WRI 2730 Essay #3 Eating little Angels

Eating little Angels

The cupcakes were the size of my face. Mini cakes is what they should be called. Each one iced to perfection with a little decorative edible topping.
I've had cupcakes plenty of times before, but never this beautiful, never on a plate and never with a fork. They were almost too beautiful to eat, like little works of art. They sold mini cupcakes that were about a bite each. Dozens of flavors to choose from, I didn't know which flavor to begin my journey with.

Strawberry.

The biggest adult move of my life was to San Diego, CA. Volunteering for a film festival I met my best friend, Jen Petrini. The day we met we strolled through downtown talking about movies, books and food. It was the best first date. We were both new to the area and were looking for some neat new places. Thats' when we came across Heavenly Cupcake, a gourmet cupcake shop.

The year was 2008, Cupcake shops were non existent. As a matter of fact, they were just peeling back the decal on the front window. I peered in and admired the glass case that housed dozens of rows of martial colorful cupcakes ready for war.
We entered the shop to a warm and grateful greeting from the boulangere. The air had a texture to it, floating powdered sugar looking to cling to my nose hair.

"Would you care to sample our signature Snickers Cupcake?"

"Why yes, I would to."

There were little halos on each and every cupcake. It was like eating little angels.

Cupcakes became my new obsession. Every day Jen and I would venture out as far as LA to find new bakeries opening up. We were both unemployed but never felt guilty about spending a few dollars on coffee and a tasty sweet.

I'll never forget the best cupcake I ever had. A vanilla cupcake with flecks of edible gold in the batter, a butter cream icing perfectly sweetened. Dipped in a chocolate ganache. Jen's favorite, a pink champagne cupcake atop with a champagne infused icing. We never got the same and we always shared.


This interest we shared would prevail the most difficult obstacle: proximity. I moved back to NC after a few short years which ended our discovery adventures but we stayed in touch. Every fall I would return to San Diego to work for the Film Festival with Jen.

It takes a little while for West Coast trends to find it's way to the East, but it wasn't long that my hometown, Fayetteville, opened it's first Cupcake shop: The Cupcake Gallery. Who was there opening day? Yours truly.


Each bakery we've been to seems better than the previous and they only seem to get better and better. But we always find ourselves returning to Heaven. Heavenly Cupcake that is, it was the first and it never let us down.

http://www.heavenlycupcake.com/