The Stud Muffin That Found His Cupcake

“You’re my honeybunch, sugar plum, pumpy-umpy-umpkin, you’re my sweetie pie. You’re my cuppycake, gumdrop, snoogums, boogums, you’re the apple of my eye. And I love you so, and I want you to know, that I’ll always be right here. And I want to sing sweet songs to you because you are so dear…”   Today we’re going to be discussing a place that embodies the heart and soul of that particular tune; enter Cass & Company Sweets ‘N Eats.

Cass Schneeman (who happens to be as sweet as her cupcakes) and her husband, John, opened the exceptionally exquisite eatery on June 6th, 2011. Formerly employed as an Executive Chef for 6 years and having been involved in the food business all her life, she decided to take the industry by storm and put her own ideas “into the mix”. Little did she know her passion for baking would ultimately lead to a huge amount of local success. To our surprise, not only is Cass home to the finest cupcakes in Western Kentucky (hence the “sweets”), they also serve lunch and dinner foods as well (hence the “eats”)! Excited to know that my sweet tooth wouldn’t be the only one getting its fix; my black hole of a stomach would be satisfied as well.

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When my fellow Food Dudette and I arrived on the scene, we opened up the door to a view so majestic that Willy Wonka himself would have given both his soul and his latest gobstopper to witness. Our eyes were met with a cool and comforting shade of turquoise, which helped to establish a relaxed and soothing sensation. The French phrases “Ooh Lala”, “Bon Appetit”, and a plethora of other favorite quotes and Bible verses bounce from wall to wall in the cozy little cottage of cupcakes. One of the coolest things about this sanctuary of sweetness is that Cass and her husband crafted virtually every bit of the interior decor themselves rather than relying on a third party. The chandelier lighting, the custom wooden chairs and tables, and the rustic tin barn-style paneling were literally dreams brought to life making the local venue that much more attractive. The only thing that could possibly speak any closer to the hearts of these true Paducah artisans would be the food itself, so without further ‘a-dude’, here we go.

The Hot Dog Sandwich

My stomach had been on the verge of imploding for the last hour, so I rushed over to the counter to weigh my options. I was shocked to see such a lengthy selection! I asked what the most popular hot sandwich was and Cass replied “The Hotdog”. Not that there’s anything wrong with hot dogs, but I prefer to save them for baseball games or uncooked during the wee hours of the morning. Surprised at her suggestion, I reluctantly accepted.
What was laid before me was no Ballpark Frank or Oscar Mayer Weiner, but instead a sight that set my eyes, nose (and most of all, my heart) ablaze. The sexy dog sandwich (because ‘hot dog’ doesn’t do this masterpiece justice) consisted of two sliced oven-baked hot dogs wrapped in bacon and smothered in special sauce squeezed between panini bread along with melted provolone cheese, mustard, and signature slaw. My first and last bite were indistinguishable as I couldn’t get this sweet and juicy heavenly hound down quick enough. Served with a pickle and pesto salad on the side, I couldn’t have asked for more.

The Pimento Cheese Panini

My partner in crime ordered another one of Cass’s suggestions – The Pimento Cheese Panini (which I also had the opportunity of tasting). Before I obliterate your brain with atom bomb-level adjectives, let me first tell you that this was my VERY FIRST voyage into the “pimento plains”. I’ve always been a texture guy and pimento cheese has just always been one of those “nopes” for me. As I faced my fears tongue first, I was pleasantly surprised. The mixed aromas and aftertaste of the caramelized onions and zesty bacon overpowered any negative thoughts I might have had previously. This resulted in a smoky sweet sensation reminiscent to that of an extremely mushy and epic grilled cheese sandwich. For a moment I was proud of myself, but even more so – proud to be a Paducahian.

The Sweets

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the cleverly crafted creations from the Cupcake Queen herself.

The Strawberry Cupcake

The first treat we decided to try was the public favorite: The Strawberry Cupcake. As I picked up the tiny round Styrofoam dish, I was suddenly relieved that I hit the gym this week. The gorgeous little blob of cake and icing was much denser than I realized making it quite hefty for its size. I whipped out my fork and said a small prayer to the Gods of Strawberry Shortcake Land, then swiftly plunged the utensil into the mountain of maltose. I believe my taste buds became momentarily possessed because they all began to sing heavenly hymns in perfect harmony as I sat back and relished in the rich and powerful strawberry flavor.

The Cherry Cupcake

For our second choice, we settled on Cass’s personal favorite: The Cherry Cupcake. This one didn’t require quite as many curls to lift off the counter, but our taste receptors were still in for quite the workout. The dark brown cake and perfect swirl of deep red icing made for the perfect visual combination, and the cherry on top? Well, it was the cherry on top. As we took our first few bites, we noticed the delicacy wasn’t quite as rich as the Strawberry Cupcake, but that didn’t take away from the experience whatsoever. Each portion melted in our mouths and as we made our way to the middle of the treat like Nicholas Cage in search of his next Hollywood flop.
Once there, we felt our forks suddenly strike sugar-coated gold. There was a chocolate covered cherry at the core of this treat for heaven’s cake! It was not surprising that it would end up as a fan favorite. This cupcake has it all; careful craftsmanship, chocolatey perfection, and, nutritional value. (What? Cherries are a fruit…duh!)

The Takeaways

Everything at Cass & Company Sweets ‘N Eats is all-natural and made entirely from scratch. This means NO cake mixes! Cass and her husband even raise the chickens and use their eggs in all of their batters in order to create the naturally tasty treats! You could go as far as to say all of their creations are baked with one ingredient in particular: love. The other takeaway is how much of a hidden gem this place is. I had no idea they sold food outside of the cupcakes, cookies, and pastries of which they’re so well known. Guys, don’t let the bright colors discourage you. If you’re a man and have a man’s stomach to fill, you don’t have to borrow your wife’s knickers to enjoy this Lone Oak luncheonette. This is a place for everyone! I give their kitchen 5 out of 5 spoonfuls of approval! Check out their menu at www.cassandcompanysweets.com.

As always, until next time my fellow food dudes and dudettes…Chow!

 

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