The Cupcake Boutique

While out driving, especially as a passenger, I am always looking around to find something new. You just never know where you might locate a new find, a special foodie hideaway that you did not know about. Over the weekend, while in Andover, I made such a find. It was on a small side street, off Rt.28.

There is a recent trend of bakeries which specialize in cupcakes. I recently visited Sweet, a new Boston bakery that makes only cupcakes. Though the cupcakes were good, they were very pricey and I did not think the quality warranted that high price. So when I saw a sign for The Cupcake Boutique, I had to stop and check them out.

The Cupcake Boutique, owned by Sharon Breighner, was established in May of 2007. Sharon had previously been involved in event planning and catering in Maryland. She eventually moved back to her native New England, seeking a career change. Relying on inspiration from her Aunt Helena’s love of baking, Sharon decided to follow in her footsteps.

They specialize in cupcakes, though they also create specialty cakes, gourmet pastries and pies. When I stopped by, they had plenty of cupcakes available but the only other baked good that was currently offered were some brownies. The other cakes, pies and baked goods may need to be special ordered.

Their cupcakes are supposed to be made of the finest and freshest ingredients available on the market. They are also made daily. The cupcakes are topped with buttercream frosting, ganache or cream cheese icing. Cupcakes comes in three sizes, Mini, Regular and Jumbo. They are each priced at Mini ($1.50), Regular ($2.25), Regular Filled ($2.50) and Jumbo ($3.25). These prices are cheaper than both Sweet and Kickass Cupcakes.

Cupcake Boutique has a wide variety of cupcakes available. There had to have been at least twenty different varieties, plus some cupcakes with different types of frosting decorations. They can also make other flavors if you special order. They certainly all looked very appealing. I selected six different flavors, a sampling to see how the cucpcakes would measure up to the others I have recently tasted. The flavors including Pina Colada, Orange Creamsicle, Coconut Snowball, Chocolate with Caramel, Blueberry, and Vanilla with Raspberry filling.

I actually decided that I could not wait to get home to try the cupcakes. So I ordered another Coconut Snowball, which I then ate on the premises. The display counter kept the cupcake very cool. As such, the frosting was a bit firmer than I would have preferred. That just meant that at home, I would let the cupcakes sit for a bit at room temperature before serving. But the bakery needs to keep the cupcakes a bit cooler, to keep them fresh, so that is not a fault. The cupcake itself was very moist and delicious. That is the way that an excellent cupcake should be. Sweet's cupcakes were just not that moist.

Later at home, I tried the rest of the cupcakes, allowing them to sit a bit outside of the refrigerator before tasting them. Nearly all of them were moist and delicious. The Vanilla cupcake was a bit drier than the others though still acceptable. The frosting was usually thick and sweet, a real treat for those who enjoy buttercream. The cupcakes also seemed to have strong flavors so there was no doubt as to what you were eating. The Pina Colada and Blueberry stood out with their fruit flavors. The Chocolate Caramel could have used a touch more caramel though it still tasted very good. The Coconut Snowball was probably my favorite though I really love coconut.

Overall, these were the best cupcakes I have had recently in any bakery. The moistness of their cake is a significant advantage. They have a wide variety of flavors and make sure the cupcakes emulate the flavors they are supposed to. Pricewise, they are less expensive than the new, high-end cupcake bakeries and give you a better product. I bet that their cakes are probably as moist as their cupcakes.

I highly recommend that you check out The Cupcake Boutique. I know I will return, and will hopefully try some of their other pastries as well.

The Cupcake Boutique
10 Post Office Avenue
Andover, MA
Phone: 978-475-4429