Written by DCist contributor Whitney Satin

Dupont Circle office workers and residents have been taunted all summer long by the knowledge that a brand new cupcakery was slated to arrive in the neighborhood. At long last, it’s time to stop pressing those faces against the window in eager anticipation and instead partake of some actual confectionary consumption. Hello Cupcake opened its doors at 10am today, bringing a touch of whimsy and, more importantly, instant cupcake gratification to the stretch of Connecticut just south of the circle. The interior, designed by owner and executive pastry chef Penny Karas’s architect husband, includes charming details. The underside of the counter resembles swirls of frosting. Wall-stenciled pink and brown flowers and glass jarfuls of colorful sprinkles give the store a distinctly playful look, while pink and crystal chandeliers strung above several café tables underscore the fact that this is a place to sit, relax, and enjoy a momentary escape from downtown DC’s hustle and bustle … presumably while licking buttercream frosting off of the fingers, of course.

Penny grew up with a passion for all things cooking and baking while helping with the family’s restaurant business, and she knew that establishing her own culinary outlet was only a matter of time. For the past several months, Penny’s family and friends (and even her dog) have served as willing test subjects as the one-time PR and marketing professional took to the electric mixer to experiment and adapt some of her favorite cake and frosting recipes. For those of us on the cupcake bandwagon, the happy result is Hello Cupcake’s repertoire of 22 different flavored cupcakes, with more creations currently in the works.