Nashville, Tennessee is knee deep in development of both its commercial and residential corridors. Amid high rise construction, moving trucks, concrete workers, is a daily processional of dog-walking millennials, pensioners, employees rushing to grab lunch, and of course the young and the restless on their way to several shops and eateries popping up throughout the area. Amid it all you will find a small business that you may mistakenly confuse for a residential home, had it not been for the business sign in the yard. Cupcake Collection located at 1213 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208 is one of Nashville’s true culinary jewels.
The space is a whimsically decorated bakery house reminiscent of a scene right out of the Grimm Brothers fables, featuring Southern-style cupcakes. I sampled five of these delicious treats and had an instant palate memory. Upon biting into the red velvet cupcake, the amazing flavor was super familiar. I took a minute to think, and realized I had this exact flavor in New Orleans, only to find out this cupcake shop has two locations! We ordered the blackout, strawberry, strawberry lemonade, red velvet, and sweet potato cupcakes.
With your first bite, you will appreciate their homemade buttercream icing and its impressive versatility deriving from just five basic ingredients. The rich, creamy texture and sweet flavor provided each cupcake with its own character, while allowing flavors to be supported and complimented, not warring with its own icing, but embracing it. In addition to the buttercream icing, each cupcake had a hand-crafted appeal in its moist and tender texture, with a fine crumb that practically melts in your mouth. The texture was neither too dense nor too airy, striking a perfect balance that allowed each flavor profile to express itself in a unique and welcoming manner.
First up, the red velvet. This cupcake was visually striking and is one of their most popular flavors boasting a vibrant red color and subtly tangy flavor with a slight chocolate bitterness, and undertow of sweetness stemming from the topical buttercream icing that was delicious! Next up was the Blackout cupcake. This beauty was created for chocolate enthusiasts for sure. The intense cocoa flavor burst through each crevice of this cupcake, where I needed a glass of oat milk to give me the ultimate experience! They should think about carrying milk in the store for this one. I enjoyed every bite.
Following the chocolate explosion, we had the strawberry and strawberry lemonade cupcakes. Both embraced the beautiful sweet and tart flavoring of the actual berry, as each had pieces of real strawberry fruit within that providing a delightful and fruity cupcake capturing the essence of fresh strawberries, along with a tangier flavor with the strawberry lemonade. Both were scrumptious and crave worthy.
Finally, we had the sweet potato. This was one of, if not my favorite of them all. This cupcake boasted a unique flavor that brought the comforting taste of sweet potatoes to an entirely elevated level. With a nod to both tradition and creativity, I appreciated the earthy sweetness, moist texture, and warm holiday-like spice that was giving Black Thanksgiving vibes.
Overall, I give this space a glaring 5 out of 5. The service was excellent along with a knowledgeable staff. I enjoyed the cupcakes so much, I actually paid to have a dozen shipped to my best friend. When she and her husband got them, they didn’t have the same experience, so I suggest that you go in the store for the real deal. I can’t wait to visit NOLA or Nashville again to get my fix of The Cupcake Collection. You can give the Nashville location a call at (615) 244-2900.
