What is the appropriate remedy for a nasty bout of melancholy? It might be that the cold weather has appropriately returned this winter, or the fact that I just turned 30th and my life plan (ha!) is a bit astray that I find myself in a recent funk.
I’m only temporarily soothed by the things most of us do to ease the mind. An hour of yoga, a long phone call with an old friend, a mindless movie. In times like this, the cruel world awaits just as soon as the class finishes, the friend has to go, or the movie ends. The thoughts that ail you rush back in and, to make it worse, you’ve suddenly found an aversion to happy people, laughing children, couples in love, basically anything joyful and cheerful. They seem to taunt you everywhere, from all corners of life, especially during the winter months, full of sparkly holidays. I would be happy to hibernate until spring, burrowing under the covers to hide from life outside, wallowing in my self pity. Even my short drive home from work became bombarded with a recent insurgence of defenseless, pink-decorated cupcakes shops, springing up like moles in Whac-A-Mole and me wishing for a big mallet. Snarling with (harmless) bitterness, I groaned at their cheerful attempt to brighten each day with cupcakes made from love. Yet, I couldn’t help but think, “Man, cupcakes do sound good….I wonder how their red velvet cupcake is?” Another source of soothing distraction might be nice, no matter how temporary.
To preface, I happen to be a non-eater when stressed. Some, during stressful or sad times comfort themselves by eating at lot more than usual. In my case, my stomach gets all wound up, my appetite is low and the last thing I want to do is eat piles of food. Nor am I successful at just drowning my sorrows in another common outlet, booze. A cavalier effort to get wasted will result in two or three drinks and I’m ready to call it a night. Instead, when nursing a mean case of the blues, I just want a treat, usually sugary and something I normally wouldn’t have. “Fuck it,” I’ll say out loud to no one, “I’m going to go buy the expensive ice cream. I deserve it!” It’s the same way we all eat comfort food when we’re sick or feeling low, except I just won’t eat a lot of it. Its the tempered, pragmatic German in me. I won’t deny myself, but I won’t over-indulge, which brings us back to those happy, taunting cupcakes.
I’ve had a good cupcake or two in my life. They are just the right portion, like a slice of cake but with distinction. If you’re feeling crazy, you can have two cupcakes and they can be different flavors. And they aren’t nearly as good as when they are fresh from the oven, so you have no choice but to eat them right away. As a result of not having them often, I’m pretty picky about how I like cupcakes when I do eat them. Admission: I’m not a big icing fan. Cupcakes with a 4 inch pile of icing on top are not my cup of tea, which might make me a bad judge here. Clearly there are two basic parts to a cupcake and it just so happens that I don’t care too much for the whole top portion. I like the icing to be an accent to the cake, not to overshadow it. My perfect cupcake would be super moist, fresh, and flavorful cake with non-fussy icing. Call me a traditionalist. Of course, I never said I was a cupcake, let alone pastry, expert. The goal of this adventure was to find the cupcake that made me the happiest for the 5 minutes I spent consuming it.
I drove all over town, from Nord’s Bakery to Jamie’s 14k Cupcakes, Cake Flour to The Cupcake Shoppe. I stopped in at Plehn’s Bakery and The Sullivan University Bakery. With each stop I became excited to not only choose from each establishment’s amazing options, but to get home and start the tasting process. I drove home with my front seat piled high with pretty boxes and bags, my mind wandering into a scenario where I wreck and cupcakes are comically strewn all over the road (I’m not a fatalist, I swear). Unwrapping the cupcakes at home was like unwrapping small gifts. My roommate was equally excited to partake in the ‘research’. Overall, it was simply fun. We laughed as we talked about our favorite cupcakes ever, and ooh and ahhed over our favorites from the selections I had made. A hope for a short distraction became a day full of exploring the city, talking with friendly shop owners who truly love to bake and sharing sweets at home with a friend.
This search did make me happy, because who can honestly be unhappy in the presence of cupcakes? And the cupcake that made me happiest? Red Velvet from Jamie’s 14k Cupcakes on Baxter Ave. My inner voice had questioned how good they might be and I was satisfied to discover that they were very, very good. The most moist cupcake, the most flavorful, the best frosting. Remembrances of cupcakes from the past poured in as I ate. Past birthdays, holiday parties, moments that are special from normal days. I remembered a cupcake I had while ago on vacation. Enjoying it while basking in the sun, I had exclaimed that nothing could be better at that moment. I had been content then and I could be again. As I took bite after bite, this Grinch’s heart grew three sizes, two from calories and one from a genuine feeling that cupcakes might actually contain love and joy. Of course melancholia doesn’t last forever (does it?!) and all things must pass (right?!) and the 30’s are the best (so I’ve been told…). As much as I’d like to ignore it, life is full of change and transition, forcing you to move forward against your will. Sometimes you need things to help ease the pain of that, and damnit, cupcakes really DO make you smile. Especially 15 cupcakes lined up on your counter for you to enjoy, and even more if most of those are red velvet. In fact, any more cupcake shops open in Louisville and we may reach Danish levels of citizen blissfulness. And sooner than later, I’ll be able to embrace that without any bitterness, however harmless.
–Amber Garvey
Great Cupcakes in Louisville
Sullivan University Bakery
3100 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 452-1210
sullivan.edu/bakery
The Cupcake Shoppe
3701 Lexington Road, # 5
(Storefront faces Bauer Avenue)
Louisville, Kentucky 40207
(502) 899-2970
louisvillecupcakes.com
Jamie’s 14k Cupcakes
938 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 365-1440
facebook.com/J14KCupcakes
Carmen’s Cupcakes
Norton Commons
10616 Meeting Street
Prospect, KY 40059
(502) 365-4252
carmenscupcakes.com
Gigi’s Cupcakes
1977 South Hurstbourne Parkway
Louisville, KY 40220
(502) 499-4998
gigiscupcakesusa.com/louisvillekentucky
Cake Flour
909 East Market Street # 100
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 719-0172
cakeflouronmarket.com
Nord’s Bakery
2118 South Preston Street
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 634-0931
Plehn’s Bakery
3940 Shelbyville Road
St. Matthews, KY 40207
(502) 896-4438
realpages.com/sites/plehnsbakery
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