Ladurée cupcakes sont délicieux, mais cher

Today was my first proper day of being unemployed. Or self employed if you look at it that way - I've just not done much about the self employed bit yet. Friday didn't really count as I spent most of it in bed hungover after leaving drinks. Incase anyone's wondering I didn't tell those I disliked how I felt about them - best to move on with some dignity - although not sure how much of that I retained as we left the building (sober) singing So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, adieu to everyone.

So, to celebrate me leaving work we decided to spend a lovely day in London - including trying some very special cupcakes I'd read about some time ago, and could now, without a trip to Paris, try.

Cupcakes from my favourite Parisian Tea room - Ladurée!!

We had hoped to eat in the tea room in Harrods, but it was very busy (mainly with groups of tourists only having drinks...and a very rude French group who pushed and shoved and touched the food they wanted while barking at the staff - I mentioned excuse moi to the pokey 'lady', but wish I'd said excusez-moi merde tête instead. I do love to swear at people in their own tongue), so we opted for takeaway.

There were only two cupcakes on offer - the rose and the chocolate orange, although their menu outside showed their cupcakes as being the rose and a pistachio griotte. I got the last rose one so was incredibly chuffed - until I saw the price!!

We paid for our cakes and took them home very carefully on the bus. I was scared to open the box when we finally arrived, incase they had turned to mush (we'd had a little incident in Sainsburys where I'd boshed them slightly) but as you can see they survived!! Phew!

They are totally gorgeous aren't they? I'm going to allow them to call it a cupcake, although I've always gone with there being some kind of whipped buttercream'y frosting on top of a cupcake and fondant being fairy cake (this is how I differentiate - I'm not getting into a cupcake v fairy cake debate again).

We were worried that they wouldn't be tasty after spending all that money, but thank goodness they were delicious. You could tell as soon as you picked it up that it was incredibly fresh as they smelt divine. My rose cake was moist and filled with a delicious fruit compote, then a layer of fresh whipped cream, fondant, and more piped cream - all of it was melt in your mouth fresh and lovely.

Manny's chocolate orange was incredibly moist and fresh also - with lovely bits of peel and chocolate inside.

So, was London's most expensive cupcake worth it? I'd say yes but only as a one off/treat - I'm never going to buy a box of four from there on a whim - they are just too expensive.

When in Ladurée I think I'm always going to choose a few macaroon instead - that's right a few, I can get about 4 or 5 minis for the price of a cupcake.

Yes, they really were £6 each (£7.20 if you have them in the tea room!!).

Is this London's most expensive cupcake?