Sweet Bebe Cakes: a first look at South St. Paul's new cupcake shop

Yael Grauer

Sweet Bebe Cakes' salty dog cupcake features a delicious chocolate buttercream frosting, along with toffee, toasted almonds, sea salt, and caramel.

​Sweet Bebe Cakes opened its doors on September 9, offering "decadent, designer cupcakes" in South St. Paul. Located in a mostly residential neighborhood (though Black Sheep Coffee Cafe is not too far away), Sweet Bebe Cakes also offers cupcake delivery (minimum two dozen) and makes round layer cakes in any cupcake flavor.

"We did a bake sale a couple years ago for Relay for Life; my partner's mom had breast cancer, and we did a bake sale, and we were just playing around with cupcakes and people really liked them, so it just went from there," says Donna Peters, who co-owns the shop with Lisa Hughes.

The name Sweet Bebe Cakes has a bit of a French theme--the word bebe means baby in French.

The best thing about these cupcakes is their frosting--it's very well-whipped, making it nice and light and fluffy. The next best thing is the variety of flavors.

Yael Grauer

The hot fudge sundae cupcakes are a hit with kids.

​Some have a devil's food cake base, such as the salty dog, ganache, and hot fudge sundae cupcakes (which boast a cherry filling and are topped with whipped cream, hot fudge, sprinkles and a cherry). Some have an angel food cake base, such as the Razz Ma' Tazz, which is filled with raspberry and vanilla buttercream. And there are specialty flavors, such as banana flip and caramel-apple spice. One seasonal specialty is the Great Pumpkin, which has both a pumpkin cake and delectable pumpkin buttercream.

Yael Grauer

Seasonal flavors, such as this pumpkin cupcake, are sometimes available.

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The cupcakes aren't huge, but they are very filling and quite affordable at only $2.50 a pop or $24 a dozen. Best sellers include the Salty Dog and "Oh my gosh" Ganache. The store carries a limited selection of drinks, including bottled water, coffee, and several types of tea.

Yael Grauer

Sweet Bebe Cakes offers a modest amount of seating.

​Although it is charmingly decorated, limited seating and early hours mean that Sweet Bebe Cakes isn't the best hangout. Although there are four small white tables and a more comfortable chair, almost everyone seemed to order their cupcakes and go.

Sweet Bebe Cakes is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and on Saturdays from 10 to 5.

Yael Grauer

A wide selection of cupcakes is available.

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Sweet Bebe Cakes
409 15th Ave N., South St. Paul
651.457.5082; Sweet Bebe Cakes website