It was the name.

White Mountain Cupcakery.

We’d had a lovely overnight at the Red Jacket Resort, and had just finished a delicious, made-to-order breakfast. It was a beautiful, crisp, fall New England day and we were in no rush to get home, so we decided to spend the day exploring North Conway. My son is obsessed with maps, so he picked up one of those promotional maps that highlights local attractions. Despite being ready to explode from breakfast, as soon as I saw the words White Mountain Cupcakery, I knew we had to stop.

The store is located at 2757 White Mountain Highway, the main drag through North Conway. The sunny yellow victorian is on your right as you head North (maybe to Storyland or Cranmore Mountain). We found a parking spot right out front and made our way in.

Co-owner Kathy Iannuzzi was there with a bright smile. She welcomed us as she filled an order for the people in front of us. I asked the woman ordering if the cupcakes were good and she replied with a resounding YES!

The cupcakes looked picturesque, something out of a Martha Stewart cookbook. The cake base was sizable, and the rippled pillows of frosting nestled on top just called out to my index finger (fortunately they were behind glass).

We each selected our own cupcake and although tempted by the seasonal offerings (Apple Pie and Pumpkin), we all stayed with some version of chocolate. The kids both went with Chocolate Avalanche (chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting and chocolate chips), my husband picked a Chocolate Sno-Ball (chocolate cupcake, with buttercream frosting), and I went with Chocolate Raspberry (chocolate cupcake filled with raspberry filling finished with chocolate frosting).

As pretty as something looks, in my mind, it is the taste that truly matters. The cake was a rich chocolate and the raspberry filling added nice moisture. The frosting was chocolaty enough, but I’m a buttercream purist. I’m not wild about buttercream frosting that incorporates shortening. However, pure buttercream frosting is VERY difficult to work with especially in any kind of decorative manner. In this case, the frosting was a good blend of buttercream taste and shortening for structure.

The cupcakes are sizable lasted through a 12 day in the truck while we explored. We had half for dessert that night and the other half held up nicely the second day. All in all, a stop well worth making.

The White Mountain Cupcakery also prepares cakes and seasonal delicacies (Cannoli, GingerBread houses and a family recipe for Struffoli). Visit them online at wmcupcakery.com or like them on Facebook. Definitely stop by the next time you are ANYWHERE near North Conway.  You won’t be disappointed.