K Squared Cupcake, West Linn

A cupcake is a treat in itself, but K Squared Cupcake's Cookie Monster indulges sweet teeth even further. That's because childhood best friends Katie and Kriss top each chocolate-cake and cookie-dough buttercream confection with a fresh-baked cookie. The Cookie Monster is one of K Squared's many unorthodox flavors, which range from chai cupcakes dusted with cinnamon to blueberry-pancake cupcakes topped with maple-syrup buttercream.

The duo imbues its custom cakes with similar imaginative flair, shaping sweets like fluffy lambs or blooming flowers. Kriss and Katie even encourage customers to tap into their own creativity by personalizing cupcakes from more than 15 cake and frosting flavors, including s'mores and key-lime buttercream.