UPDATE:  It's a Cupcake pastries are now available at the UniTea Cafe at 265 S. 44th St., Philadelphia, PA.

Like rising cake in little tins, cupcake companies are popping up everywhere. The national media have noticed the trend. Entire blogs devote daily posts to these iced treats.

Philadelphia is certainly not exempt from the trend; new stores are popping up everywhere, Brown Betty opened a second location, and we even have a cupcake truck.

Amidst the fun, sprinkled bandwagon, Mona Wilson’s store, “It’s a Cupcake!” has a unique claim to fame. Wilson operates Philadelphia’s only auto tag and cupcake store. She laughed about the strange juxtaposition. “It seems to lighten the mood. You can have a cupcake and get your paperwork done!”

Some customers seemed initially confused, but excited at the idea of a treat to accompany the mundane.

-"Wait," said a woman, precariously balancing a thick stack of paperwork, "Is it tags, or is it cupcakes?"

-"Both!" Wilson replied enthusiastically.

-"Well, I came in here to fax something, but I need to check this out!"

The Metro Tags & Registration storefront itself is sunny and celebratory. Trees are stenciled into the bright green walls, featuring pink and blue cupcakes as fruit. The miniature confections are displayed prominently in an old wooden hutch. The auto paperwork is located strategically behind the cupcakes.
Wilson joked about her entry into baking. She had operated Metro Tags & Registration for years, but only recently began dabbling in cupcakes. “I always liked to cook, but I never imagined I’d be cooking like this. It grew into a cupcake adventure!”

She acknowledges the recent cupcake trend. She thinks it’s catching on because “it’s more personal, since it’s an individual thing.” Because of the personalization, people are more open-minded to being adventurous and trying new flavors.

This is where “It’s a Cupcake!” specializes. In addition to the traditional, sweet cupcake flavors it offers a unique line of savory cupcakes. “It can be anything,” Wilson explained, “Hummus to caviar!”

Wilson said that people are initially skeptical and ask, “What’s a savory cupcake?” but that they quickly get over the surprise because, “people are tired of normal appetizers.” Some of her favorite combinations are buffalo chicken on a spicy cornbread base and filet mignon with horseradish icing on a scallion biscuit base.

Enthusiastic about her new venture, Wilson is always looking into tasty new flavor combinations. This side venture is taking up much of her spare time; she borrows a commercial kitchen space early in the morning and late at night to do her baking. “You have to be passionate about it! It’s 7 days a week, 24 hours a day! Things will come up that you’d never imagine coming up!”

Despite her newfound challenges and time constraints, Wilson is having fun with her new creative outlet, She adds unexpected, personalized twists to the formula of a traditional bakery.

Her favorite cupcake flavor is sweet potato pie. “It’s near to my heart because it was my mother’s recipe. I tweaked it a bit.”