Cupcakes, baby! Babycakes in Hillcrest is now open for business serving up some of the best pastries in San Diego.

Co-owners Rafael Delrio and Christopher Stavros took over David’s Coffee shop in December of 2007 but only recently changed the name to Babycakes this summer.

Delrio, or “the cookie monster,” is primarily in charge of all the baking while Stavros handles the business and bartending aspects of their co-op.

Delrio claims that it is not so much like owning a business but rather, “the business owns [us].” At least one of them is in the bakery on a daily basis. Delrio has been baking for 16 years in San Diego. Stavros was once the general manager at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas, and now bartends at Baja Bettys along with working at the bakery.

Delrio is known for his unique, colorful, and out-of-this-world wedding and party cakes, which look like something that would come out of Alice in Wonderland.

Babycakes is serving up all the delectable treats, such as a wide variety of cupcakes, cakes, tarts, giant cookies, muffins, brownies, scones, and much more.

All of which are very reasonably priced. You can get two specialty coffees and two large pieces of cake for under $20.

They also serve lunch type items all day like croissants and quiche.

The co-owners are looking to make Babycakes an inviting, comfortable, “lunchy” atmosphere. Delrio knows that it is babysteps for Babycakes. They are in the process of doing slight remodels to make the environment more comfortable. They are adding more couches, both indoors and on both of their outdoor patios.

“We’re trying to bring something different,” says Delrio, who just debuted his Strawberry cream cupcake, and the combination of the fresh strawberries, raspberries, cream cheese frosting, and moist cake is something to experience!

Delrio is constantly experimenting with his pastries, trying to think of some new pastries to offer his customers. He says, unlike the neighboring Starbucks, they offer something new on a consistent basis. Right now he is working on a Guava cupcake, which is very popular in Cuba. Being the perfectionist that he is, it takes time for his creations to reach our lips.

You also need to try the Chocolate Decadence. It consists of three layers of rich chocolate cake and three more layers of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate frosting. Its freshness was incomparable.

To wash it all down, a delicious vanilla latte does the trick, just as good as Starbucks, if not better. They offer a wide variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, and yes, even alcohol.

They have a small selection of beers and wines but are looking to greatly expand their selection within the next couple of months, offering their guests a unique array of beverages.

You can choose to lounge on a plush sofa inside or kick back and relax on one of the patios, listening to the sound of Jack Johnson on the speakers, the trickling of a fountain, and surrounded by the soft glow of the white lights.

Looking around, you are likely to noticed that Babycakes attracts a diverse crowd, from students with their laptops (free Wi-Fi with purchase), couples chatting, or two men talking over tarot cards.

Tuesday night is game night and you can expect a crowd by 6pm. Some bring their own games and Babycakes can supply some such as Scrabble, Risk, or simple playing cards.

Delrio and Stavros hope to have their website up and running by next month (babycakessandiego.com) but in the meantime, swing by and check it out Sunday-Thursday 7am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 7am-11pm, located at 3766 5th street in Hillcrest.