For the LOVE of Cupcakes

Truth be told, I LOVE cupcakes. cupcakes

Have you noticed that we are surrounded by cupcake deliciousness in the Iowa City area?!! It seems like cupcakes are everywhere! And they are calling out to my sweet tooth.

Anytime I’m in the vicinity of a cupcake shop, I try to figure out a good reason to pay them a visit.

I love cupcakes to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, birth of babies and pretty much any day that ends in Y.

So when I delivered baby #2 at Mercy, I asked my husband to do a cupcake run. He even brought back some for the nurses. (Isn’t he sweet!)

On several occasions he has randomly brought home cupcakes. This surprise wins my heart every time!

Sometimes it’s just the little things in life that make us happy. I especially love a cupcake with almond flavoring, filling inside and sprinkles. I really enjoy them when they’ve been refrigerated (Who’s with me? It’s kind of like the warm or cold apple pie debate). cupcakes4

So my cupcake obsession sparked the MOST GENIUS idea I’ve EVER had.

When my in-laws came to visit our new baby, we talked about getting some cupcakes to celebrate. I explained that there are a few places I like to get them from and how each one has different tastes/textures/flavors.

That’s when it hit me! Why get cupcakes from just one shop when we could go to several! I decided we would do a Cupcake Shop Hop. Think bar hop but with cupcakes instead of beers! (Genius, Right!?!?!)

So my mother-in-law and I left the kiddos with daddy and grandpa and headed out for the goods. We were on a mission. 3 stops. Buys lots of cupcakes. Bring them home and indulge!

The first stop on our Cupcake Shop Hop was Molly’s in downtown Iowa City. If you’ve never been, I’ll warn you, there are so many choices that it can be overwhelming. You can easily (I mean, I can easily) fill up a box with a dozen!

We picked up a chai latte, peach cobbler, almond cream, key lime, salted caramel butterscotch and peanut butter nutella. If you are looking for a bargain at Molly’s, check out the “walk of shame” discounted cupcake selection. These treats have some imperfection but taste just the same! We got a mixed berry that was missing a berry. No biggie! cupcakes5

Stop 2 was Scratch Cupcakery in Coralville. Walking into scratch reminds me of walking into Tiffany’s. Everything behind the counter is up on a pedestal. It’s a beautiful sight! It’s funny to listen to other customers selecting their cupcakes. You hear many “ooohs” and “aaahs!” There might even be a little drool on the floor! (Just kidding!)

After some difficult decision making, we took home a chocolate chip, apple pie, German chocolate and peanut butter cup. cupcakes6

Stop 3 was JJ’s Cupcakes and More in North Liberty. This is a cute little shop with delicious treats. We hadn’t even eaten any cupcakes at this point and were already starting to feel a cupcake hangover. But we rallied and picked out wedding cake, Butterfinger, Girl Scout cookie and strawberry shortcake. cupcakes7  cupcakes8

After the last stop, the car was packed with cupcakes and smelled like a rolling bakery. Back at home we divided our treats onto plates and cut them into fours to share.

We were not messing around. This was one serious cupcake buffet. cupcake10

Now I’ve never met a cupcake that I didn’t like. But my faves are wedding cake from JJ’s, cookie monster and chai latte from Molly’s and apple pie from Scratch. (Side note, chai latte was a winter flavor at Molly’s. And it will be the only reason I look forward to the weather getting cold again!)

My husband’s faves are strawberry shortcake, peach and cherry cobbler. Pretty much put fruit on it and he loves it. Me, not so much! But to each their own! cupcakes9

I’ve been told that there are some other local bakeries with awesome cupcakes too. So next time, we can make a few different stops! Oh Yes…I am totally up for a next time! Who wants to go?

I know you are all craving cupcakes now. So grab some girlfriends, your mom, your mother-in-law, your husband or the whole fam. Put all calorie counting and dieting aside. Take some selfies along the trip. Be silly. And enjoy your sugar high!

This is not a sponsored post. I just really LOVE cupcakes. And all I received for writing this was calories, but since we cut and shared the cupcakes they don’t count, right!?!

Tell me mommas: What is your favorite local place to get cupcakes? And your favorite flavor? I need to know what to try next!

Shari
Shari is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband Mark, 2 boys and a pug named Yoda. Her toddler and preschool age boys keep her very busy. She loves warm Iowa days for playing outside with her family. In her "spare time" Shari enjoys quiet activities like crafting, browsing Pinterest, learning photography, creating family photo books and watching favorite shows with her husband. She also loves Iowa City Moms Blog and her MOPS group for the connections with other mommies!

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