We’ve featured rockin’ cupcakes from Animal Kingdom’s Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery before, and we’ve sung the praises of their brownies too, but on my recent trip, I had to sample the white chocolate elephant cupcake for myself!
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery Sign
Kusafiri Menu - click image for larger version
While I’ve heard recently that sometimes the treats are scarce, I had no trouble finding what I came for the day of my visit. As it turns out, you sometimes just have to wait until 11:30 for the ‘cakes to be available. No worries!
And as you can see, the cupcake is still the towering showstopper that it’s always been!
White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake
I mean, this thing is HUGE. You WILL get stares as you walk around with this cupcake, so be ready to answer a lot of the “Where did you get THAT?” questions. 😉 (Then you can be all smart and in-the-know, which, of course, you already are.)
While there’s very little seating near Kusafiri — and almost none that’s shaded — I took my cupcake to the little covered area and stood at the high-boy table there.
Let’s begin with the fact that this cupcake is deeeeelicious. I don’t know how they do it, but I always absolutely love the ‘cakes at Animal Kingdom. It’s as though everything they create is made of gold (unlike many of the cupcakes at Main Street Bakery, which tend to turn out gritty and too-sugary much of the time).
Cross-Section
The treat features moist chocolate cake topped with a tall layer of thick buttercream. The buttercream is out of this world. You know when you’re making frosting or cookies and there’s that stage where you just have a bunch of straight sugar and butter in the bowl…and it tastes really good? Yeah; that’s what this is like, except thicker and fluffier.
And in the middle of the buttercream is a huge plop of German chocolate cake frosting — that caramel-y goodness mixed with toasted coconut.
Frosting Close-Up
This is one fabulous — and fabulously rich — little cake. And really — it’s topped with a white chocolate elephant! Love it.
The elephant is a giant white chocolate lollipop that actually tastes pretty good! But, if I’m being honest, it’s definitely second fiddle to that frosting.
Now, here’s the weirdness of the cupcake. I do take a little issue with the menu board, which says that the cupcake is “filled with chocolate cream” and actually says nothing about the german chocolate cake frosting (mentioning just “coconut”). As you can see from the cross section, there is definitely no chocolate cream inside the cake, so I’m betting that I got a bum batch or something.
Regardless, it was still delicious. And who has room for the cake anyway? 😉
Do you have a Kusafiri Bakery favorite? Share a comment below about your #1 indulgence at this Animal Kingdom must-do spot!
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I had one of these on my last trip. I don’t remember any chocolate cream on the inside either. I do remember not being able to finish this monster of a cupcake, I maybe got through half of it before I was on sugar overload. Which leads to my one complaint with Kusafiri, they didn’t have any to go boxes. I was handed a paper bag to transport what was left of my cupcake across the park, onto a bus, and then back to our room. I agree with the elephant lollipop, it sure wasn’t the highlight of this snack. I am eager to go back and try some of their other cakes!!
Personally, I enjoy the Paw Print brownie from Kusafiri much more than the cupcakes. I felt the icing on the cupcakes was far too rich and I wasn’t fond of the icing’s texture. The cupcakes are monsters for sure, but more of a miss IMHO (I hate saying that especially since I love this WAY underrated park). I think you’re better served to try the cupcakes at DHS (which I really hate saying since it somewhat validates Matt Hochberg’s DHS superiority complex :))!
I don’t think you got a “bum batch.” When I got it I don’t think I got any cream filling in the cake either, but with the frosting I really didn’t care. That’s easily the best cupcake I’ve ever had in Disney, or probably anywhere.
Yummy! I cant wait to try this in the fall!! THANX!
My husband and I split one of these cupcakes on our last trip and it was delicious! It’s also SO cute!
I concur with the other commenters– I don’t think you got a bum ‘cake. This has been my husband’s go-to cupcake for over a year and on the last 3 trips (Oct. 2011, Dec. 2011 and Feb. 2012) he’s had the german chocolate/no cream filling version. Thanks for the awesome post… Now I’m ready for dessert!
Matt — Awesome review! Really? No to-go boxes?! That’s unfortunate. I loved that they have the actual cupcake containers at Contempo Cafe that they give out.
Eric — Ha ha!! I love the DHS cupcakes, but find the AK cupcakes winners as well. In fact, I think I’d go as far as to say that I like them just as much as I like DHS’s massive confections!! Thanks for your review — it’s so great to hear different opinions! Makes me think harder the next time I’m there!
Carolyn — I really did love this cupcake, too. I’ve been impressed with pretty much everything from this bakery. 🙂 Thanks for the review and info on the filling!
Sarah — Yay! Let me know what you think.
Brandi — YUM! Agreed on the cuteness factor.
Abby — Good to hear it! I’m ready for dessert, too!
Yum! Both the icing and cake are delicious! And even the elephant is delightful! This is a great mid-morning snack in Animal Kingdom!
Hi, I’m new here — which is why I’m commenting on a post from 2012 lol (I found this post in a search). Anyway, I’m so excited to try this cupcake on my next trip as I love coconut and white chocolate! I probably won’t eat too much of the cake though, as I only like chocolate cake when there isn’t frosting on it and I think I could get full off of this frosting all on its own.
Matt — I know this is forever and a day late, but could it be that there wasn’t a to-go box container because of it being Animal Kingdom? I’m not sure about a cardboard box, but I believe plastic would contain a lid–and if my memory is correct–AK doesn’t allow plastic drink cup lids because of the birds, right? Styrofoam would probably be a little messy too. This might be a non-doable suggestion, but what if next time you brought one of those little reusable containers people put in their lunch boxes for snacks you can’t finish at AK in the future and that way you can store it right back in your park bag (if you carry one). After reading your review, because I often can’t finish heavy desserts when it’s hot outside, I think I might do that.
I just feel like someone should mention that the german chocolate cake frosting contains nuts. After all the research I did on this, no one mentioned it, so I was disappointed that I was unable to eat it after ordering it (food allergy). Just a note for anyone else who might have an allergy.
They quit making this cupcake! I was just at Animal Kingdom and they said they no longer make this cupcake. I almost had a total meltdown! It was the best cupcake I have ever tasted! I am soooo sad.
I agree with Monette! Why would something so delicious disappear?!?! 🙁 Don’t be fooled by the current elephant cupcake. It is just chocolate.
I was soooooo excited to have another taste of this cupcake while there in Nov. 2014.. and to my huge disappointment, they changed the cupcake. 🙁 It was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. Did not even begin to compare with the the version I loved. The cast member who gave me the cupcake said so many people were disappointed they had changed it. Hopefully they will bring it back.