I have had my own baking business for the past four years, so, when it comes to desserts, I like to think that I know what I am talking about.  

Cupcake & Co., located on Tennessee St., seemed like a perfect spot for a Friday afternoon hang-out.

When I first walked into Cupcake & Co., I was impressed with the layout and design of the bakery. Its color tones were invitingly pleasant and really made me want to stay to enjoy my cupcake.

I brought two friends with me so we could each try a different cupcake. We sampled Cupcake & Co.’s best-sellers: the triple chocolate cupcake and red velvet cupcake, and — on a whim — we tried one of the specialty cupcakes: the Italian cream cupcake.

I attempted to purchase three waters but was told they were completely sold out.  

Just as I was starting to think Cupcake & Co. would be a great study place, a scream promptly interrupted my thought. Be warned that children’s birthday parties are incredibly popular after 3 p.m. on Fridays, and the party room isn’t exactly enclosed, nor is it situated in the rear of the shop.     

Convinced that the noise would die down, I eagerly dove into my cupcakes, which looked marvelous.

The triple chocolate cupcake would be a chocolate lover’s dream if it had not completely coated my mouth with sugar.

Likewise, the cream cheese frosting on the red velvet cupcake was so sweet, it made me go for the water bottle at the same time. I was getting the vibe that the cream cheese frosting was not going to be consistent in using the same amount of powdered sugar in each batch, so, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Italian cupcake had a perfect balance between sugar and cream cheese.  

A cupcake is not made up of strictly frosting, though. Each cake I sampled seemed almost chalky.

The red velvet cupcake would have made any true Southern lady turn up her nose, while the amount of pecans in the Italian cream cupcake was a borderline choking hazard.

The workers were awesome and made sure I got a 10-percent discount with my Mane Card. They checked to be sure I was enjoying my cupcake and apologized for the noise from the party room. The prices were reasonable–three cupcakes and a bottle of water only cost $9.

Overall, I would give my experience three out of five stars. Next time, however, I am bringing ear plugs and my own water.