Sweetest Thing

Last week I had an opportunity to finally swing by Sweetest Thing, a little cupcake shop in my hometown of Newberg. I'd been wanting to stop since my lovely sister-in-law mentioned it. In passing no less, like "Hey, Newberg's got a cupcake shop. Have you seen Nancy Grace?" And thank Zeus I did because this shop is easily on par with Saint Cupcake and blows Cupcake Jones out of the water. I know. I know. Many of you may be C. J. fans, and I would agree that they make beautiful looking cupcakes but the taste? Oy vey. The cakes are like bricks and the frosting is far too subtle for my taste. Amp up the sugar a bit, bakers, it's a CUPCAKE.

Bean and I shared a cupcake - he's no delicate flower when it comes to consuming cupcakes, let me tell you! - at the shop before heading back to Portland. His choice, the Blondie, a traditional vanilla cake with smooth and light vanilla buttercream. It sported super cute pastel colored sugar crystals sprinkled on top. How refreshingly spring! And in the box to go home, one Lady in Red (Southern red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting - serious yum), one Happy Day (chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream - yes, please!), and one Margarita (refreshing lime cake topped with tequila and lime buttercream, rock salt, lime twist and straw - I loves me some lime). I enjoyed my halves thoroughly, Darr was like, "Meh." He probably would have been more impressed if they had produced an Old Fashioned drink-inspired cupcake. Margarita, puh-lease.

Current cupcake rankings*:

First place: Cupcakes (Vancouver, B.C.)

Second place: Sweetest Thing (Newberg)

Second place: Saint Cupcake (Portland)

Fourth place: Cupcake Jones (Portland)

*Cupcake rankings include cupcake shops I've been to but do not include cake shops that produce cupcakes. Would it really be fair to the cupcake folks to add Piece of Cake to the competition? No. Because Marilyn's cupcakes are like dense little miniature cakes of happiness and all things good in this world topped with cream cheese frosting. It also does not include Ida's Cupcakes because, alas, I was not able to go away for the weekend like these other ladies I know.