Stranded in the rain with a cupcake. Sounds like a Devin and The Straights song, doesn’t it? But, unfortunately, this was no song. It wasn’t even two minutes after I had stepped out of Twisted Sister Bakery that heavy drops of rain started pummeling the cardboard box of pastries I was carrying.

This would have made me crankier if I hadn’t already dipped into the box while still in the store. I hadn’t expected to stay—with a name like Twisted Sister I was expecting a louder atmosphere, a la Bleeding Heart. But instead I was faced with a pleasant, simple, homey interior that inspired me to stay and have some tea and a cupcake.

The thing that struck me right away about my carrot cake cupcake was not its moist, nutty cake or its light (but not as light as buttercream, thankfully) cream cheese icing. It was the size. It wasn’t small so much as restrained—it fit nicely in the palm of my hand.

The cookies were this way, too: Smaller than average cookies but bigger than what you’d call a mini. And I like that. It’s not flashy or showy or stupidly oversized. It’s just a modest little cookie. And it tastes like one. I mean that as a compliment—the cookies all had a very delicious, straightforward flavor. No surprises here. Just good, solid baked goods, the kind that make you happy without making you feel disgusting. Even when you’re caught in the rain.

Photo: Martha Williams