We all have our coping mechanisms. Mine tend to involve simple carbohydrates.
About 10 years ago, the only thing that got me through sleepless nights with my colicky newborn was watching bleary-eyed marathons of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network.
The colors, textures and graphic descriptions of flavor combinations emitting from my TV were just what my frazzled brain needed.
My newfound cupcake affinity soon oozed, caramel-like, into the daytime hours. Formerly only a baker around the winter holidays, I made dozens of cupcakes while the baby napped. I made so many I had to foist them upon my friends.
Were my creations edible? Yes, because it is hard to fail when one relies on Nutella as one of the main ingredients. Would they win me $10,000 in the final round of Cupcake Wars? A thousand times, no. I don’t think I’ve made as many cupcakes over the last decade as I did in the first year of that baby’s life.
Eventually, I realized that my level of appreciation for cupcakes wasn’t likely to ever match my skill at making them, or cancel out my distaste for doing dishes. Other hobbies took over and I consigned cupcake-making to professionals.
Around the same time as my short-lived foray into the world of cupcake baking, two Morgantown locals, Anna Carrier and Janet Williams, opened The Cupcakerie on Willey Street.
A frequent honoree of Morgantown Magazine’s “Best of Morgantown,” the shop brings a bit of Food Network style and glamor to downtown Morgantown.
It’s hard not to smile when walking past the storefront, pink drapes framing a fetching array of cupcakes. It’s harder still not to go in and purchase them all.
The selection frequently changes, so there is always something new to look at/purchase when there is room in the budget. Browsing the online menu is itself a treat, as you’ll see the photos and product descriptions posted on www.thecupcakerie.com.
Eva Mays is a freelance business writer for The Dominion Post. She writes a column on businesses, churches and other entities in the city. To suggest a topic, email her at Newsroom@DominionPost.com.
