May 13, 2009

Annapolis cupcake shop full of sweet creationsBy Diana LoveHometownAnnapolis.com

Punctuated by teasingly warm, bright and spectacular breaks, the cold, wet days of March and April were tiresome at best this year. Just when the sun would appear, just as it would begin to warm the bones and anticipation for a Chesapeake summer would bloom, a seemingly never-ending parade of rain clouds would reappear.

A drop of the barometer seemed to bring a corresponding drop in mood. The rain is, of course, good for the garden and the earth, but still … we need sunshine, blue skies, light breezes, lots of outside play and seasonal memories, too.

So, how did I survive April’s showers? My greatest solace, my foul-weather respite, was undoubtedly cupcakes.

Comfort, color and fresh, fun flavors were found on more than one dreary day at Nostalgia Cupcakes on Main Street in downtown Annapolis. Standing in front of the display case, oohing and aahing over frosting and decorations with my toddler daughter, we discovered a wonderful way to break up nasty, inside-weather days, though it’s a fun destination when the weather’s beautiful, too.

Nostalgia Cupcakes isn’t the only such shop in town. In fact, the cupcake trend continues unabated at area bakeries and boutiques, and it’s easy to understand why. Cupcakes are a treat: a mouthful of soft, silky and airy cake topped with smooth and creamy frosting. Modern cupcakes are neither saccharine nor confection. They are sophisticated, interesting, artistic and fun.

Sharon White, owner of Nostalgia Cupcakes and an executive pastry chef, notes that cupcakes are very individual. Each cupcake has its own personality, its own appealing features or detracting flaws. White likes to watch her customers react to a cupcake: size it up, figure it out. This is much more interesting than a batch of indistinguishable cookies, another scoop of the same-old ice cream, another square of a uniform sheet cake. Cupcakes aren’t anonymous.

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