As Valentine’s Day approaches, everyone starts to change. Men typically become extremely frantic and nervous about what to get their special someone when a diamond is beyond the budget. In turn, women hope their men understand them well enough to get this gift right. A sweet alternative to the yearly stress of Valentine’s gifting is the simple and sweet cupcake; and this is a short list of how to find the one to make your paramour smile.

Gigi’s Cupcakes:

Gigi’s cupcakes start at three dollars each. Their very existence proves that innate detail is not enough to make something tasty. With enough icing to sate the entire family, and cake dry enough to make it necessary, the food Gigi’s turns out is mediocre at best. Not to say there aren’t some high points on the menu. The workers demonstrate a bright attitude, and the carrot cake is clean, carrying the subtle sweetness of a well-crafted cream cheese frosting. The chocolate cake of the “grasshopper” is sufficiently moist, even if it proves the exception in being so. You’ll be informed that the strawberry shortcake is the bestseller; not a surprise, if you don’t mind more sugar than flour. All in all, Gigi’s isn’t all that sweet. Not yet, anyway.

The Cake Shop:

Tucked away in the back of the Colonnade shopping center is the hidden gem that goes by the name of The Cake Shop. Drawing customers inside with beautifully decorated cakes and cupcake displays, The Cake Shop is more than a pretty storefront. With three locations in San Antonio, The Cake Shop has become a thriving success, and it only takes one bite to see why. The way “the shop” serves its cupcakes is not necessarily traditional, but it’s just the way they do things. Their cake is bad, but in all the right ways. The cream cheese icing on the carrot cake cupcake is the perfect mix of buttery goodness and sugar. The classic chocolate-on-chocolate cupcake is everything a cocoa lover looks for: good, rich, moist cakes and a smooth icing. Both full of delicious cocoa taste. The Cake Shop, without a doubt, is the right place to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Cupcake Couture:

This shop on Broadway offers cupcakes good enough to “send their regards” with little additional fanfare. Modern decor with pink and glitzy accents set Cupcake Couture as the locale with the cupcake for anyone seeking something special. Their cupcakes are hand-decorated, and you can tell it’s not a shaky hand. Yet aesthetics aren’t what make a cupcake good. It’s about the taste, and these cakes have a ton of it. My personal favorite, the red velvet, was just what I always look for in a dessert- soft and moist, with subtle hints of chocolate. The always-classic carrot was a close tie for best with The Cake Shop’s take, but Cupcake Couture had the edge with an unforgettable cream cheese icing. The next time you are in the mood for a treat with a little more to it, Cupcake Couture is the place to be.