I had always wanted to go to Georgetown Cupcakes and now that I was finally standing in front of the decorative shop, I had to pick the perfect cupcake to savor. It was such a hard decision – the cupcake menu bombarded me with over fifteen delicious cupcake flavors. Right away, I wanted to try every single cupcake but I could only choose one. My eyes were set on the classic red velvet cupcake. It’s the perfect go-to cupcake with a thick white marshmallow-like frosting perfectly layered onto a dark luscious red cake. A small red candy heart is placed on the frosting, adding a splash of color and giving the cupcake an aesthetic appeal. One tiny bite into the red velvet cupcake reminded me of cheesecake. The frosting was soft and creamy and I detected the rich and smooth cream cheese flavor. I was definitely not expecting this taste. All the red velvet cupcakes I’d eaten in the past couldn’t compare to this Georgetown cupcake. The frosting complimented the cake portion of the cupcake exquisitely. I wanted to devour the small-sized delight in one bite but I had to enjoy this tiny morsel of cupcake slowly while it was still in front of me. It was one of the best cupcakes I’d ever tasted, I would definitely consider the red velvet a quality dessert.

With a memorable flavor like dissolving flower petals, the Lemon Blossom cupcake in Georgetown certainly lives up to it’s name. From the candied lemon slice perched at the tip of a creamy, lemon frosting blanket to the delectable cake within, this dessert left a unique, lingering taste that made me, a chronic chocoholic, want more. Although I expected a more tangy, tart flavor, the light sweetness and perfect balance between the frosting and cake provided a pleasantly simple treat, not an overwhelming, sensory explosion. The elegant design was aesthetically pleasing as well–my favorite touch was the candied lemon slice, which had an unexpectedly sour taste that completed the cupcake. I’m glad I decided to try something new and choose this cupcake, even though the other options had names like “Lava Fudge” and “Salted Caramel”, since it proved to be not only exquisite in appearance and flavor, but also a fresh addition to my evening meal. I could have eaten this confection all day without getting sick of the taste; my only regret is that that I didn’t order more of them to nibble over the course of the day.

Having checked out their cake schedule in advance, I entered D.C’s Georgetown Cupcake with a mission. Three words: Lava. Fudge. Cupcake. The name, especially when compared to others like “Salted Caramel” and “Coconut” sounded sort of dramatic to me, images of a sweet deluges of thick chocolate sauce or cartoonish fudge avalanches coming to mind. But real dessert’s dramatic, no? Simply put, this cupcake was downright histrionic in the best way possible. From its light, cloud-like vanilla butter-cream frosting (no chunky butter taste whatsoever)  to  its molten dark chocolate core, it really took the cake. It was also the perfect size, capable of being devoured in 3-6 bites depending on how much willpower the eater has. Aesthetically, the cupcake’s design was simple with just a little pillow of butter cream and a bolt of chocolate fudge  atop of the small chocolate cake . Yes, yes, yes. Georgetown Cupcake’s Lava Fudge Cupcake can’t be beat!

The melting of the chocolate peanut butter fudge was something that cannot be compared to. I am usually not a huge cupcake fan, but this was different. This was the best cupcake I had ever tasted. The design of the cupcake was simple with chocolate filling and peanut butter frosting. And to top it all off, a fudge star drizzle.

With myriad varieties of fall flavored treats available at almost any bakery, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the caramel apple cupcake  to be what I choose from the almost legendary georgetown cupcake. There was a  tantalizing tower of colorful classics (including chocolate ganache, lava fudge, vanilla squared)and other seasonal cupcakes, including caramel apple.  However, on something of a whim, possibly induced by the leaves swirling around the brick sidewalk right outside the window, I went ahead and declared my choice to the cashier, who was waiting for me to choose.  I could not have made a better decision. The name had prompted me to imagine actual baked apple pieces enveloped in caramel cupcake. I bit into it unsure of what the cupcake was really comprised of. While it didn’t necessarily represent a  caramel apple, it did remind me more of a pumpkin spice cupcake. The cream cheese frosting lead me to double check that this really was the caramel apple and not the pumpkin spice cupcake. While it didn’t really get at the essence of a caramel apple, it did taste like fall, and the level of sweetness was nowhere near as overwhelming as it is in most cupcakes. This cupcake was quality in every sense of the word, from flavor to presentation.

Cupcake for breakfast?  Why not?  The morning after our trip to Georgetown Cupcake, I cracked the lid of that uber girly pink box of to-go cupcakes and lifted out the Maple Chocolate Chip.  It tasted just like pancakes in both consistency and flavor, except that this little bite of heaven didn’t need to be warm to be good.  The maple frosting blended perfectly with a cup of morning coffee and – although I have to admit I’m grateful there was no nutrition label to read – it felt like a hearty (and decadent) start to the day.