Let's Eat: Hey, Cupcake, it's National Vanilla Cupcake Day!

Several weeks ago, my friend, Debbie, asked me if I had been to the new cupcake shop in Jackson. Naturally, I thought she was referring to Gigi's, since that's the only one I was aware of in the Jackson area. Well, as it turns out, somebody has opened another one, in a much more convenient location for me, without me even knowing it. And she thought surely I had heard of it, too.

Because of my food addiction, I have a few pounds I'd like to get rid of. So, the last time I went to Jackson, I told myself, "DO NOT go get any cupcakes!!!" I had to tell myself this several times to get it to stick. I was so proud of myself when I made it home without any. Well, today, I had to go back to Jackson for an appointment and, again, I told myself the same thing. All was going well until I checked facebook. My cousin, Kari, posted that today is National Vanilla Cupcake Day and even sent me a message about it. Then, I began to ask myself, "How could I, as much as I LOVE cupcakes, NOT celebrate this momentous day?" Needless to say, I didn't listen to my first plea and gave in to my cupcake obsession. I did console myself with my lack of willpower by eating a light lunch. That helped ease the guilt of indulging in forbidden food.

I couldn't wait to get to "Hey, Cupcake!," which is located at 1491 Canton Mart Rd., next door to Majestic Burger (which is also on my list to try). That's all I could think about all day. I was so happy when I got inside. All the cupcakes looked delicious and the place was decorated so cute. There were several cupcake motif items all around. My favorites were the four cupcake canvases, all with different background colors, which were arranged in a square. I should've taken a picture, but I was too focused on my cupcake selection. One thing I liked at "Hey, Cupcake!" was the choice of a normal sized cupcake or a mini size. I opted for the mini. That way I could get a taste of several flavors without having to consume so many calories. My selections were, of course, Va-Va Vanilla (in celebration of the day), Italian Dreams, and Turtle Power. Va-Va Vanilla was a french vanilla cake with vanilla bean buttercream frosting. Italian Dreams was classic Italian cream cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut. Turtle Power was chocolate and caramel cake covered in chocolate frosting and topped with pecans. All were delicious, but I couldn't decide if Italian Dreams or Turtle Power was my favorite. I especially loved the frosting on all the cupcakes. It was very light and creamy, and not overly sweet. Believe it or not, I have had frosting that is too sweet for even my taste. If it makes your cheeks quiver, it's too sweet. The Turtle Power has a dollop of caramel inside the cake, which was a nice surprise. The frosting was not piled too high, but was just the right amount for the cake. I do have to say that the cake itself was not as moist as I like, but it wasn't overly dry either. Other selections for the day included The Tuxedo (chocolate or white cake with both chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting), Rockin' Red Velvet, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss, and Strawberry Fields Forever.

My daughter, Anne Morgan, is a cupcake addict, too. I'm training her right. So, I couldn't dare come home without a cupcake for her. I brought her the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss. It was a chocolate cake with a peanut butter cup center covered in peanut buttercream frosting. She was kind enough to share it with her daddy and me, and I must say, it was delicious. I loved the peanut butter cup in the center and the frosting was heavenly. Next time I get ready to make cupcakes, I'm going to try my own version of these.

The owner herself, Nancy Smith, was running the shop. She was very friendly and a pleasure to talk to. She said she has been open for eight weeks and has been really busy. She was kind enough to agree to let Anne Morgan interview her for a school project that is due soon. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other flavors. I'm hoping she'll have The Elvis, fresh banana cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting and an extra dollop of fudgy chocolate. Sounds yummy! I better start saving the calories right now.