Kupcakz, Tulsa

Whirring and banging, whirring and banging—these mechanical sounds could come from a factory churning out machine-made pastries by the hundreds. At Kupcakz, though, a slower, more organic chorus fills the air as Doreen Durano blends, chops, and stirs ingredients for small batches of cupcakes by hand. Drawing upon studies in baking and pastry at San Francisco's California Culinary Institute, Doreen works with her team to craft each and every cake from scratch, armed with the items found in gourmet kitchens, such as creamy Plugra butter, much-revered Valrhona chocolate, and booster seats for stout kings. Each creation gets a whimsical name: the Morning Buzz's moniker comes from a base soaked in rich espresso, and the Sooner Than Later hints at a general timeframe for biting into cream-cheese frosting and red-velvet cake.