Cupcake Heaven, Finally!

I know that Marianne is the cupcake expert in the family.  Thanks to her, I have eaten (too) many delicious cupcakes and visited most of the cupcake bakeries in San Diego.  We have both been disappointed in the cupcakes we've found close to home.  I won't name names, but one neighborhood store we visited was downright disgusting. We wholeheartedly recommend Sprinkles in LaJolla and Babycakes in Hillcrest, but both of those are a bit of a drive for us.  Plus, it is also tough to find parking in Hillcrest and you have to be comfortable with the rainbow rich environment there.

Finally, we have a delicious local alternative!  Cupcakes and Beyond has just opened.  They make fabulous cupcakes with organic ingredients.  They are in a convenient shopping center and are cheaper than Sprinkles or Babycakes.  Plus they have discounts for 6 or more cupcakes!

Here are the ones we tried:

Clockwise from upper left:   
Raspberry Lemonade is perfect!  It is slightly tart with a fresh raspberry on top.
Carrot Cake doesn't look fancy, but it is full of good stuff.  I know some of you are haters, but seriously this is wonderful.  The cream cheese frosting is just right--not sickly sweet.
Chocolate has a great ganache filling.  This is the chocolate cupcake you've been waiting for.  Yum!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut has the perfect taste and texture--not too dry and not overly moist with a crunch on top.

If you're in the area, give them a try.  The storefront is very simple and it looks like they are in the process of decorating. They are a brand new business that just opened and I'd really like to see them around for long time!