Sweet Stash at the Nashville Farmer’s Market

Sweet Stash, located in the Nashville Farmer’s Market, is a sweet find.  I first stumbled upon this bakery when I took Mr. ST to Bella Nashville Pizza for his birthday lunch. To my surprise, Sweet Stash is located in the nearby vicinity and there were cupcakes in the display case. The  birthday dinner and cake wasn’t scheduled until the following night, so we thought it might be nice to finish our meal with a birthday cupcake.

Whitney May, owner and baker, has been bringing cupcakes and cookies to market since 2010, as a temporary vendor. Last year, they got a permanent location inside the Nashville farmer’s market, and it’s adorable, everything a cupcake shop should be as there is a vintage feel to it. They get the important things right, flavor, taste, size, price and service.

I usually don’t eat store bought cupcakes, as they are generally too sweet for my taste, and never as good as what I can make at home. I take exception with the cupcakes at Sweet Stash.  Each confection is balanced with flavor and sweetness, yet there is a simplicity to the baking that is elegant and palate pleasing, for kids and adults. Today’s cake baking seems to be all about fondant and decoration, but not necessarily flavor. Whitney drives flavor and texture into her baking, while keeping it pure and unfussy. She bakes the kind of cupcakes that make you buy more than one and some to take home.

I asked Whitney, who lives in Franklin where the professional kitchen she bakes in is also located, why she chose her shop location in the Nashville Farmer’s Market. I loved her answer. “These are my people.”  When Whitney was carting all the baked goods and retails props for over two years to the market, setting up and tearing down daily, the market clientele became her loyal customers. It’s easy to see why. As I said, I bake, and I can honestly say Whitney has a delightful “sweets” palate, baking with flavor, creating cakes, cookies, and truffles that are stand out from the crowd of cupcake places.

One of the most popular treats, however, is not cupcakes. It’s the Oatmeal Sandwich cookies. My husband went crazy over these, as does everyone at the market, as she often sells out of these quickly. Moist, oatmeal goodness with cream in the center, promises to remind you of childhood. They make 15 different types of cookies, but they may not always be available at the shop.

If you’re not into oatmeal cookies, you might fall into the peanut butter cookie sandwich bunch. You can see again how moist and good they are.

They make over 30 different types of cupcakes. They are not always available at the store, but most are available to order. The ones on the left  are my personal favorite. They are called the  Vanilla Almond Wedding Cake with traditional vanilla buttercream and a hint of their signature sparkle. The crumb is light, tastes like almond but not too much, and the frosting is not sickening sweet, again, just right.

My second favorite is the Triple Chocolate. Chocolate on chocolate on chocolate: Milk chocolate cupcake topped with milk chocolate buttercream dipped in semi-sweet chocolate ganache, sprinkled with a hint of gold sparkle. I haven’t had the red velvet yet, but so far every single thing at Sweet Stash is delicious.

Miranda, one of the staff, is as sweet as can be. She is the gal we first met who made sure we had a candle for our birthday cupcake.

The Nashville Farmer’s Market has grown significantly over the years. It draws a clientele from several surrounding areas and to my surprise, both times I’ve gone there, a Friday lunch and a Sunday, it was packed with people who’ve come to eat from the many little eateries gathered under the roof. If you haven’t been there in years, it’s worth a trip, as in the last few years, many artisans have set up shop such as the Bella Nashville Pizzeria, and a personal favorite, Jamaica Way. As we sat there, I watched Sweet Stash nearly sell out of every cupcake and cookie, so get over to Sweet Stash and see why.

You can order cupcakes with a two week notice. They will do mini-cupcakes with a minimum of two dozen, and they have one vegan choice. Some of their other yummy flavors include chocolate raspberry, french toast and sweet potato (a seasonal cupcake).

Sweet Stash is located at the Nashville Farmer’s Market, 900 Rosa Parks Blvd., Nashville.