BY: Caitlin Smith

In the food world, cupcakes are the hottest accessory. In almost every major city, gourmet cupcake stores have opened their doors to a salivating public and Washington, D.C. is no exception. I am quite certain you have walked around the city and have been enticed into these cupcake stores, with their bold colors, playful fonts and delectable display of cupcakes in the window. Who would not want to go in? Do not be fooled, not all cupcakes are created equal! This is the case with the two leading cupcake stores in D.C., Hello Cupcake in Dupont and Georgetown Cupcake in, you guessed it, Georgetown. I take desserts seriously, probably a little too seriously, but it is my sincere effort to direct you to the best cupcake joint this city has to offer. 

When you walk into Hello Cupcake, you will be greeted with a pink and brown color scheme, a little too close to rival Georgetown Cupcake in my opinion, but still cheerful and fun. Pink chandeliers hang from the ceiling and give a much-needed twist to the otherwise boring office buildings surrounding the small store. I will admit, I had high hopes for Hello Cupcake: cute name, adorable looking cupcakes and a fun atmosphere—what could go wrong? I ordered a peanut butter blossom cupcake; it had a small chocolate cake base with a medium amount of peanut butter frosting, and finished off with a Hershey’s Kiss. My favorite part of the whole cupcake? The Hershey’s Kiss. My main issue with the cupcake was the frosting, which seemed to lack an important ingredient: peanut butter, causing the icing taste purely like butter, too heavy and too greasy.

The actual cake portion of the cupcake was dry and crumbled easily, making it extraordinarily frustrating to eat. In my later experiences with Hello Cupcake, I was told to fold the cupcake in half, giving it the appearance of a sandwich. Personally, I do not want to eat a cupcake sandwich, I want my cupcake to be straightforward without any special tricks involved. I have been hard pressed to find a worthy cupcake at Hello Cupcake; the cupcakes are small, the frosting too heavy and the flavors lacking. I suggest Hello Cupcake only as a last resort but even then I would suggest one of the tastier frozen yogurt places in Dupont before going to this disappointing cupcake establishment. 

It saddens me to see a possible dessert favorite fail to meet my expectations; however, where there is a silly cupcake “sandwich,” there is a cupcake in the form of the gods at Georgetown Cupcake. Located in the heart of Georgetown, Georgetown Cupcake is small and when I say small, I mean about one-third the size of your dorm room small. There is room for one table, two chairs, a display case, and a register. Unlike Hello Cupcake, Georgetown Cupcake proudly displays their cupcakes on silver cake stands, adding an elegance to these beauties they entirely deserve. 

The line to enter the store easily extends down the street and is even known to wrap around the block. Do not be scared away when you see the line, simply take your place and begin thinking about the cupcakes you want to try and you will hardly notice the wait. Although Hello Cupcake offers a wider variety of cupcakes, Georgetown Cupcake sticks to an old mantra: less is more—preferring to keep it simple with their selection. From the chocolate2 (chocolate on chocolate) to the red velvet, simplicity is key in their creations. 

While I find the chocolate2 to be too chocolaty (a surprise to many who know me), the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting are completely worth the $2.75. Take your pick of old favorites (red velvet, coconut and carrot cake) or try something new (chocolate mint, key lime or chocolate banana), I promise you will not be disappointed. 

To put it simply, if you would not be caught dead wearing knock-off accessories, then why visit second-rate cupcake stores? Stick with the best and you will be satisfied.