This past Monday, Washington, D.C., became home to yet another cupcake bakery when Hello Cupcake opened its doors. Though Georgetown Cupcake has become the favorite amongst students living in the Georgetown area, many students have already expressed a desire to try something new. “I would definitely try it despite the distance,” Ashley Mancuso (MSB ’11) said, adding, “I’m a big fan of any place that carries specialty baked goods.”

This year alone, D.C. residents have borne witness to a cupcake boom, and although it may be tempting to write off Hello Cupcake as just another shop serving up the same old petite pastry that has become so familiar, this new cupcakery is out of the ordinary. Long lines that stretch out the door have become the hallmark of Hello Cupcake’s first few days in business, and serve to substantiate the positive publicity that surrounds this new venture.

Over 20 different flavors, including seven standards that are available daily and a wide assortment of specials, including chococo, a chocolate cake topped with coconut cream cheese frosting, and vanilla gorilla, a banana cupcake covered with vanilla cream-cheese frosting, that vary by the day, thrill the sweet-toothed onlooker from behind simple, elegant glass panels. Vegan and gluten-free selections are an added bonus for the connoisseur with dietary restrictions.

“Vegans and people who eat gluten-free should also have a treat,” insisted Penny Karas, the owner of Hello Cupcake, who also tagged each cupcake flavor with a unique name. “That was the fun part for me,” Karas said, explaining that she even held a contest among her friends to come up with clever monikers when her creativity ran a bit dry. Standout names include the aptly titled “de lime and de coconut” and “24 carrot.”

A taste test proved that the bakery’s magic is not limited to its superficial appeal. The cupcakes are fantastic on their own. As opposed to some of the local competitors’ cupcakes, whose somewhat dry and often mediocre cakes rely on outstanding frosting to make a statement, Hello Cupcake masters both aspects of the pastry. A sampling of four cupcakes (vanilla; “you tart!,” characterized by lemon cake and lemon cream cheese frosting; peanut butter blossom, a chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter frosting; and the vegan variation on peanut butter blossom) yielded favorable reviews of the moist cake.

This bakery is not slacking on the frosting either. The “you tart!” frosting was a personal favorite, with its cream-cheese base and a hint of citrus. The peanut butter blossom frosting, though very rich, tasted light and was far from overbearing as one might expect a peanut butter frosting to be.

Vegans of the world, rejoice! Curiosity led me to sample both versions of this peanut butter blossom cupcake, and the results are heartening. The vegan variant is negligibly bitterer than the original — perhaps for its lack of cream — and equally delicious. Karas will point out that “the chocolate really shines” in the vegan chocolate cupcake.

Hello Cupcake seeks local and seasonal ingredient sources and uses only natural ingredients. High-quality Scharffen Berger chocolate is the secret behind the rich flavors in many of the cupcakes, as is the absence of artificial flavors and additives.

As if all this were not enough, Hello Cupcake’s commitment to the environment is one more thing to love about the bakery. In its daily operations, eco-friendly containers and biodegradable materials uphold high environmental standards. In the kitchen, Energy Star-rated appliances achieve the same ends. The shop’s construction is also environmentally conscious: Karas’ husband, who helped design the bakery, is a LEED- certified architect, and elements such as environmentally friendly flooring and paint demonstrate the bakery’s loyalty to our natural surroundings.

To top it off, Hello Cupcake’s setting is welcoming and approachable. Set against modern décor, the slick atmosphere does not detract from the warm vibe that Karas sought to create. The pastel color scheme and the squeaky-clean quality enhance this warmth, but Karas is quick to mention that “the products themselves do a lot of it. They’re a throwback to a childhood treat.”

Located on Connecticut Avenue just a block south of Dupont Circle, Hello Cupcake is easily accessible for Georgetown students. It may not be as close by as some other favorites, like Georgetown Cupcake and Baked & Wired, but making the trip to Dupont Circle is definitely worth the effort for a bite from this cupcake boutique.