Passenger defends cupcake confiscated by TSA

A Massachusetts woman whose cupcake was confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration during the Christmas travel season is contesting the agency's characterization of her dessert.

TSA said earlier this week that its workers confiscated Rebecca Harris's cupcake at Las Vegas's McCarran International Airport because it was in a jar, which gave the screeners pause because of a 2006 plot involving liquid bombs. TSA rules prohibit passengers from carrying liquids in containers larger than 3 ounces onto airplanes, and the agency said the icing from Harris's cupcake exceeded the limit.

But Harris told The Associated Press this week that there were three layers of cupcake in the car, not a large amount of icing.

TSA has said otherwise, writing in a post on its blog earlier this week that "icing falls under the 'gel' category" on its prohibited items list.

"Unlike a thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar," the TSA blog post said. "In general, cakes and pies are allowed in carry-on luggage, however, the officer in this case used their discretion on whether or not to allow the newfangled modern take on a cupcake per 3-1-1 guidelines. They chose not to let it go."

Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reported this week that the bakery where Harris purchased the jar of cupcakes has moved to capitalize on the publicity that has been generated by the pastry being confiscated by TSA. The Wicked Good Cupcakes bakery in Cohasset, Mass., renamed the item, which had been called National Velvet on its menu, "National (Security) Velvet."

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