Cupcake Nation

By The Inside Source
February 22, 2010

Although cupcakes originated in the 1800s, went mainstream in the 1950s when Hostess introduced its seven squiggle wonder, and have been the treat of choice for kids’ birthday parties as long as we can remember, the current obsession for the little cakes didn’t start to take hold ‘til the 1990s. Magnolia Bakery in New York City’s West Village is credited with starting an all-out craze, especially after the Sex and the City episode in which Miranda and Carrie gorged themselves there. (What’s baking at Magnolia these days these days? Caramel and S'mores cupcakes are the newest cupcake additions., but co-owner Tyra Abrams says the bakery is now focusing on being a full-service spot, offering other scrumptious items like real strawberry icebox can and organic blueberry jubilee. Yum!)

Cupcake bakeries have been popping up around the country ever since, each offering confections more delicious and downright gorgeous than the next. We surveyed some of these sugar hot spots to see which flavors rule across the land.

Bakery: Cake Fetish; Alberquerque, NM

Most popular flavor: The Velvet Elvis cupcake, a red velvet cake topped with cream cheese buttercream frosting. (The Berry White cupcake, a popular choice for Valentine's Day, is pictured above.)

Newest innovation: The Choco-holic, a chocolate chocolate chip cupcake filled and topped with homemade chocolate whipped cream, dunked in chocolate ganache, and topped with chocolate sprinkles.

Bakery: Charm City Cupcakes; Baltimore, MD

Most popular flavor: The Black-Eyed Susan cupcake (pictured above), a vanilla cake filled with chocolate mousse, topped with vanilla buttercream and adorned with the bakery's signature black-eyed Susan flower.

Newest innovation: The Baltimore Black Bottom cupcake, a chocolate brownie cupcake with cream cheese and chocolate chips baked in the center, frosted with a light chocolate fudge buttercream.

Bakery: Sweet; Boston, MA

Most popular flavor: This winter, customers are loving old-fashioned, home-style flavors like the Buttermilk Pancake cupcake filled with homemade blueberry preserve and served with maple syrup.

Newest innovation: Salted Chocolate and Chocolate Pomegranate cupcakes emphasize on fresh seasonal ingredients and contrasting flavors. A Chocolate Rhubarb cupcake is in the works for late spring. (Photo credit for chocolate cupcake pictured above, Eric Levin/Elevin Studios)

Bakery: Cupcakes Nouveau; Coral Gables, FL

Most popular flavor: The Chocolat Chic cupcake, a chocolate cupcake with a creamy chocolate chip center, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting. The owners/bakers have eaten one every day since they opened! For Valentine's Day, the festive designs pictured above were also a hit.

Newest innovation: The White Chocolate Raspberry Delight, a vanilla cupcake with raspberry filling, topped with a creamy white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting.

Bakery: Cupcake Jones; Portland, OR

Most popular flavor: The Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting.

Newest innovation: Owner Lisa Watson says, “Cupcakes are a traditional food that people often have emotional attachments to. Straying too far from that tradition can be risky. But, we change our flavors monthly, offering 24 flavors each month so, it's difficult to get bored!” (The gingerbread cupcake is pictured above.)

Bakery: Crushcakes Cupcakery; Santa Barbara, CA

Most popular flavor: The Margarita cupcake, a fresh lime cake topped with a tequila lime frosting, made famous last year by Rachel Ray.

Newest innovation: The Cosmo, a fresh raspberry cupcake topped with a raspberry lime frosting that’s spiked with vodka!

Bakery: Cupcake Royale; Seattle, WA

Most popular flavor: The Dance Party with Holly Hobbie (pictured above), a vanilla buttercake frosted with pink vanilla buttercream and topped with rainbow sprinkles.

Newest innovation: Deathcake Royale, a delicious collision of death-by-chocolate meets the Cupcake Royale. It’s three layers of goodness: flourless chocolate cake made with organic Theo Chocolate; espresso ganache made with local Stumptown Coffee; plus a layer of the bakery’s Chocolate Cake Royale. Then (yes, there’s more, can you believe?), the concoction is dipped in ganache.

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