Cupcakes are one of those treats that are beloved at any age. As a kid, the sugary mess of heavily dyed frosting was key for me; I rarely cared about how the cupcake itself tasted. As an adult, however, I find myself intrigued by inspired combinations. I recently picked up a cupcake cookbook and was almost overwhelmed at the options a baker could whip up in the kitchen. That got me to wondering what local bakeries were up to with their cupcakes.

Surprisingly, many of bakeries we visited didn't even carry cupcakes, and a few leaned toward just vanilla and chocolate, so we tried to avoid those tired combinations as much as possible. Maybe that is what sells, but as a foodie I'd like to think we're a bit more adventurous than that at this point.

Here are our takes on a few of our stops. If your favorite cupcake isn't on the list, tell us about it at rochestercitynewspaper.com/restaurants.

Baker Street Bakery

745 Park Ave, 24-3120

This small bakery features bare-bones decor, letting the large, busy kitchen define the space. There were only two varieties of cupcakes to choose from, vanilla and chocolate. We went with the vanilla, and it left us wanting more. The cupcake itself was dense and almost flavorless, and the frosting too sweet for my liking. It was, however, decorated with sprinkles and a perfect swirl of frosting. ($1.50 each)

Cheesy Eddie's

602 South Ave, 473-1300

This cheesecake store almost didn't make the list, until I randomly went to its website and saw carrot cake cupcakes on the menu. Excited to sample one of my favorite desserts in cupcake form, we went into the charming space in the South Wedge. A long display case of goodies dominates one room, and an adjoining airy room with tables allows you to sample your purchases immediately. This cupcake was pure fabulousness. The cream cheese frosting was smooth and rich, the cake a carrot cake lovers dream - dense and delicious. It was hard to not take another for the road. ($2.25 each)

Goodness Cakes

720 University Ave, 271-1890

This bakery has never failed me in the year it has been open. A lover of the tarts, I decided to give the cupcakes a try. These were beautiful little miniature cupcakes decorated so preciously that I had to take a picture. Even though these are bite-sized treats, they are treated with as much respect as the wedding cakes the bakery specializes in. The red velvet cake was moist and flavorful, with frosting that was just about perfect - light and frothy, with just the right amount of sweetness. The vanilla bean cupcake was a bit more traditional, with sweeter frosting and a basic cake. (80 cents each)

Starry Nights Cafe

696 University Ave, 271-2630

I got excited when I saw the inventiveness of the frosting on this café's specialty cupcakes, decorated to look like the Van Gogh painting that is the business's namesake. I was also encouraged by the description, which billed the cupcake as homemade and filled with blackberry jam. My first bite provided some odd taste that I couldn't quite define. Luckily, one of my friends was a non-jam lover, and wanted to taste just the frosting. The verdict? We decided that the nasty taste came courtesy of freezer burn. The cupcake itself was decent, the addition of the jam filling making for a moist, flavorful cake. Unfortunately, the cupcake in its entirety failed. Note that there is also a vegan chocolate fudge cupcake variety, too. ($3.95 each)

Max Market

2949 Monroe Ave, 271-1210

After hearing how good its cupcake display looked, we decided to give this fairly new gourmet grocery store a shot. While I agree that the cupcakes are visually appealing, we were a bit disappointed in the taste. The snowball cupcake ($5), a coconut cake with vanilla bean custard and a shredded coconut topping, was good when the bite included the filling or frosting, but the cake itself was incredibly dry. The chocolate cupcake ($4) was also very dry without the filling to save it, although the frosting bites redeemed it with a light mocha swirl. The red velvet cupcake ($4) was the best of the bunch, with a moist cake and a cream cheese frosting that complemented without overpowering.