. My cousin and I cut 4 of the cupcakes in quarters and tried some of each. My favorites in order were Toasted Coconut (such flavor!), Shiplap, The Classic, and then Silobration, though I would happily eat any of those all over again. Joanna's cupcakes are sturdy, a good size with ample frosting and honest flavors. I give them my highest marks.
We ate our cupcakes (and a cold brew coffee that I bought from the refrigerator case) at a picnic table on the stage under the Silos. The most important factor was shade, as the day crept up to 95 degrees. The stage is also a great place to connect with other visitors. While we were waiting in line for cupcakes, we made friends with the older couple standing behind us. When it was time to eat our treats, we noticed each other up on the stage and decided to enjoy the experience together. Happiness!
The next day I ate the last of the Shiplap cupcake and tried the Lemon Lavender. The lemon frosting on the Lemon Lavender cupcake was great; I never really enjoy eating lavender sweets, though I seem to chose something lavender to eat every year: lavender ice cream, tea with lavender buds, lavender sugar. I am weak when it comes to girl-y offerings. It was good, but the other flavors are more in my lane. I would buy Toasted Coconut every day until the season is over.

Read about shopping at Magnolia Market here. And more here. And some tips here.
  
#magnoliamarket #fixerupper #visitingthesilo #milestomagnolia #joannagaines #chipgaines #magnolia #cupcakes #silobrationcupcake #homesteadwallpaper #wallpaper 

2 comments:

Kimmers said...

This is so much fun! I love all the details - feels like we were really there too ( though Without getting to taste the cupcakes)! Beautiful pictures! Thank you for posting!

Anne Reeves said...

Of course! I'm working on the next few posts. I want to share this great experience and help others plan. xo A