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During college I worked part-time at a daycare. My first day I was with the two-year-olds, and someone’s mother brought in cupcakes. The kids regarded the cupcakes warily, then one by one they applied them directly to their faces. Forget taking the paper off, they felt it was sufficient to open their mouths a tiny bit in trout-like fashion, and smush the cupcake, icing first, all over their little faces. After hosing off the squirts, I can give you some advice: despite folklore, cupcakes and toddlers don’t mix. But in a less messy fashion, here are some interesting facts about those nevertheless yummy sugary treats:
• According to Crazy About Cupcakes, “The term ‘cupcake’ is first mentioned in E. Leslie’s ‘Receipts’ of 1828. Breaking with tradition of weighing ingredients at this time the ingredients began to be measured in cups. According to Baking in America by Greg Patent, this was revolutionary because of the tremendous time it saved in the kitchen. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America explains that the cup name had a double meaning because of the practice of baking in small containers—including tea cups.”
• Though its true origins are disputed, Hostess cupcakes can now brag about being the best-selling snack cake in history. In 1950 baking executive D.R. “Doc” Rice added the signature seven squiggles and vanilla-crème filling that makes Hostess familiar to us today. And in a move reminiscent of the Twinkie Defense, in 1985 a man sued Hostess claiming that their cupcakes caused him to fall out of a tree and break his bones. Yep.
• American hysteria for cupcakes is well documented. Hillary Clinton even recently promised every American a yearly cupcake on her birthday. But not everyone is so pro-cupcake. In fact, some schools have chosen to ban them as a result of rising rates of obesity.
• Of course, what would a true trend be without a trendy HQ? Magnolia Bakery in New York sees lines around the block for their popular pastries, at times bringing in over $40,000 a week in cupcake sales. It has also, of course, been the inspiration for a very famous SNL Digital Short.
• Speaking of lazy (Sunday or not), there have been several campaigns to get microwave cupcakes off the ground, including Duncan Cups in 1991 and Betty Crocker MicroRave Singles. In the end, it seems the old fashioned way is the best. And if you’re planning on doing some baking for others, what’s the best way to transport a cupcake? Check this out.
• If you’re interested in bucking fashion, forget a traditional cake (how pedestrian!) and consider having cupcakes for your wedding.
• Still can’t get enough? Check out this link. Although cupcakes are seen as a kind of wholesome American goodness, one of the editors of this blog is a contributing editor for Penthouse and a former sex columnist for the Village Voice. Still, look at those cupcakes!
Does anyone have any cupcake stories to share? Memories? Mishaps?
Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.
‘Dietribes’ appears every Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna Beyenbach. You might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.
Comments (18)
Comment
When my kids were little they used to bring treats to school on their birthdays. Their favorite treat was cupcakes baked in ice cream cones instead of the paper cups. Made transport a snap and you got to eat the holder too! Sadly, kids don’t seem to do those kinds of things anymore.
posted by JaneM on 4-16-2008 at 8:14 am
I love cupcakes as little pieces of art you can eat.
But I hate this trend of applying the icing to the top and not comletely covering the cake. The ENTIRE top needs to be covered or …it is just plain…wrong!
posted by Karen on 4-16-2008 at 8:36 am
We’re having cupcakes at our wedding from Cupcake in Charleston, SC. The best part was the tasting! People that we’ve talked to love the idea of cupcakes for a wedding–that way you don’t have to wait for the cake to be cut (and you’re not throwing away giant mounds of cake that no one will eat).
posted by Baby Friday on 4-16-2008 at 8:36 am
Wow did you hit home! I am called the “cupcake queen” in my hometown. Back in high school, I quit work to enjoy my senior year after saving up and budgeting out my prom expenses. Turns out I underbudged for the dress- $111 too little. I couldn’t give up the dream of owning this dress- a yellow gorgeous fully Jessica McClintock purchase at $261. At church, a girl suggested just asking people for money, which led me to say- “but I’d have to give them something-” and the idea was born. I baked St. Patty’s day cupcakes the first day and brought them to school to sell. I made $60 the first day. One teacher even bought enough for his class. The second day I made spring themed cupcakes, and sold just enough to make $51. I bought my dress that night. The next day, the principal called me into her office, opened some book and showed me why what I did was illegal. She wanted me to give back the money- I cried- she compromised by saying I could keep it if I 1) stopped selling cupcakes and 2) went to the school’s employment counselor to find, and I quote “a legal form of employment.”
This all ended with me writing a hilarious letter to the editor titled “Pastry Pushing is not the Problem.” It detailed the overlooked drug use and the indiscriminate sale of brackets during March Madness (illegal to gamble or do drugs on school property as well.)
I learned that I cannot have my cupcake and eat it too, at least at my HS. The principal resigned after prom. I like to think that it’s because of the cupcakes :) (it’s not.)
posted by Kelly J on 4-16-2008 at 8:43 am
This dietribes blog really hit home for me- I am a HUGE sweets fan living in NYC and one year, for my birthday, I decided to have a pub crawl, but for cupcakes (I called it a “Cupcake Caper”. Corny, I know) After a ton of research, I chose 5 different places different places in Manhattan to go to that had come either highly recommended or seemed like interesting experiences. We ended up with a crazy sugar rush and some great places to get amazing treats. Magnolia and Cupcake Cafe have the same basic recipe and are _highly_ over rated (dry cake but they do have rockin’ frosting). The best cake (really moist and tastey) with pretty ok frosting was at Crumbs (many locations through the city but we went to the Bryant Park shop). Billy’s Bakery (9th and 21st-ish) had an over all good ones with fun, nostalgic, flavors and a really fun shop. But, my personal favorite was Sugar Sweet Sunshine’s (Essex and Rivington) Pumpkin Spice. Mmmmm…
During this summer I am thinking of arranging another Caper to experience the bakeries in Brooklyn.
Of course, talking about all of these treats has made me hungry for one…
(By the way- I swear I do not work for any of these shops. I just _really_ like cupcakes)
posted by Karen on 4-16-2008 at 10:46 am
In Pittsburgh, we have a bakery devoted to cupcakes! It’s called “Dozen bakery.” You can find them on google.
They are really great, with some unusual flavors. If your ever in town you have to check them out!
posted by Amber on 4-16-2008 at 11:12 am
Ok so I just can’t stop posting about cupcakes…
#1 sorry about the typos in my big long post… just THINKING about a sugar high gets me excited!
#2- interesting fact about Magnolia Bakery… the owners originally were a lesbian couple, but their relationship ended… one of them left to start the Buttercup Bake Shop. I haven’t had their cupcakes but I bought a cake there once when I worked in NYC… amazing amazing amazing. Perhaps she perfected the Magnolia recipe?
There’s your fact of the day!
posted by Kelly J on 4-16-2008 at 11:34 am
I used to work at an historical society (a “living history museum”), and did first-person interpretation. As I was in a working hearth kitchen, I baked - a lot.
One of my favorite receipts (because a recipe was what the doctor gave you!) was for cupcake:
1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
3 cups of flour
4 eggs
Mix, grate some nutmeg over the top, pour into a greased baking pan, and stick in the bakeoven until done*.
* I figured a good conversion from “brick oven” to “electric or gas oven” is to bake at 350 degrees until it passes the knife test.
posted by Mel on 4-16-2008 at 11:41 am
I live in Charleston, SC and there is a great place downtown called Cupcake. For my wedding anniversary I got their giant red velvet cupcake because I didn’t save the top of my wedding cake. The cupcake was way better than the wedding cake!
posted by Peps on 4-16-2008 at 12:24 pm
In Minneapolis, we have a great place also called Cupcake. Click on my name for their website. I especially recommend the Mad Cow.
And I’m going to be in Charleston SC next week, so I’ll definitely try to hit up the sister Cupcake!
posted by Julia on 4-16-2008 at 1:25 pm
I just threw a bridal shower for a friend of mine. One of her colors is Tiffany blue and I wanted to incorporate that into the bridal shower. There’s a local bakery here in Las Vegas that specializes in cupcakes and they had one that looked exactly like a Tiffany box - blue frosting and white fondant ribbon. The cupcakes were gorgeous but were almost $100 for two dozen!
posted by Melodye on 4-16-2008 at 1:37 pm
I love cupcakes, but I can never find enough of those paper cupcake cups whenever I get the inkling to make them.
I can sympathize with the toddlers and cupcakes paradox. My mom brought some to my preschool on my birthday and a kid bit me when I wouldn’t give him the biggest one. Then again, he bit everybody…
posted by heather on 4-16-2008 at 2:05 pm
I’m not a vegan, but I make a killer vegan cupcake. My vegan friends all adore them. I brought a batch of chocolate mint vegan cupcakes in for our holiday party at work and my vegan co-worker ate four of them.
He was so happy. And so very wired.
I also sort of want a rad cupcake tattoo. I don’t have any tattoos right now, but I think a cupcake would be a totally rad tattoo idea that would still be awesome when I’m like 90.
posted by Mary on 4-16-2008 at 2:43 pm
In Portland we have a few different cupcake shops, which are all amazing! I was so inspired that I attempted to make homemade cupcakes one night. well, mine didn’t turn out quite as well (the recipe was terrible and I’ve never baked a cake or made icing from scratch although i’m normally a very good baker/cook). The icing also didn’t work too well so I kept adding more sugar, then more butter, then more sugar, until it looked about right.
In the end, we ended up with about 2 dozen very dry, rock hard cupcakes and a gallon or so of icing. I haven’t retried it yet because I think my roommate would freak! But I’m hoping to find a really good recipe soon!
posted by Gayle on 4-16-2008 at 3:11 pm
A friend of mine makes chocolate Guinness cupcakes with Kahlua frosting and they are To. Die. For.
I love cupcakes - they are just the right size!
And Karen - when you organize your Cupcake Caper, can I come?
posted by Rachel on 4-16-2008 at 4:50 pm
Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like cupcakes? I see cake as the junk you give to a friend after the frosting has been eaten. Cupcakes = less frosting.
posted by S on 4-16-2008 at 5:08 pm
The Cup a Cake is cool, but to transport lots of cupcakes, the Cupcake Courier is the way to go!
It’s really cool and comes in lots of colors now.
(and for all you Office fans, it’s made by Jenna Fischer’s sister in law)
posted by Erin on 4-16-2008 at 6:04 pm
Wow, cupcake post #3 for me… mildly pathetic.
I wanted one so bad after seeing this yesterday that I researched cupcake shops here in Indianapolis! I found one I really want to try, The Flying Cupcake Bakery. I am getting a jumbo-sized Black Bottom cupcake (”Decadent dark chocolate and cream cheese cupcakes; rich and gooey.”) for my boyfriend’s mom’s birthday and bringing it to our birthday dinner tonight. They’re even writing “Happy Birthday Barbara” on it for me! Very nice sounding woman. I am thinking about getting the Red Velvet Elvis for myself… “Fit for a King: dreamy red velvet cake loaded with chocolate chunks and topped with soft cream cheese icing and white chocolate shaving.” MMMMM!
posted by Kelly J on 4-17-2008 at 9:56 am