I recently discovered a New Hampshire cupcakery that puts Windham's Sophisticakes, formerly known as Shabby Chic, to shame. Said cupcakery is Random Acts of Sweetness, in Portsmouth. Their website suggests a focus on custom orders, but their storefront and bakery also serve dessert-craving passersby.
Portsmouth has had the highs and lows of New Hampshire's dessert scene. The highs are provided by Byrne & Carlson, a chocolatier whose refined confections are exquisitely delicious; the lows were supplied by the now-defunct (with reason) Portsmouth Baking Company. I was so happy to stumble upon another high, across the street from Byrne & Carlson as you meander down State Street toward Prospect Park.
The exuberant, cheerful, and colorful sign grabbed me first. It really stood out against the prim backdrop of Portsmouth's brick townhouses:
Then, I peered in the shop's window. More good cheer and happy colors were found there, as fabric and paper flowers and butterflies decorated its perimeter. A simple dessert counter could be seen within, full of good-sized and, dare I say it, colorful cupcakes. How could I NOT go in and buy a cupcake from this shop?!
I don't have a picture of the cupcake in question, so my description will have to suffice. All dozen or so flavors were tempting, but I chose In the Pom of My Hand - yes, they all had punny names - because I had never had a chocolate pomegranate cupcake. It was a good choice. The cake itself looked like a hybrid of devil's food and a fudgy brownie. It was rich and moist, with assertive chocolate and fruit flavors. I doubt I would have identified the fruit flavor as pomegranate - in the context of the cake, it could have been any number of sweet, tart red fruits - but even with that ambiguity, I loved the bright freshness it imparted to the cake. The light-as-air frosting was more obviously a pomegranate concoction. Clearly whipped, it tasted equally of sugar and the dark, intense fruit. Appearance-wise, it was a pale pink color, and had been swirled onto the cake in a spiral pattern with a pastry bag. Oh, and because icing on the cake is apparently not enough, the frosting was dotted with neon-pink sprinkles. Too cute!
I left the cupcakery with a full stomach, a smile on my face, and a few stickers of the adorable logo pictured above. I was the first adult to ask the owner for some; she had them on hand for children. :-)
I hope RAoS does well. I also hope they install a few tables and chairs in their store, even if custom orders and treats to go are their priorities. People will pop in for a cupcake and want to eat it there, much as we did. The only furniture at present is an awkwardly curved wooden bench. We had a difficult and messy time, divvying up and sharing a cupcake on that bench. Still, I plan to contribute in my small way toward their success by making each future Portsmouth trip a cupcake trip! They change up their flavors on a regular basis, so I'm guaranteed an adventurous new flavor (or several) when I return.
