Reply #2: I'm 100% with you here

[karynnj]

I think part of the problem with the frosting here is that many bakeries opt not to use butter or real vanilla because doing so would make a frosting that is not perfectly white. I wonder if they altered the cake recipe for appearance sake as well. It is usually disappointing to eat a slice of any of the decorated sheet cakes. What is weird is that nearly ANY recipe out of a cookbook tastes better than expensive bakery cake - though I do not have the skill to make it look nearly as pretty.

The difference with the German cakes could be that European style butter (which you can buy here) is slightly higher in fat - and tastes better in baked goods. It may be that we compensate for the that lost flavor by adding more sugar. (I have never been to Germany but to France and Spain where the same is true.)

My youngest daughter and I did buy cupcakes at the Chinatown cupcake place when we were in DC. They were reasonably good, but not incredible or great.

Yep, another reason to question the "JK is elitist" canard.