A shop devoted entirely to vegan cupcakes is a sure sign that, to quote Bobby Zimmerman, the times they are a-changin'. Dietary requirements previously regarded as "specialised" (read: a pain in the ass for chefs) are becoming increasingly mainstream. Naturally, the On-Trend People's Republic of Fitzroy and Surrounds is the first area to highlight the pervasiveness of veganism as not so much a "fad" but a lifestyle choice. As a vegan of 18 years, I, for one, welcome this increased accessibility to a plethora of foodstuffs (namely baked treats) that until recent times were a hankering for that I would generally have to satiate within the confines of my own kitchen.

Now, I've never had much of a sweet tooth (I'm one of those weird alien creatures that intensely dislikes chocolate) and have never gone out of my way to eat desserts with the exception of nut-based raw creations, because my love of nuts (get your mind out of the gutter!) has led me to believe that I was a squirrel in a previous life. However, I do occasionally enjoy the novelty of veganised versions of things that are ordinarily laden with butter and eggs and cream and all that stuff that the mere thought of is causing my arteries to harden as we speak.

I've always dismissed cupcakes as being twee nonsense the caters exclusively to children and grown adults with a penchant for The Pastels and sewing appliqué woodland creatures on frumpy attire they've found whilst raiding their grandmother's wardrobe and/or the bargain bins at Savers, but Merry Cupcakes has completely changed my perspective on something I never envisaged myself purchasing lest it were for a child (and thankfully none of my friends have started breeding, so that's not something that's likely to happen in the foreseeable future.)

Furthermore (and just indulge me here whilst I wander off on a slightly tangential rant) I've always viewed cakes as a symbol of celebration to be shared; I grew up in a culture where there's no such thing as individual portions when it comes to food. The dining table heaves under a mind boggling assortment of dishes, the sheer quantity of which is enough to feed an entire developing nation, and everyone helps themselves. And continues to do so until they can no longer remain upright and can only communicate through a series of grunts. To me, a cupcake, a single mouthful designed to be consumed by the solitary diner, has always been a symbol of selfishness. THIS IS MY TREAT AND YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY SO SUFFER IN YER JOCKS! That's not what food, especially cakes, is about. They're to be divided up and enjoyed amongst friends and family, not devoured in greedy seclusion.

Getting back on track with Merry Cupcakes, I was faced with quite the conundrum when perusing the menu and realised that I wanted to taste EVERY SINGLE FLAVOUR COMBINATION (excluding the chocolate ones.) My solution? Buy them all and invite a bunch of people over to share them with! Dividing up cupcakes isn't the easiest or most dignified of tasks, but that's by the by. Almost every single one of these little morsels was exquisite. Perfect ratio of icing to cake, perfectly balanced flavours, not overly sweet, and most importantly, wonderfully moist and light without that overpowering taste of sodium bicarbonate that's so often present in vegan cake when used heavy handedly in lieu of eggs as a leavening agent.

The Edna Krab Apple (apple cake with cream cheese icing and a custard centre) is my favourite, closely followed by the Carrot Top (carrot and pineapple cake with cream cheese icing) and Strawberry Fields Forever (strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream icing topped with a slice of fresh strawberry.) I had high hopes for the Save The Date cupcake (sticky date with butterscotch icing) as sticky date pudding is probably tied with carrot cake as my favourite non-raw dessert of all time but the date element in the cake was slightly lacking and the butterscotch icing was disappointingly bland. I think it would have worked better with a sticky caramel fondant rather than buttercream, but that's just a minor issue.

So, there you have it. My view on the cupcake as a symbol of selfishness is unfaltering but heading over to Merry Cupcakes, buying in bulk and sharing with friends allows me to have my cake and eat it too. Literally! And I implore you all to do the same.