Winning Cupcakes

Jennifer Shea has been baking since she was a little girl at local 4-H competitions—but it wasn’t until she took a trip to New York and visited the much-hyped Magnolia Bakery and Cupcake Café that she decided she could wait no longer to open her own bakery.. Her delectable goodies are as pretty as a little round picture and creatively delicious. Old standards like chocolate and vanilla are joined by creative flavors like chai cardamom and green tea—all moist and rich ($2.75 each, $30 for a dozen). Our favorite is the peanut butter and jelly—a Swedish butter cake filled with a dollop of peanut butter and strawberry jelly, topped with a frosting of peanut butter mousse and strawberry butter cream. This little treat tastes just a little better than Mom used to make. Nine flavors are available at any one time, with specials on the weekends and holidays (Guinness Stout chocolate for St. Patrick’s Day, anyone?). The chocolate-and-teal-hued café is the perfect place to sit and enjoy a cappuccino and a cupcake—an extra bit of sweetness on what might otherwise be an ordinary day.

 

(Photo by Heather Fassio)