Velvet Cupcake Cafe is the perfect dessert destination for on-the-go college students, offering deliciously portable desserts. A sweet treat to grab between classes is just a walk down the street from the Columns.

Velvet Cupcake has six signature cupcake flavors — white wedding, peanut butter fudge, red velvet, triple chocolate, Tiramisu and carrot cake. They have speciality flavors each week, such as white white chocolate raspberry and brownie cheesecake, as well as a jar where they accept suggestions for cupcake flavors. The store also makes gluten-free cupcakes since those are very popular in Columbia, employee Victoria Trickey says.

“Working here is fun,” Trickey says. “It’s tempting to eat all the cupcakes.”

The Key lime cheesecake cupcake has a cool flavor — literally. It makes a good dessert for the warmer weather, since it’s rich but not too heavy. The presentation is beautiful, with frosting piled high and a slice of lime wedged in it. A crust on the bottom gives the gooey, Key lime filling a base to keep it from spilling out too much. The cupcake is a little difficult to eat because of how soft it was, but it’s worth it.

The red velvet cupcake looks elegant, even photogenic, with a red heart wedged into its tower of frosting. The cream cheese frosting pairs well with the red velvet cake. Overall, it is a delicious and delectable cupcake and worth a try if you’re wanting a more classic flavor.

Velvet Cupcake Cafe serves cheesecakes along with their delicious, frosting-heavy cupcakes. Some specialty cupcakes, like the Key lime cheesecake cupcake, combine the two desserts.

“We try to have cheesecake on hand at all times,” Trickey says. “My favorite thing ever is the cheesecakes.”

They also have a food menu and Starbucks coffee drinks. It could be a perfect destination for a rich breakfast, or a great lunch if you wanted to treat yo’ self.

_Velvet Cupcake Cafe is located at 23 S. Eighth St. and is open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m._

_Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_