Sweet Treats

Every girl -- especially this one -- needs to make room in her diet for indulgances. My favorite? Cake!

I've always loved cake, especially frosting, but my love affair has grown throughout the past few years. I always ask for a corner piece or one with a flower, and I have no shame in eating the frosting off the plates of crazy people who either 1) don't like it or 2) are trying to be healthy. I paid my way through college working at a restaurant that held wedding receptions, and after every event, my mom knew to ask, "How was the cake?" She KNEW I couldn't bypass a taste!

Yesterday's weather was perfect for a stroll outside, so my boyfriend "B." and I decided to take a stroll throughout our hood. On the last leg of our trip, I begged him to walk over to a new "cupcakery," Phoebe's Cupcakes. I may love cake, but I love, love, love! cupcakes and feel this way for the following reasons:

• The perfect size
• The mountain of frosting typically on top
• The opportunity to try more flavors
• They often have fillings -- it's like frosting times two!
• Not having a huge cake staring me in the face, just begging for a fork to be stuck into it

Chicago is loaded with cupcakeries, and more seem to be popping up lately. I've been meaning to try Phoebe's since it opened about a month ago. The shop was a bit out of the way, and about halfway there, B. warned, "These better be worth it."

I'm pleased to report that Phoebe's did not disappoint. At $2.50/each -- try to beat that price for a gourmet cupcake in the city! -- we sampled Death by Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cream Pie, Red Velvet (my favorite flavor of cake, tied with carrot cake) and Salted Caramel (probably my third favorite flavor of cake now). Each had almost as much cake as frosting (score!) and were culinary masterpieces. The cake was moist, and the flavors were spot on.

My tour de cupcakes will continue this summer. I'm hoping to try The Bleeding Heart Bakery, Sweet Mandy B.'s and Foiled Cupcakes as soon as I wipe the frosting off my face!