From T-shirts to bracelets, lip balm to pincushions, images and flavors of cupcakes can be found on or in just about anything. For anyone with a sweet tooth, there is no question why people might be interested in eating these mini-desserts—but is there a certain cupcake fanaticism going on in the dessert world these days?
With the opening of a new Magnolia Bakery at Rockefeller Center, along with Crumbs Bakeshop expanding its business, it is very possible that there might be a new wave in the dessert world worth investigating.
Courtney Loftin, CC ’11, took up baking when she was very young and made her first batch of cupcakes when she was 13. “It was bad,” she said, explaining how sticky cupcake batter was splattered all over the baking pan. Her parents were horrified when they saw where the spilled batter had risen up and burned.
Even more unfortunate is the cupcake disaster story of Matt Powell, CC ’12 and pastry chef, who says that while working in a bakery back in San Diego, he somehow managed to splatter red velvet batter all over himself because he didn’t know how to use the industrial mixer. While Powell never received formal training, Tina Luu, a premier pastry chef in the San Diego area, offered to teach him the trade while he worked at Heaven Sent Desserts. Even before meeting Luu, he started his own baking business from his home during his sophomore year in high school.
Although neither has been to the newly opened Magnolia, both Loftin and Powell have visited Crumbs and had good experiences. Both are big fans of cream cheese frosting, but Loftin goes back and forth on whether she likes whipped frosting more.
Loftin’s favorite cupcake to eat and bake is “fun fetti,” but the best cupcake she’s ever had was an Oreo cupcake from Crumbs. She has eaten cupcakes from Magnolia and believes that Make My Cake (at 116th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue) and Magnolia cupcakes taste the same, but Make My Cake’s cupcakes are bigger. Powell, on the other hand, is definitely a fan of his own work but said that Make My Cake is a cute place.
And while making and buying them is all well and good, how you eat a cupcake is just as important as which ones you eat. Loftin, being very particular, almost always scrapes off the frosting because she only likes certain kinds. She generally leaves a small layer on top, takes the baking cup off, and digs in. Meanwhile, Powell prefers to take his baking cup off and then nibble at the sides until he gets to the middle, which he likes to save for last.
As for recipes that he wants to try in the future, Powell carefully flips through the pages of a recipe book and picks out a spice cupcake with a toffee frosting and candied nut garnish—pretty intense.
Unlike Powell’s very specific response, Loftin said that she would like to bake anything weird that wouldn’t normally be made into a cupcake. When asked if she has ever baked or eaten a low-fat or even a vegan cupcake, her response was, “Don’t ruin it!” In fact, she always adds an extra drop of oil to make her cupcakes even moister.
Powell’s advice to those wanting to bake a good cupcake is to always incorporate your ingredients well before adding more—his secret is extra sugar and baking powder in everything because it makes pastries sweeter and bigger.
“Cupcakes are just a staple, it’s a given,” said Loftin, on the cupcake revolution. “It’s a given just like getting your ears pierced.” Yet, even though it may not be a revolution, there is definitely something to say about the expanding bakeries around the city—and the country.
For all of the skeptics, sticking to crème brûlée may be the best idea. But for all those who are looking for a sweet solution to those lonely weekends spent reading Sophocles into the wee hours, a run to the closest dessert shop for a signature or classic cupcake flavor just might be the best way to spice up the night.
