National Geographic Traveler columnist Christopher Elliott is trekking through the Los Angeles area with his family in search of the real Southern California. This is his sixth dispatch; read the previous one here.

The search for authenticity can lead you to a place or, if you're my three-year-old-daughter, it can lead you straight to a chocolate marshmallow cupcake. Not just any chocolate marshmallow cupcake, but one baked at the world-famous Sprinkles Cupcakes of Beverly Hills.

In a place that is known more for its celebrity than its authenticity, the cupcake is a standout. It took this little girl less than a minute to devour hers; the adults tried to go slow, but it's difficult to savor a red velvet or chocolate coconut cupcake that just came out of the oven. I tried.

I wouldn't want you to think Beverly Hills is just about cupcakes. After an interesting breakfast, we headed up to Greystone Mansion and Park high above the city. The 55-room historic estate is the largest in Beverly Hills and has served as a backdrop for dozens of well-known movies, including Spiderman and Ghostbusters.

What they won't tell you on the record about this city-owned building is that it's haunted in a major way.