Stonington-Mystic's Best Cupcake

With Valentine’s Day a mere 24 hours away, what better treat to sample than the cupcake. It might not be as traditional as chocolates or flowers, but these creative and unique cupcakes are sure to make that special someone in your life say “I love you.”  

in , is so much more than a grilled cheese café and cheese shop. A glance at the display filled with cupcakes and there is no walking out before trying one. From Bailey’s to Mexican chocolate to blueberry cream cheese or red velvet, there seemed to be a cupcake for all types of sweet tooths. I tried the peanut butter cupcake ($2.50), described as chocolate cake and peanut butter butter cream. The presentation was as good as the taste. The frosting was creamy and thick, with a distinct peanut butter taste. The chocolate cake was dense but kept a moist flavor. 

After stopping at to sample the cupcakes, I now take more trips along Route 1 between Stonington and Pawcatuck. This small bakery has cupcakes big on style and taste. With a choice between vanilla or chocolate, I tried the chocolate cupcake with chocolate butter cream frosting ($3.00). It tasted like it was right out of the oven, delicious and homemade. The cake was moist and airy. My only wish was that there was a little more of it, as this was one of the smaller cake bottoms I tried. The frosting tasted as if it had been labored over to make sure it was the right balance of sweetness and creaminess. This cupcake will definitely say, “I love you.” Just make sure you don’t end up eating it all first.

, on Route 1 in between Stonington and downtown Mystic, was the next stop. Walking up to the display case I knew which cupcake I had to try. The marquis mousse filled chocolate cupcake with vanilla butter cream ($3.50), with its pink frosting and candy flowers, looked just like Valentine’s Day. However, the taste of the cupcake left much to be desired. The frosting was thick, chalky, and crumbled when I tried to take a bite. The cake bottom was good, with a dense yet moist taste, and the cake had mousse filling that was very rich. I recommend a cup of milk with this one.

After trying the at , I was eager to get back over and try one of their many delicious looking cupcakes. With many to choose from, including marble, pistachio, and red velvet, I tried the lemon blueberry cupcake ($3.50). The frosting was light and filled with a subtle lemon flavor that made me think of a springtime afternoon. As I cut into the cake bottom I was surprised by an unexpected treat–a multitude of blueberries. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like some antioxidants. Overall, the dense cake bottom and the light lemon frosting worked very well together. Garnished with a blueberry on top, this cupcake works for a Valentine’s Day breakfast or dinner dessert.

The is iconic for Mystic residents, and, I wanted to make sure I made it there to try one of their cupcakes. I picked the lemon coconut cupcake ($2.75), but other flavors included red velvet and carrot cake cupcakes. The lemon flavor was really tasted throughout, both in the cake and frosting. The cake was dense, but the lemon flavor gave it a lighter flavor and offered a unique twist on a traditional cupcake. The frosting was thick, but gave the overall a pleasant balance. Shaved coconut provided the garnish on top, which added a great texture. This cupcake is certainly worth the trip.

Verdict: With sculpture-like frosting and a cake bottom light enough to eat all day, the winner of the Stonington-Mystic Culinary Creations: Cupcakes is First Bite Bakery.

Do you agree? Vote in our poll and tell us which of these eateries you think has the best cupcakes.