City dessert stops give homemade, gourmet touch to classic treats
Columbia: the cupcake capital. The city houses dozens of bakeries full of the sweetest treats, with homemade and gourmet cupcakes topping the list of sought-after desserts. Although Cupcake in The Vista may be campus’s most accessible cupcake stop, Columbia has a few other bakeries worthy of a mention for their mouth-watering flavors of from-scratch icing and cakes. These are the five cupcake shops we’re thinking about this week.
Cupcake — 1213 Lincoln St.
Cupcake, perhaps the most well-known of the cupcake hot spots in Columbia, has cornered the gourmet market, earning its reputation as downtown’s token cupcake bakery. The store houses 45 flavors of cupcakes, each with homemade icing and a whole slew of different toppings, and a cupcake van. Ranging from blueberry cobbler to double chocolate banana, the nine flavors served in-shop each day never disappoint. Cupcake’s regular cupcakes are $2.75 each or $30 for a dozen. Also, find Cupcake on Facebook and follow it on Twitter (@freshcupcakes) for Power Hour announcements — when with the use of a code word, followers can score a free cupcake for an hour — and other updates. Cupcake is open Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Insomnia Cookies — 2013 Devine St.
Insomnia Cookies, known for its late-night cookie delivery and Five Points store, has tried its hand at the cupcake game. The cupcakes take a more homemade angle on the dessert than the gourmet stylings of Cupcake. More akin to something that could be baked in a college apartment, Insomnia’s cupcake creations are simply delectable, giving a whole new meaning to comfort food and perfectly complements its already famous cookie selection. All nine cupcake flavors are served daily, including chocolate peanut butter, s’mores and lemon, and are $2 each. And Insomnia regularly doles out coupons for free cookies with online orders, making the late-night or afternoon treat that much sweeter. Insomnia’s Five Points location is open noon to 3 a.m., and it delivers from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Chocolate Nirvana — 1531 Richland St.
Chocolate Nirvana lets customers indulge on the most decadent chocolate creations, topping cakes and desserts with unbelievably rich chocolate ganache. Although the bakery is most well-known for its professional-level cakes and cheesecakes — including the fall favorite, pumpkin cheesecake — Nirvana also offers smaller treats in its selection of cupcakes. The bake shop keeps it simple with its “Chocolate Nirvanas,” red velvet, carrot cake, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, which are $3 each or $36 for a dozen. And with a long list of cheesecakes — lemon raspberry, pumpkin and turtle, just to name a few — Chocolate Nirvana gives customers a smaller slice of the pricier treats with cheesecake cupcakes. The bakery is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Desserts & More — 4611 Hardscrabble Road
Desserts & More, near Clemson Road, combines the best of a made-to-order bakery and homemade cupcake. The café and bakery has a breakfast and lunch menu in addition to its seemingly never-ending list of cakes, cookies, ice cream and dog bones. Its daily selection of cupcakes is more limited, with flavors including chocolate chip, funfetti and snickerdoodle, but they’re cheap — $1 for medium, $2 for large and $26 for colossal. And it has a more extensive list available for pre-order, which gets more unique with Kahlua, margarita and white chocolate raspberry cupcakes. Desserts & More is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tiffany’s — 8502 Two Notch Road
Tiffany’s is one of Columbia’s favorite bakeries, voted Best of Columbia by The State and Free Times, but it is a bit more hidden from campus. The long drive down Two Notch Road is worth the display case of desserts, pastries and breads, and the hole-in-the-wall dining area. Tiffany’s is best known for its special event custom cakes and pies, but it also bolsters its baker game with its city-renowned petit fours and individual fruit tarts. And, in addition to its layer and sheet cakes, Tiffany’s whips up smaller-scale cupcakes, which gives customers a little taste of its gourmet bakes. Additionally, Tiffany’s has a lunch menu featuring its Spring Valley chicken salad, soups and sandwiches. Tiffany’s is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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