Two little girls perched atop silver stools enjoying an after-school treat. Forks full of frosting, the youngsters were admiring the handiwork of Starz Cupcakes.
Ignore the sign in the window of the bakery’s adjacent neighbor which announces the availability of Goddesswear. All good intentions will be forgotten when you see the pretty cupcake display. Colorful baking papers replace traditional accordion-like baking cups, making the rows of desserts appear as origami butterflies taking flight.
On any given day, 15 of the more than 100 cupcake flavors are available. The regular size is $2.95. All are made from scratch and contain no preservatives. Beverages include coffee drinks, juice, and regular, chocolate and nonfat milk. If you want a fancier cupcake, a variety of sprinkles are available at the counter.
A dollop of real peanut butter topped the smooth swirl of fudgy icing on the Chocolate Peanut Butter version. The sweet, chocolaty cake below held a surprise spoonful of sticky peanut butter filling.
I ordered two additional cupcakes to take home. The pair was packed in a special box, each resting in a cut-out nest, and staring at me during the entire drive home through a cellophane window.
The chocolate cake of Snicker-licious contained a piece of a Snickers candy bar. Its chocolate frosting, topped with more candy, was drizzled with thick, sweet caramel.
The speckled spice cake with sweetly-spiced taupe icing was also nicely-flavored, topped with a white sugar star.
Starz Cupcakes, 1420 41st Ave., Ste. B (near Outdoor World), Capitola, 464-8911. Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays. Visit starzcupcakes.com
