Why do most cupcakes suck?

I've had some pretty amazing cupcakes in my day.

they don't need to be good. You just need to make them oversized, give them whimisical flavor names, hire a "hip" sales staff, and you've got a winning formula selling to all of the lame recent college grads who still cherish Natural Light as an acceptable beverage. To them, a $5 "chocolate lava bliss cupcake" is a luxury item indicative of them now being in "the big city"

In Chicago, they're sold more often to people your age, mostly women, who think that going to that hot cupcake joint will not only make them seem like hip 25 year olds again, but that it's okay to sneak in a cupcake of 8 a week because they're special.

totally fucking agree. It's not rocket science - its plain cake topped with frosting. What's the appeal? I've been to Magnolia in since 2004, Sprinkles, etc... I'm much more impressed by a good bagel.

Lets break it down.

Cake: does anyone make superb cake? If so, do you expect a cupcake shop run by two 30-yr-old lesbian home-trained cooks to be able to do the same? no.

Frosting: yes you can make stupid rich frosting with a ton of butter, real fruit, real sugar, etc. big fucking deal.

Combining mediocre cake with super rich frosting - sure I guess, this is a good business model to sell these things at $3.50 each.

It's fucking obvious why every middle-aged privileged white woman without any other marketable skill is trying to move in on this business. Need to afford teh Beamerz with no husband yet

I'm not old tho


the demographic you describe is the same for NYC, the olders ones just don't extoll it like the the recent colleg grads who are all "CRUMBS omaigod"

The Macrina Bakery in Seattle sells the only cupcake I like, but it has a filling and is not fluffy like most.

I know you're not old, I was talking age bracket 28-32.

+1 on this new boutique cupcake fad, wtf.

cupcakes are the chihuahuas of food. girls think they look cuter when they're holding them.

If they're holding one I guess it's acceptable. Six-at-a-go ain't working for me, though.

The cupcake fad may indeed suck on many levels. But without it, I would have never tried a red velvet with cream cheese frosting. So I'm not complaining.

too funny. our family just had a dinner celebrating 3 birthdays and we celebrated with ... red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting from our local diner. i will argue that when made properly, the cupcake does offer the perfect cake/frosting ratio.

actually, I really like a good cupcake. There is a bakery a few blocks away from me that makes some great stuff. The problem is they're shit at most places, and especially shit at all of the "boutique" (translation: chain) places like Crumbs and Magnolia

I never liked cupcakes but have tried hundreds until I discovered
the organic cupcakes (ive tried them a few places) and they are to die for.

Organic Red Velvet Cupcakes are amazing