What's the effing deal with Americans and cupcakes?

[Zachgoldstein]

It’s an objectively good dessert, your sister’s version sounds delicious!

[MChang]

People hating cupcakes is so weird, it’s like hating puppies or kittens.

[Larry_Stein]

Love carrot cake. That being said, I’ve had many versions that are good, but few that exceed that.

I don’t like any cake that’s too sweet. My next favorite is lemon cake.

I don’t like generic cupcakes (again, too sweet). There’s a cupcake place in downtown San Mateo, Sibby’s Cupcakery, that’s been in business for 22 years. Their cupcakes are next level. They make a carrot cinnamon one.

[JohnMag]

@Rahsaan_M

20 years ago. The cupcake craze peaked in the 00s and has been dead for some time.

I agree that the US (at least the NYC TriState area) passed Peak Cupcake at least a decade ago. Most of the dedicated cupcake places near us (there were at least half a dozen within a 5 minute drive around 2015) have all closed.

As for carrot cake, @Adam_Frisch, you’ve never had my wife’s…..

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

@Adam_Frisch

it’s a muffin

A cupcake is most certainly not a muffin, it’s a one-piece-sized cake in its own individual wrapper. It’s the dessert equivalent of food on a stick or an individual-sized pizza. I never understood the craze, either, but just as there was no reason then to go ga-ga over cupcakes, there’s no particular reason to hate on them either. Cake can be terrible or delicious. Made into individually wrapped cakelets instead, it can also be terrible or delicious.

But a muffin is a whole 'nuther thing.

@Adam_Frisch

please also explain carrot cake.

Carrot cake can be done remarkably well, and when done remarkably well, it is delicious.

@Adam_Frisch

choose a cupcake over a Kougin-Amman

This is just bonkers, of course, the latter being divinely inspired and probably why god invented pastry in the first place. (Not that cake and pastry are fully interchangeable).

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@Scott_G_r_u_n_e_r

I like a good carrot cake with a good cream cheese frosting- I like that it is less sweet and has more spice complexity than many desserts.

Otherwise your thesis/rant works for me- not a fan of cupcakes or other sweets that are primarily sugar delivery vehicles.

+1

[Rahsaan_M]

@Dav3_Dyr0ff

@Adam_Frisch

choose a cupcake over a Kougin-Amman

This is just bonkers, of course, the latter being divinely inspired and probably why god invented pastry in the first place. (Not that cake and pastry are fully interchangeable).

I might agree that the best version of a Kougin-Amman is better than the best cupcake. But it all depends where you are. I can imagine plenty of US bakeries producing questionable Kougin-Amman versions.

Also, clearly his wife just loves cupcakes!

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

@Rahsaan_M

But it all depends where you are. I can imagine plenty of US bakeries producing questionable Kougin-Amman versions.

No question. I can imagine most US Bakeries not even offering them at all. I was assuming well-prepared versions of each, rare though the place may be that offers both (but apparently Adam knows a few).

[Stan_Y]

@Rahsaan_M

But in defense of carrot cake, it can be very complex and delightful. Obviously not the grocery store products. But when you’re using fresh carrots and lots of vibrant spices, plus of course a restrained frosting, it is a very good dessert.

Agreed, complex spicing, complex texture.

[David_K_o_l_i_n]

Mmmmm. Cupcakes

I’ve never been a sweets person. Particularly when it comes to nasty sweets

[J_Patrick_Lynch]

I’ll take a cupcake over a Crumbl cookie and a loaded soda.

Some places can pull off a good cupcake. I like a good one with a slight lemon cake and not too much buttercream. If I’m feeling like a total sicko, there is a birthday cake batter filled one that I’ll devour in 1 & 1/2 bites.

As mentioned upthread, the cupcake fad (NYC/Sex & The City/Magnolia) is largely over.

This was 18 years ago…

[Brian_Tuite]

Andy Rooney would be proud!

[Matthew_Brown]

Cupcakes seem to be an ‘elevated’ version of the donut craze, and to some extent the gelato craze as well. Same idea for the variety of choice and the freshness of everything prepared on premise. The big problem with cupcakes imho is that they do require more baking ability than donuts, are more labor intensive, and invariably will be 2x-4x more expensive. Not a lot of places will turn a profit without their owner/baker putting in a lot of time. My son worked at a Duck Donuts for a couple summers, and as a kid whose biggest culinary effort involves dousing everything in hot sauce he did a lot of ‘baking’ and food prep.

[Rahsaan_M]

@Matthew_Brown

Cupcakes seem to be an ‘elevated’ version of the donut craze, and to some extent the gelato craze as well…The big problem with cupcakes imho is that they do require more baking ability than donuts, are more labor intensive, and invariably will be 2x-4x more expensive. Not a lot of places will turn a profit without their owner/baker putting in a lot of time.

Interesting. I think the big problem with donuts is that they are sublime when fresh out of the fryer and then they rapidly deteriorate. I rarely find it worth eating donuts, even though I find the best donut more exciting than the best cupcake.

And gelato is not a craze! It’s a core confectionary staple that is one of the highest achievements of human civilization!

[J_Patrick_Lynch]

The donut craze came after the cupcake craze. Unless we’re talking about the Krispy-Kreme craze of the 90s!

[Matthew_Brown]

Not around here.

[Matthew_Brown]

@Rahsaan_M

And gelato is not a craze!

Was thinking domestically, post Baskin Robins/ B&J/ frozen yogurt as an artisan local product. Had a gelato in Florence in 1993 that I forced my son to try and find when he was there two years ago; still there, still brilliant

[J_Patrick_Lynch]

[Patrick_Taylor]

@Rahsaan_M

Sex in the City put the battery into cupcakes in the early 00s

There were plenty of episodes involving batteries, but I must have missed that one.

[Brian_Pinci]

I’m not normally a cupcake fan but my niece Sara makes unbelievably tasty ones. Not overly sweet but with delicious flavor, At family gatherings we always ask her to bake something. SHes so talented.