Vanilla Bean Gourmet, Sacramento

The cupcake chefs at Vanilla Bean Gourmet make each cupcake by hand, imbuing them with fine ingredients to please the taste buds and an inventive design to please the eyes. Their many artisanal options include the bacon-maple bar, a vanilla cupcake topped with maple frosting and a crispy slice of applewood-smoked bacon. Other flavors include the chai-tea-latte cupcake, which they sprinkle with freshly ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves before plopping a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top. If the recipe calls for vanilla or chocolate, chefs use only real vanilla beans and Valrhona chocolate, which is as delicious as the thought of crushing your enemy's favorite Fabergé egg. Whenever possible, they procure all other ingredients locally from organic and sustainable sources. Frozen yogurt rounds out Vanilla Bean's menu, with toppings including chocolate chips, Reese’s pieces, and cookie crumbs.