Chaos Theory Cakes

Chaos Theory is BACK! My boyfriend and I are, at this very moment, enjoying a chocolate peanut butter cupcake and a carrot cake cupcake that he picked up for us this afternoon. Welcome back, Chaos. Welcome back.

Temporarily closed for remodeling…
(Remodeling already? They just opened not long ago…)
Update within an update (1÷7÷09: Closed).
:(

A few weeks after moving to the city, some friends and I were walking around exploring the neighborhood and happened upon Chaos Theory. I have NEVER been known to pass up a cupcake, especially when the funky and colorful interior looked so inviting, so we walked in to check it out. This was the first mistake.
The second mistake was paying $ 4 each for two very sub-​par and under-​sized cupcakes. They specialize in weird flavors and combinations, which is always a fun way to jazz up an old classic, but when your spinach cupcake with onion frosting tastes like onions, something is not right. The curry cake in the curry-​chocolate cupcake was terrible and dry, and the ganache frosting too thick. Save your calories or head to Sweet Mandy B’s for a bomb-​ass cupcake.

I’m SO sad. Shame on me for not Unilocaling it sooner…
I’m devastated that Chaos Theory is now closed. I was so stoked when I found out BHB opened a sister store just blocks from my place.
Nikki was a doll — I was always excited to stop in to get myself (or my family or friends or co-​workers) a treat. It felt like she was equally excited to help me pick out and find whatever I was looking for or sometimes what I wasn’t looking for. She made great recommendations! I was once helped by John and he was super nice as well.
I enjoyed some lovely treats from this place including the cupcakes like: the «famous» chocolate bacon, rosemary lemon, sweet potato (my favorite), vegan chocolate (I gave these to some serious carnivores, they never suspected it was a vegan treat until I told them. After they ate it.) and I once tried the divine pumpkin mousse cake. Delicious!
I especially loved the space — it was so whimsical.
It was fun while it lasted. I’m gonna miss you, CTC.

I came in to pick up a couple slices of cake for a birthday couple, and saw that there was a bacon cake! Yes, bacon must be all the rage. My friend whose birthday it was talked of it in length. We had a conversation about bacon and how much we loved it, and I mentioned that Whiskey Road has had this sign up all about it with all you can eat bacon on Monday nights. Yet, we’ve not gone, and I don’t know if the special still exists. Knowing how much he loves bacon my friends and I got him this cake. He loved it! I wish I got to try some of it, but I did get my very own Symphony Cake — hazelnut dacquoise, carmelized hazelnuts, caramel, caramel mousse, and mocha buttercream. It was sensational. The texture of the cake, the richness of the flavors… You will pay a pretty penny, but I do believe it is worth it! The waitress sweet as the cupcakes, and they have punch cards! I could burn a hole right through the damn thing. Thank you Jesus, for not allowing this place to be located closer to where I live.

I can’t stop thinking about the Curry cupcakes. Incredible and a perfect blend of savory and sweet (chocolate ganache sits on top). Luckily, it was 2-​for-​1 when I went in so I grabbed two of the curry cupcakes along with the sweet potato cupcake (think Thanksgiving in cupcake form) and another flavor that I can’t remember (it obviously wasn’t that memorable). Since I walked out with four cupcakes for myself, I took their advice and froze the uneaten cupcakes. And it works! You can actually freeze these and eat them in the next day or two without sacrificing much of the flavor (of course they are much better fresh). Definitely my new favorite place for alternative cupcakes — delicious without trying too hard.

I will preface this by saying that we do need to go back for a second try because it wasn’t completely there fault that the first visit wasn’t that great.
They had just experienced a flood and a lot of their delicious goodies were ruined, so they had limited supplies. However, the cupcakes they had were sitting out with bugs flying all over them, which grossed me out a bit. They also could not make us coffee because the flood was in the area where the coffee makers were.
With all that aside, the cupcakes and other desserts were very expensive ($ 20 for a cupcake and a piece of chocolate cake) and quite frankly not all that wonderful.
Maybe it was an off night… i’ll try it again for that reason.

From the unique, creative minds of Bleeding Heart Bakery comes the latest incarnation in organic sweetness delight… Chaos Theory Cakes.
Stylistically, the space is similar in attitude to BHB… a cool, funky interior with bad-​ass touches and colorful décor. There is plenty of seating via cute table clusters offset by a few rows of glass cases highlighting amazing looking tarts, truffles, cookies, cakes, cupcakes and of course, my favorite, the milk chocolate revolver. Bang! Bang! Looking for a place to pick up an Obama cupcake? Look no further. Ever wonder if an avocado and peppercorn chocolate tart might tickle your pickle? Try one here. Clearly we’re not talking sheet cake and sugar frosting, Folks.
I tried a smattering of goods from Chaos Theory yesterday and was left not only with a sugary belly ache but semi-​confused taste buds. Let me ‘splain Lucy…
Everything is aesthetically gorgeous, incredibly impressive and a fabulous visual addition to any table. Unfortunately for me the flavor doesn’t always quite match up with the beauty… some desserts simply look too pretty to eat, and some apparently actually are. My ‘Thanksgiving Mousse’ cake with sweet potato mousse, cranberry cake, marshmallow fluff and pecan topping was so sugary and sweet I cringed upon first bite. No distinguishing flavors amongst the seemingly bold layers, just pure sugar. The brown sugar topping needed some serious carmelization or just removal because it was like eating sweet sand, so not good and it left me with the worst case of saccharin mouth ever (take that medical dictionary!). The ‘Peach Mousse Cake’ was an improvement with a nice balance of fruity, tart and sweet with a really light, fluffy texture. I really loved the whipped topping and distinct pecan flavor of the cake — the best in show for me certainly! We rounded out our tasting with a few small sweets… delicious, salty Fleur De Sel cookies (yes, the same ones from BHB) and a goat cheese truffle which had little hint of goat cheese beneath bitter dark chocolate.
My lone bacon, banana, chocolate tart is still in the fridge waiting for a taste… I imagine it will be just as rich and achingly sweet as the rest, but alas, I’ll report back. My sweet and salty experience was rounded out with lackluster counter help… cake homegirl was sitting on the couch reading a magazine when I arrived and needed prompting to get up and help us. The vacant gaze and monotone description of the treats didn’t help my enthusiasm either — altogether I guess it was a bit of a let down — the tarts and mini-​cakes I’ve had at Vanille and Sweet Mandy B’s were farrrrrr better than these treats. I don’t know if it’s the strange factor that doesn’t translate to deliciousness or if the owner Michelle just has a taste palette that doesn’t really jive with mine. I think her shops are really cute and the style rocks but overall (imho) the treats are sorta off.

Cool space, great looking desserts. Just weren’t that tasty (to me and all the people whom I shared the cupcakes with). Picked up ½ a dozen cupcakes at ~$ 4 a piece.
Ok, I was a little harsh on the place, but I was expecting phenomenal things from an establishment with such great reviews. I’ll be back to give it another shot.

So, unlike my fellow Unilocalers, I had not explored many of the bakeries in Chicago until last week. Suddenly my sweet tooth, which has been inactive since I was about 20 went haywire and wanted sugar all last week. So I satisfied my needs with Shoklad, Bleeding Heart and now Chaos Theory. The items in the shop were beautifully crafted and the space is brightly colored and modern. Initially the counter help was kind of reserved but once prompted with questions she was helpful in describing the non labeled items in the case, making recommendations and offering to cut us smaller portions of the large pieces of cake.
While at the shop I sampled a chocolate chip cookie (thank god for free samples) and bought a fleur de sel (salted!) cookie and a goat cheese tart. I took an avocado mouse tart and half a slice of the Oaxaca cake home for later consumption. I am a fan of the Oaxaca cookies at Bleeding Heart so I figured I would like the cake as well– how can you go wrong with SPICY chocolate?! My boyfriend and I split the items about 3 – 4 hours later and they actually kept quite well, although I was unable to refrigerate them. I was not a fan of the avocado tart although I did like the idea of peppercorns on dessert and moved some from the tart to the already spicy Oaxaca cake. for me both items were a bit of chocolate overload and very rich. Out of everything my favorite was the cookie, which ate while at the shop. I guess I have simpler tastes.
I still greatly appreciate the creativity and precision that goes into each of Chaos’ creations and will be back to sample more in the near future, unless my sweet tooth disappears again– which my waist line would appreciate.

The sign in the window said, «Excuse our mess, we had a flood today, but c’mon in». I’m not sure if THIS is the reason for the stale, tasteless cupcakes or not. If so, I’m pissed off about spending $ 4 for a day-​old baked good. Pricey as hell for weak product. Chocolate/​bacon, chocolate/​ginger flavors not revolutionary anymore. On a positive note: conceptually, the flavors were really neat — sweet potato/​cranberry/​burnt marshmallow meringue, nice looking brownies, tarts. Space is funky. This place needs work if this was NOT an off day.
Update…I learned from the owner that this was a really bad day (flood/​electrical issues) when I dropped in. I appreciate the owner’s candidness and apologetic response. We’ll certainly give this place another try.

Based on all the hoopla here on Unilocal,my fiancée and I took a little trip to Chaos Theory Cakes to try their interesting concoctions. First, the décor is very cool. The place looks like a hip apartment while it is still a café/​bakery. We both got cupcakes since we had read so much about them. She got the chocolate/​vanilla Obama/​Biden cupcake and I got the bacon & chocolate one. While they were good and moist, I don’t know if they were worth the $ 4. That was my only problem with the place. It seemed like everything was a little expensive. If I am in the area again, I’ll try a piece of cake or something else since judging the place on one cupcake might not be fair.

Chocolate
Peanut Butter
Bacon
Three heavenly flavors in one cupcake. I saved it for breakfast (amazing!) and boy was it moist and salty and sweet and heart-​attacky. Peanut butter frosting was smooth and not too sweet. Cake was moist. Could have been slightly more chocolatey, but I’d eat another one if I had it.
Mmm, mmm delicious cholesterol!

Every time I’ve passed this place I remark to myself how cute it is and wish I had the time to stop in. Today I made the time, on my way home from the store I found a primo spot in front of Chaos and decided to give it a shot.
I love, love, love the décor, bright, funky and eclectic, however I just liked, not loved my cupcake. The person who waited on me was very nice, she told me about each of the cupcakes in the display case and pointed out the free red velvet and spicy chocolate samples on the counter.
I tried the spicy chocolate Oaxaca cupcake and it was pretty good. You don’t notice the spice right away, it has a nice, but subtle finish. Instead I opted for the chocolate-​chocolate-​chocolate; a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate frosting and chocolate shavings. As an added bonus $ 2 from the cost of my cupcake went to the Obama-​Biden campaign. Supporting your candidate is a tough job, but hey somebody’s got to do it ;-p
The main reason I didn’t love my cupcake was its consistency/​texture. It was moist, but very dense, which isn’t my thing. I like cupcakes that are lighter and fluffier (like Sweet Mandy B’s or Molly’s). The frosting and chocolate shavings on top were tasty though. My cupcake cost me $ 3.75 for a basic cupcake, since I wasn’t over the moon about it I probably won’t be back. But hey, if someone were to show up at my place with some cupcakes from here, I certainly wouldn’t turn them away.
Bottom line: The flavor combinations this place comes up with are very unique and inventive (bacon, thanksgiving dinner, etc.). Service was nice and friendly, unfortunately the cupcakes just don’t do it for me. In my opinion the basic cupcakes and the complex cupcakes shouldn’t be priced the same — I don’t think $ 3.75 is pricey for something unique and inventive, but is for something fairly basic like a chocolate or vanilla cupcake.

This place has so many things that I like: sweets in various incarnations, bright vintage décor, organic ingredients, adventurous flavor combinations. Sadly, all those things did not come together to create the amazing overall experience that it should have been.
I gave this place quite a few chances to get it right – because I bought a lot of cake. The first dessert I tried was the curry chocolate cupcake, which was, frankly, inedible. I was expecting a hint of curry, but, no – there was lot of it – and the effect was overwhelming. It was a cupcake that was neither sweet nor savory, and I ended up tossing it after just one bite. The coconut, pepper?, mint cupcake was more of the same. At this point in my gustatory experience, I was pretty disappointed. But I soldiered on and things improved slightly. The next thing I tried was a traditional carrot cake, which was decent (and the slice was enormous). Also decent was a chocolate banana cupcake, though the banana baked into the cake was somewhat mushy, wet and unappealing. Not bad though.
But really, it was too little too late. I give Chaos Theory Cakes a couple of stars for effort (and for the enthusiastic, helpful girl who waited on me). I appreciate what this place is trying to do, but I don’t think I’ll be back.

Here’s the deal. I went to Chaos Theory firstly because I wanted a cupcake to buy as a birthday treat, and secondly because I had read about their «crazy» flavour combinations, thinking I had them all figured out. Ha! How wrong I was! I am still trying to wrap my mind around what I ate here. So incredibly bizarre, yet so awesome!
So I purchase 3 cupcakes to sample. The Oaxaca, which was a dark chocolate cake with chocolate and cayenne pepper frosting, the chocolate bacon cupcake with peanut butter/​bacon frosting, and a tomato basil cupcake with mozzarella frosting. Me, in all my naïveté, figured that the tomato one, having savory ingredients, would be just that — a savory cupcake. Maybe more like bread than anything else. So I take a bite.
HOT DAMN — the rush of sugar into my mouth takes me completely off-​guard. I am chewing but my mind isn’t paying attention — its too busy trying to cobble together a reasonable explanation for what it was experiencing. I’m not sure why I am liking this peculiar taste sensation, all I know is that I just do. Wow — how completely odd and fabulous! The other two, being more «normal» dessert ingredients, are great, except I dont pick up too much of either the cayenne or the peanut butter flavours in those.
I would really love to go and sit with Michelle to discuss having a custom made cake made for some occasion. From what I experienced she is willing to be as creative and daring as you will let her to whip up some culinary wackiness. But I have to go back there regardless — on my way out I saw chocolate covered strips of bacon in the case which I absolutely have to sample. :)
Thanks for adding to a great birthday, Chaos!

Many people know me to have a sweet tooth… well more of one from the devil. When it kicks in to high gear, no sugary sweetness is safe around me. You leave a plate of brownies around me, be prepared to have an empty plate around me. Maybe you might have crumbs. However I have been trying to be good the last several months and limiting my voracious enamel wearing product of Satan by not going to any bakeries. Yes. I know. Crazy, right? Then… low and behold Michelle Garcia opens up a new bakery. Already a fan of her Bleeding Heart, a fan of the now closed Painted Lady, (bless that mac and cheese), I went with an open mind and a hungry stomach. I knew this was not going to be your typical place, so let it be known to you. Here amongst a few chocolate, chocolate cupcakes, you have some more adventurous selections. Ingredients such as a spicy peppers, mango, spinach, onions, green tea creating things such as a spicy chocolate cupcake, a mint, mojito tart, vanilla, green tea and white chocolate tart amongst others.
Walking in, this had the colorful, yet a little more subdued, vibe that I expected. The man working the counter quickly joined me asking if I needed help. I needed a map to try and decipher the selections that laid before me. He was nice and patiently went through each cupcake, going through the main ingredients answering the few questions I had. I quickly scooped up nearly a dozen different cupcakes and two tarts. So much for my being good at a bakery ban. My stomach and mouth wanted more, but I decided to hold off on the truffles, cakes and other delectables, including for you foodies, chocolate covered bacon.
I quickly drove home, goodies stowed away, dodging and dipping, ducking, diving and dodging through traffic. (Anyone get that «Dodgeball reference? Anyone??? sigh… I still like you Vince Vaughn) They were all beautifully presented. Some brightly, some indicated the taste they held, but all screamed «Eat me! Now!!» Well knowing I had a 2 + hour workout coming up, I went with a half a tart and a cupcake. The spicy chocolate cupcake wasn’t spicy… then about a minute later, the heat built in my throat to announce its presence. «Hi… How are you today?»… however I wouldn’t say it was anything overwhelming at all, just gently there in the back ground. Then I tried the mint mojito tart, actually half of one. I sliced open and was amazed by the amount of chocolate, thick and rich, but oh so tasty and you could tasty the minty lime come through, softly and gently, but for sure was announcing it was there. I think all that was needed was some rum… oh wait I still have that work out later… damn.
I look forward to going back and sampling all my purchases and breaking my bakery sugar ban and of course always remembering to allow these treats to come to room temperature to get the full effect. Come here though, open mind and stomach, savory and sweet can work together, maybe not for everyone, but then again, those of you it doesn’t you can always get the straight up chocolate chocolate cupcake.

I wanted to love this place (we are big fans of the original Bleeding Heart)… and I did like it, just not as much as I’d hoped.
I love the location (walking distance from my house) and I like funky flavor combos (not sure I want spinach cake though). I liked the décor too.
I tried the curry tart… chocolate tart with a curry mousse on top. Hmmm. I love curry, I love chocolate… but the curry was so overpoweringly strong that I couldn’t tase the chocolate at all. I even tried eating the curry mousse separately from the rest of the tart… still couldn’t taste it much after eating the mousse.
This was one of the few desserts I’ve ever had that I couldn’t finish (that part is a good thing). I took half of it home and ate it over the next couple of days. I think it’s a dessert that works better in really small portions. Still couldn’t taste the chocolate though.
My daughter had a strawberry cupcake which she liked (and also took home half).
It’s quite expensive, but I’ll still go back. I don’t think I’ll order the curry though… maybe the one with bacon?

I nanny just down the street from Chaos Theory Cakes and I can’t tell you how excited I was when it finally opened.
I strolled in with my boss and the two boys I nanny. The space is amazing-​not many places accommodate a double stroller and was overjoyed to see there was plenty of room for me and my double-​wide.
As a pastry chef, I feel I’m a little more critical than the average customer and I was pleasantly surprised by the stocked cases and overly friendly service. The gal working was very helpful and gave the boys homemade marshmallows to eat while we were deciding what to get.
We finally decided on the carrot cake and the spinach/​apple/​onion cake. Both were very good and quite unique. I mean, who thinks to put spinach, green apple and purple onion in a cake? Trust me, it’s good!
There are so many interesting combinations to try, I know I’ll be back. The pieces of cake a huge (took me and my boss 3 days to finish) and prices are reasonable.
The only reason I’m not giving them 5 stars is because I went back and tried some cupcakes that were pretty dry. I know it’s because the cases are so fully stocked it’s impossible to go through all the product before they dry out. I’m sure once business picks up this won’t be a problem!
If you’re in the mood for a cupcake like grandma made this is not your place. If you’re looking for something new and exciting, you won’t be disappointed!

What do you get when you combine a carnival, punk rock, roller derby, a strong sense of sustainable food ethics and fine French Pastry?
Why Chaos Theory Cakes, of course.
The brainchild of Michelle Garcia, the manic mother of Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chaos Theory takes her loopy vision of modern pastry and mixes it with her deep love of French pastry. Even the motto of the patisserie (if I may be so bold as to call it that) is French: ‘un morceau de gâteau’ — a piece of cake. An organic piece of cake.
I went in early on an August morning the first week they opened. Pushing open the front door I was greeting by a riot of color: the walls, the curtains, the cakes, the seats, the tables. Everything is technicolor candy, the furnishings and walls as visually appealing as the tarts, cupcakes, and cakes waiting to be taken home.
Service was kind and pleasant. We talked about Michelle’s vision, the pastry, the interesting flavors. Curry flavored cake? Make mine a double. Avocado cake? Oh yes! And the sweet spinach/​onion mousse/​apple tart demands respect even as it teases the eater with its usually savory ingredients. I’ll take two.
While there are unusual, perhaps gimmicky cakes, Chaos Theory also excels in more conventional and familiar pastry. There are s’mores tarts (delicious beyond compare, really), lemon tarts, chile-​infused chocolate tarts, and even a beautifully de-​and re-​constructed carrot cake. The cupcakes come in amazingly unusual flavors, but the delivery — in cupcake form — makes them extremely approachable. We adored the chocolate and yellow curry cupcake with cardamom. There are cream puffs for the more timid, and coffee and espresso for those needing a bitter counterpoint to all the lovely sweets.
The shop is open late (to 10!) for post-​theatre and post-​movie indulging. Grab your friends, fast for a day, and drag yourselves down to Chaos Theory Cakes. You’ll never be the same.