As a birthday present to myself, I decided to try Vanilla Pastry Studio's baked goods. This was a fantastic idea.
Vanilla gets two major things right, that a certain other local cupcake business gets wrong: the frosting and the cake. The frosting is light and just the right amount of sweetness. The cake is moist. I could taste the chocolate in my chocolate buttercream cupcake, and I liked the hints of lemon in the frosting on my red velvet cupcake. It was hard to choose just two. They are, however, cheaper than Dozen's cupcakes (Dozen sells theirs at $2.50 a pop, Vanilla $2.25).
Just remember to handle Vanilla's cupcakes carefully if you're taking them to go. Even though they were packed up nicely in a box, I managed to tip my box at some point so the box was a bit messy when I opened it. The frosting is whipped and softer than at other places, so these cupcakes shouldn't be tossed around (unless it's directly into your mouth).
Vanilla also sells some goodies pre-packed into cellophane bags and tied up with pretty ribbon--nice for a spur of the moment gift. I bought a small bag of brownie bites with peppermint cream centers. Amazing! I don't think I'm going to share these. Maybe next time.
The space is very nice--sort of girly, but don't be scared to come in, because these treats are too good to miss.