What Sweet Cupcakes!

There is a new cupcake shop in Cambridge! Sweet Cupcakes, whose first location is on Mass Ave by the Comm Ave intersection, now has a second location across the street from Cardullo's in the heart of Harvard Square. The attention of passersby will be grabbed by the gleaming, brightly-lit storefront - you can see a sparkling, spare space decorated in white, pink, and brown, with a refrigerated case containing brightly-colored cupcakes, from the street. I will admit that I was grabbed in such a fashion, though buzz about the Mass Ave location would have been enough to get me in there as well. Once you are inside and drooling over the case's contents, you may have two initial worries - I thought that (a) the cupcakes were rather small, and (b) there would be no seating available [two small tables are all they provide]. However, both concerns were readily allayed. Customers do not take a long time to eat a cupcake, so the seats rotate quickly - plus, you can always take your dessert to any bench or grassy expanse in Harvard Square if desired. And, oh my, the cupcakes! I would not have wanted a bigger cupcake considering their richness and intense flavor. Three varieties got the honor of being part of the initial taste test.

• DARK CHOCOLATE (Rich chocolate cake baked with Dutch cocoa, topped with buttercream frosting in vanilla or chocolate) - this cupcake was the perfect chocolate cupcake. The homemade buttercream frosting was also excellent, with a prominent creamy flavor. A fun added bonus of this cupcake selection was the choice of sprinkle color; yours truly (predictably) chose purple.
• CHOCOLATE CARAMEL (Chocolate oozes from inside moist chocolate cake topped with Sweet's delicious chocolate buttercream frosting and drizzled with melted caramel) - this cupcake had so many textures and flavors! Dense chocolate cake, fudgy chocolate cream, smooth chocolate frosting, and light, flavorful caramel all combined for a win of a cupcake.
• CAPPUCCINO (Delectable espresso flavored cake baked with Callebaut chocolate crowned with signature Sweet frosting and a dusting of cinnamon) - the cake could have had a stronger coffee flavor, and the chocolate was not readily apparent, but the cappuccino frosting was easily the best frosting in this taste test. The dusting of cinnamon was an extra bonus!

And, yes, Sweet gets extra points for stocking organic milk to help wash down the desserts! I had been hoping to find cupcakes on this side of the river that actually were kickass (Davis Square residents will accurately interpret that comment as derision toward an inaccurately-named cupcakery); thanks to Sweet, I no longer need to hope. Next time I stop by, I think I'll try the Big Poppy.