red velvet letdown (smackdown?)

My red velvet cupcakes (via E's brilliant recipe) are yummier than the ones at Crumbs, which instigated my connoisseur's pursuit. Their frosting is not cream cheesy but generically vanilla and the cake is chalky. FYI. If you want the best ones, you'll just have to come visit New London. And sweet-talk me into brandishing my skills.