Jubilee Cupcake and Vintage Candy

Jubilee Cupcake and Vintage Candy’s cupcakes are good.

Really good.

And I’m not just saying that.  With the perfect balance of fluffy buttercreme or meringue to moist, rich cupcake, these babies are winners.

I had the occasion to visit Jubilee this past Friday, on their re-grand opening/reinvention from Sweet Things Cupcakes to Jubilee Cupcake and Vintage Candy.

As much as I’ve heard people growing tired of what seems to be a cupcake shop trend, Jubilee really has something special.

You see, owner Patti Frank is a woman obsessed with cupcakes.

Her passion is reflected in the quality and originality of her creations, making these what I would call special cupcakes.

Happy cupcakes.  Cupcakes of love.

Inspired cupcakes, even.

Here’s a little eye candy for you:  A sampling of cupcake flavors you’ll find at Jubilee.

From top left:  Maple Bacon, Lemon Meringue, Chocolate Vanilla, Elvis, Red Velvet, German Chocolate, Double Chocolate, Vanilla Vanilla, Chocolate Coconut and Cookies and Creme.

Oh, and let’s talk flavors, shall we?

My ultimate favorite is the Lemon Meringue.  Oh, yes.  Like you remember the old-time pie, but cute.  You know, cupcake cute.  It is a lemon scented cupcake, pumped full of lemon curd and topped with a fluffy meringue.  It so reminds me of my childhood, picking off all the little burnt peaks of my mom’s lemon meringue pies.

As soon as I bit into it, I squealed with pleasure at the lemony cream inside.   There was meringue stuck to my nose, but I didn’t care.

And then there’s Maple Bacon.  Yes, there’s a bacon-flavored sweets craze going on now, but for good reason.  It’s darn good.  Sweet and salty at the same time, it’s every breakfast lover’s dream come true.

Frank was inspired by her childhood to add the Maple Bacon to her menu, reminiscing of breakfasts of  pancakes smothered with maple syrup and bacon.

I’d say it was Casey’s favorite.

What do you think?   He ate the whole entire thing with his eyes closed, a ritual usually reserved for fine dining at El Gaucho.  Honey, you have a little frosting on your lip…

And look what I found!  They feature a bunch of fun CakeSpy merchandise available for purchase.  I’m loving the mugs.  May have to take one of those home with me…

One of the new additions to the shop is a section of retro candies that Frank remembers from her childhood.  There were kinds that I’ve never seen before, bringing a little Willy Wonka-esque feeling to the mix.

Ever heard of Chuckles?  How about Teaberry Gum?  Now kids young and old can enjoy these classics, without having to search too far to find them.

Not only will you encounter sweet treats at Jubilee, but a bunch of fun merchandise.  I’m obsessed with these felt birthday hats.  What a cute idea.  How cute would a bunch of rugrats be running around in these hats?

Also featured are greeting cards, birthday supplies and all the cupcake-related tchotchkes you could ever want.

There’s a plethora of cozy outdoor seating, available on the deck or in a little garden.  It’s fabulous.  Order an espresso and a S’mores cupcake — oh, did I neglect to mention that flavor — and have a seat in the sun.

Whether you are in the mood for a perfect cupcake, or sweets from your childhood, you’ll get your fix at Jubilee.  You might even get nostalgic.  Don’t get all weepy now, it’ll be okay.  Patti Frank and her cupcake army are here to brighten up your day.

{Jubilee Cupcake and Vintage Candy, 2510 North Proctor, Tacoma}