At Ashley's Sweet Beginnings, there's no such thing as a basic cupcake. The simplest chocolate and vanilla variations come topped with rainbow sprinkles, whereas the more elaborate ones run the gamut from lemon-blueberry to chocolate-chip cookie dough.

The cupcakes alone make it clear that Ashley—the bakery's namesake and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America—has creativity to spare. But that’s not the only place the baker’s artistry is on display. Through her custom cakes and pastries or modern ice cream program; using a local company and its the top quality in ice cream, she expresses all the flair that can't fit in the cupcake format.