Pumpkins in the springtime

Pumpkin cake may not be the first thing most of us think to eat in the spring, but I'll recommend the pumpkin cupcakes at Java Express, 1827 N. Peoria Road, any time of year. I had heard multiple raves about them, so I was thrilled to be able to buy one freshly frosted this morning at the north-end coffee shop and eatery.

Yum. Yu-UM! I knew this cupcake was going to be spot-on when I noticed the lining falling away from the edges of the cake. I've learned, over my months of cupcake tasting, that loose linings tend to be a sign of fresh cake. This was the closest to homemade of any pumpkin cupcake I've tried. The cake was melt-in-your-mouth moist. The cream cheese frosting was creamy and thick. One bite and I was sitting with my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins around the dining room table at Grandma's house on an autumn Sunday, savoring a "Ladage-size" slab of my mom's pumpkin sheet cake with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

Bravo, Java Express, bravo!