The Magical Midwest Bakery Tour, Pt. II

Possibly spurred by my inexplicable lack of cupcake baking of late, my cupcake eating has somehow not suffered in the least. After cupcakeing my way through New York, Paris, Chicago and Boston during the past four months, I saw no reason to stop on my Thanksgiving trip home last week to Columbus, Ohio. With hometown faves Pink Moon and Bakery Gingham under my belt, I was excited to checkout two more cupcakeries in the Historic Dublin area of northwest Columbus. Located just a few storefronts apart, Our CupCakery and Sugar Inc. Cupcakes are both perfect stops after a late fall stroll amongst the quaint shops of Historic Dublin.

And when I say "historic", I mean OLD :) Settled in 1810, nearly every building on High Street proudly displays a plaque denoting its status on the National Register of Historic Places. Nestled in one such stone building was our first stop, Our CupCakery. Primarly a custom-order bakery, this shop also offers a small selection of cupcakes to-go and a unique, build-your-own cupcake bar that is beyond fun. Sorry, no cocktails at this cupcake bar. Set up assembly line style and sold by weight, Our CupCakery provides a selection of several cake choices, fun frostings, toppings and sprinkles for you to create your very own masterpiece. I went with the delicious combo of almond cake, coffee frosting and Heath bar crumbles. As you can see, my brother was a little more adventurous with his choice of red velvet cake, raspberry frosting, Ohio State Buckeye sprinkles and a side of gummy worms and Coke bottles. But, I have to admit, the combo of red velvet and raspberry was delicious--he's clearly the artiste of the family.

If one cupcake stop just isn't enough (and when is it ever?) just continue a few steps down N. High St. to Sugar Inc. Cupcakes & Tea Salon. Outfitted in pale blue and light wood accents and featuring 100% organic cupcakes, this outpost of cupcake zen is possibly the most inviting cupcakery I've ever been to. With ample seating room, abundant natural light, a small food menu and 50 fresh-brewed teas to choose from, it was a delight to sip our tea and nibble our cupcakes in such a relaxed environment. The day we came in there were a few cupcake flavors left on offer including Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, dark chocolate, strawberry and, of course, Buckeye. We sampled a selection of minis, with dark chocolate the runaway hit. The cake was so moist it practically fell apart, and I was also a fan of the decadent peanut butter "silk" frosting. I've never had 100% organic cupcakes before and was afraid that some of the sweetness would suffer, but not so. The only downside with this sweet shop is that you also get what you pay for--at $3.75 for a cupcake and $1.50 for a mini, these are also the most expensive cupcakes I've sampled. Though, I do have to say, the experience is definitely worth it and you can bet I'll be back on my next trip home for Christmas.

P.S. Just in case you're not in the mood for cupcakes (gasp!), stop by Jeni's ice cream at the corner of High and Bridge streets if you happen to find yourself in Dublin (next year's Memorial Tournament, perhaps?). With flavors like White Chocolate Evergreen with Red Currant Garland and Goat Cheese with Cognac Fig Almond Compote, I can promise you it's like no ice cream you've ever had. Not planning on making it to Ohio anytime soon? Oh yes, they deliver... :)

If you go

Our CupCakery

16 N. High St.

Dublin, OH 43017

Tues-Sat 11am-5pm

Sugar Inc. Cupcakes & Tea Salon

36 N. High St.

Dublin, OH 43017

Mon-Sat 11am-9pm

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

1 Bridge St.

Dublin, OH 43017

Apr-Sept 11am-11pm

Oct-Mar 12pm-10am

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