What's the deal with Cupcakes?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Cupcakes seem to be all the rage on the various TV food channels and bakeries specializing in just cupcakes are opening up everywhere. In my neighbourhood alone there are three shops that have opened in the last 2 years devoted exclusively to this treat.

But why? It's a cupcake! Sure, there might be some creativity involved and kids love them (mostly for the icing I suspect), but other than that they're pretty much all the same with little variance IMO.

I think boiling potatoes to perfection takes as as much talent, if not more.

[laffy]

It's the kid thing, it's the woman thing, hell, if dogs ate them they would rule the world, right? (hehe)

[Rob]

Cupcakes seem to be all the rage on the various TV food channels and bakeries specializing in just cupcakes are opening up everywhere. In my neighbourhood alone there are three shops that have opened in the last 2 years devoted exclusively to this treat.

But why? It's a cupcake! Sure, there might be some creativity involved and kids love them (mostly for the icing I suspect), but other than that they're pretty much all the same with little variance IMO.

I think boiling potatoes to perfection takes as as much talent, if not more.

the upscale cupcake phenomena emerged over ten years ago when Oprah showcased Sprinkles on her show. since then ive seen lots of boutique cupcake shops in my area come and go, the hot item in these parts is the $15 cup of coffee (blue bottle) and the $4 donut to go with it (sidecar).

[Johnny Vinyl]

And all of this at the expense of really good Pastry Shops. I have to drive a half-hour to find one.

[1morerecord2clean]

There were Uber expensive cupcake shops in NYC and Philly 12 years ago. I love cupcakes but I'll take Yankee Doodles 3-pack for a couple of dollars and get cream in the center too!

[Bill Hart]

Dood- vegan cupcakes. I think it is because meat cupcakes are now considered unfashionable.

[Rob]

you forgot to add gluten free, better yet made from certified organic quinoa flour harvested only on a full moon and brought back down the mountain on foot and the backs of Quechua natives of Bolivia

[mep]

Unfortunately, my wife has celiac disease and she is forced to eat gluten free for the rest of her life. Eating gluten free has become a fad diet thanks to California and there are tons of products on the market now. I hope if the fad stops that the availability of gluten free products in the marketplace won't dry up. And no, she doesn't eat gluten free cupcakes.

[Rob]

I t goes without saying avoiding gluten-laden foods regardless of your reasons was the best thing I've ever did for my health. it does mean avoiding or minimizing intake of bread, pastries, bread, pancakes, pasta, etc etc and many foods you wouldn't think have gluten.

[cpp]

I found this little bit of cupcake genius online

" I submit that no food has been more subject to overfancification, gentrification, over-saturation, and of course to the twee whims of our time, as has the cupcake. Yet at its core it's just a small, round, personal piece of cake. Cake made in a cup. That's all. If someday we could begin to think of it that way, if someday a cupcake would just be a cupcake, and not a cupcake that's trying to be so much more, perhaps things would be different"

[Analog21]

Sounds like the start of a Seinfeld standup: "What's the deal with cupcakes?"

[Joe Pittman]

That's good. Puffy cupcakes?

[Per Sundell]

And as long as we are on the subject of pastry ... What's the deal with Macarons?
At least in Sweden they have taken the crown as "most overexposed pastry".
And in all fairness, 99% of all macarons taste like shit. Or at least how I imagine shit tastes ...

[Johnny Vinyl]

Stale meringue is the worst.

[1morerecord2clean]

There is a place in Julian in the mountains in San Diego Cty that makes sublime Macs.

[Rob]

is the Julian pie co still there? when i lived in SD we'd drive up to the Cuyamacas during apple picking season, the pie and fresh cider was pretty good too.

[mkuller]

We went through the through the cupcake craze here in No. CA a few years ago and now there are only a few left. An assortment of cupcakes is a nice change instead of a birthday cake. Otherwise I'd pass on cakes and go for cookies.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Hey, good cupcakes are just wonderful little personal cakes. Too small to share, and with the perfect cake to frosting ratio. why settle for just a slice when you can eat the whole damn thing!

And macaroons will always have good childhood memories, as we only got them during the holidays.

[MylesBAstor]

You wouldn't ask about cupcakes if you had a Two Red Hens in your neighborhood. Their Brooklyn Blackout cupcakes are to die for. Two Red Hens did our wedding cake and when we went to choose the cake, they made this batch of mini-cupcakes of different flavors to try. That plus lots of different toppings, etc. to try. To say I was on a sugar rush after leaving would be an understatement!