Allison Wright/Daily Nexus

An assortment of Enjoy Cupcake’s one-of-a-kind creations  Allison Wright/Daily Nexus

On 38 West Victoria Street lies every foodie’s paradise: the Santa Barbara Public Market. Here, one can find a small, but very unique variety of foods from around the world. Some of the selection includes fresh oils and vinegars, freshly pressed juices, organic ice cream and much, much more.

Within a corner of the Market lies a quaint and cutely decorated bakery called Enjoy Cupcakes. Small in size but large in flavor, Enjoy Cupcakes boasts 628 flavor combinations, constantly changing on a weekly basis. Some of their flavors include Salted Cadillac Margarita, Chocolate Churro, Orange Jalapeno Chardonnay and their signature flavor, Chocolate Blackberry Syrah. As part of their dynamic business, the owners come up with creative combinations to display each week, allowing customers to have a different sample of their sweet and delectable cupcake concoctions.

However, it doesn’t end there with Enjoy Cupcakes. They also offer other baked goods like decorated cakes, chocolate-covered cookie dough balls, cookie sandwiches and most recently, “The Thing.” This dangerous combination involves a sugar cookie as the base, salted caramel, Nutter Butter mousse and a dash of sea salt.

This charming bakery was established in 2009 in Los Olivos, and most recently opened up in Santa Barbara as well. Started by Amber Joy Vander Vliet, both Amber and her husband Kevin run the business together. This adorable couple offers their friendly services to their customers here at the Santa Barbara location.

A charming photo of the Owners Amanda and KevinPhoto Photo Courtesy of @enjoycupcakes

A charming photo of the Owners Amanda and Kevin  Photo Courtesy of @enjoycupcakes

“I didn’t even know [Amber] could bake for the first eight years of our marriage. I was blown away by her baking and wanted to support her and her business. We want to create something you can’t get anywhere else, and our new ideas also keep our kitchen busy,” Kevin (also known as the “Chief Executive Taster,” according to their website) said. And lucky for us, The Vander Vliets’ creativity can be tasted only a short drive away from campus.

I first came here with a friend about a month ago, where we shared the six mini cupcakes for $10 deal, and to say we were mind-blown would be an understatement. Packaged in a cute little half-egg carton, the flavors for that week were Black Bottom, Lavender Grapefruit Chardonnay, Snickers, Cinnamon Maple, Chocolate Blackberry Syrah and Triple Vanilla. I know what you’re thinking: “What? Those are cupcake flavors?” Yeah, we had the same reaction.

Each tiny cupcake was bursting with a different flavor and had a charm of its own. Being the chocolate guzzler that I am, I personally enjoyed the Snickers flavor the best, while my friend, who isn’t as fond of sweets, enjoyed the Lavender Grapefruit Chardonnay. The flavor of the cupcake itself, mixed with the unique frosting and topping, made for a wonderful infusion of flavor, leaving us wanting more after we were finished. It was the perfect size and the perfect amount of sweet to satisfy our cravings.

For more information on Enjoy Cupcakes, check out their website at enjoycupcakes.com, like their Facebook page,  or follow them on Instagram at “@enjoycupcakes,” or check them out at the Santa Barbara Public Market!

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