Kara's Cupcakes

For owner Kara Haspel Lind, opening a cupcake shop was an act of rebellion—her father is a dentist. These cupcakes are the designer version of the kid-classic, touting a light, fluffy cake and a dense dollop of buttercream. Kara’s sweets are marked by pretty sugar decorations in the shape of flowers and polka dots. The shop cycles through 17 flavors—some gluten-free, all available by custom order—including fleur de sel, passion fruit, and chocolate raspberry. Each season also brings a new "charity" cupcake, the proceeds of which benefit a hand-picked nonprofit organization.