The Wake

Can you have your cupcake and eat it too? This is not a philosophical question.

I’m talking about pastry, dammit. And not just any pastry. A childhood favorite; a sinful treasure latching on to your taste buds; an avalanche of sugary goodness down your throat; a one-way, frosting-coated ticket to Perfectionville. Population: you and the cupcake.

OK now, don’t freak out. I know I’ve just put your sugar-radar on red alert. “Where are these cupcakes?” is looping through your brain like Fat Boy Slim demanding answers. But luckily for you, I’m a gastronomical guru with the one-word, secret wisdom that will solve all your problems: cupcake.

Frustrating isn’t it? You feel like I’ve just told you nothing, but in all honesty – that’s all you need to know.

Cupcake is a new coffee shop less than two miles away from the East Bank campus at 3338 University Ave. SE. The aptly named sweet shop has a warm, modern interior and serves up all the usual coffees, lattes and teas you’d find at an upscale java joint. But the real secret of this place lies in its delectable selection of deliriously delicious desserts. The shop serves, not one, not two, but thirty tongue-tickling cupcakes for all ages.

From sophisticated chocolate mascarpone and German chocolate cupcakes to playful smore and caramel cupcakes, the selection is to die for. Which brings me to a point.

Though some of you may be salivating and heading for your car right now, many others probably are having a very different feeling creeping into your cranium. Guilt.

The sugar, the carbs, the fat content, oh my! What would Atkins say? What justice is there for South Beach dieters and raw vegans everywhere? Probably something to the tone of: you and all of your fat asses are going to health-conscious hell.

And to that I say: take me with you! Because life without cupcakes from Cupcake is no life at all.

Oh, did I mention they have other food too? They do. [Sorry. Chocolate can distract even the most focused person.]

In addition to its baked goods, Cupcake also has ready-to-go salads, sandwiches, homemade soups, and baked-to-order pizzas. On this occasion, my culinary companion and I shared a pre-made ham sandwich on homemade tomato herb bread with lettuce and tomatoes. The sandwich was a little cold from being in the refrigerator, but the ingredients were fresh and the bread was delicious. We also tried their curry chicken soup, which was delightfully spicy, but lacking in chicken quantity.

After we had devoured the soup and sandwich, our pesto pizza arrived. Initially I thought the crust was made from Pillsbury croissant dough, but upon further inspection it proved to be crisp, light, fluffy and definitely not Pillsbury. The pesto and pine nut sauce was topped with alternating tomatoes and mozzarella cheese appealingly presented in a flower pattern.

Anyway, back to cupcakes. For dessert, my companion and I decided upon a German chocolate cupcake and a caramel cupcake. But, be warned. This was no easy decision. Two display cases are filled with these heavenly morsels. Prepare yourself for the emotional distress of choosing because at $2.95 a pop you had better be sure. I am not even going to bother describing the cupcakes. We, like our paper, are drool-free. I will say the cupcakes look as good as they taste and the euphoria that ensues will vanquish all vestiges of lean, mean, fat-fightin’ guilt with one mouthwatering bite.

Catch Cupcake Love at:

Cupcake

3338 University Ave SE

Minneapolis, MN 55414

612-378-4818

Hours

Mon-Thurs 6:30am-7:00pm

Fri 6:30am-10:00pm

Sat 8:00am-10:00pm

Sun 8:00am-5:00pm