Bittersweet and artsy cupcakes

This past week was the last at the SJ-R for my coworker and fellow cupcake taster, Jayette Bolinski. Saying goodbye is never fun, but she went out in sweet style on Friday by treating the newsroom to several dozen cupcakes from one of our favorite bakers, TL Cuppycakes. The cupcakes Tracy of TL created for Jayette were, of course, newspaper themed, answering the question, "What is black and white and read all over?"

Photo courtesy of TL Cuppycakes

The chocolate cupcakes with thick red-and-white vanilla buttercream frosting and a light, red-dyed filling, were EATEN all over the newsroom. It was my first time trying a simple chocolate-vanilla cupcake from Tracy, and I loved it so much that I ate two. I just couldn't help myself! She's every bit as talented with classic flavors as the more elaborate ones she creates. 

If the two TL cupcakes weren't enough, I arrived home from work Friday night to discover that my husband, Camille, had brought home eight cupcakes from a bakery called Sweet Art in St. Louis, a place that I had heard about but never tried. As it turns out, Sweet Art specializes in baked goods made from scratch, with no preservatives. 

Here's the selection Camille brought back: 

Sweet Art's cupcakes are most definitely artistic and beautifully decorated. Of course, I couldn't resist trying just one right away, so I went for a red velvet, since he had brought back two. (The red velvets are the ones with the heart-shaped candy garnishes.) My first impression upon biting into the red velvet was that the cake was a bit on the dry side, although it had a good flavor. The cream-cheese frosting was at the same time light and creamy, and it was quite delicious. 

After the red velvet, I had to shore up my self-control (or what was left of it) and stash the rest away in the freezer. I'm sure it won't be long before I sneak in for another, though. Let's just say it's inevitable!