Dessert Muse, Syracuse

Channeling the artistic vision she developed as a graphic designer, Dessert Muse owner Melissa Port devises cupcakes that please both the eyes and the mouth. She crafts each made-to-order cupcake using secret recipes handed down from her grandmother and infuses them with one of 17 everyday flavors or 12 seasonal flavors that rotate monthly. Among the collection of everyday flavors are the classic red velvet with roasted-pecan cream-cheese frosting and the unique margarita, which features a citrus cupcake topped with lime buttercream and pinches of sea salt and lime zest. If you want a souvenir version of the cupcake you just ate, Dessert Muse also offers bite-sized miniature 'cakes available in all 29 flavors.