CUPCAKE CITY USA

cup⋅cake  /ˈkʌpˌkeɪk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuhp-keyk]

–noun

1.	a small cake, the size of an individual portion, baked in a cup-shaped mold.

2.	Older Slang. a. a sexually attractive young woman. b. a beloved girl or woman.

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Origin:
1820–30, Americanism; cup + cake

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There is something about the cupcake that sends people into a frenzy. Perhaps it's the inner "fat-kid" that makes people stop and take notice whenever a cupcake, or the like, is within reach. But what is it, exactly, about these mini-cakes that gets the crowds going? Is it the moist cake, sometimes filled with cream, ganache, or other forms of creamy or jelly yumm-ness? Is it the toppings, sweet or salty, or a mixture of both? Is it the bright colored icing and/or sprinkles that beckon? Or maybe it's the over-all packaging that really calls to our attention...?!

Whatever the case may be, the cupcake holds a special place in the hearts of people all across America. Old and young, fat and skinny, men and women, children and adults ALL love cupcakes for one reason or another. They make perfect gifts, they make a nice addition to a dinner soiree, and they cap-off a birthday party perfectly. And in today's ever-evolving pop culture, the cupcake has made its imprint on the land by way of the ever-so-popular cupcakery.

Cupcakeries (bake shops specializing in cupcakes and other confections) have taken major American cities by storm. In many ways, they have built their nitch around markets that glorify other "treat-like" yummerooniness such as froyo, cookies, or even candy. And all across the country, the war to decide who's cupcake is the best has been brewing for years now...with new contenders popping-up much quicker now than they had ever done so before.

So among the bustling cities of our nation, which has the best cupcakes? Which metropolitan area can claim to be "Cupcake City USA?"

Leading the pack is, obviously, New York City. NYC. The Big Apple. The First City. It's the city that moves the world. It's home to one of the world's fashion capitals, the center of the American stage, and a mecca for food ranging from cheap-eats to ultra-expensive tasting menus. Magnolia Bakery, in Manhattan's West Village, is credited as the place that started the "cupcake craze" of the '90s. What started out as a little neighborhood bakery soon ballooned into an entity much bigger than itself. When one of the owners parted ways, Buttercup Bake Shop was born in Midtown, adding yet another spot in the city to offer the popular snacks. Between the two shops there have been recipe books made, as well as references made in popular TV shows and movies. Since then, other notable shops have blossomed: Crumbs Bake Shop (Upper West Side), Sugar Sweet Sunshine (Lower East Side), and Amy's Bread (Hell's Kitchen) to name a few. New York still has a steady hold on the top spot among America's "cupcake" cities.

America's Second City, Chicago, has it's own to share. Although many would argue that there still isn't a sure-hit contender to go against the likes of NYC's Magnolia, these are a few spots that tend to land on Chi Town's "must try" lists: Sweet Mandy B's (Lincoln Park), Swirlz Cupcakes (West Belden), and More Cupcakes (Gold Coast). Long-time favorite spot, Cupcakes, though aptly named, has officially closed for business.

On the other side of the country, in sunny Los Angeles, cupcakes surprisingly make an interesting part of the city's foodie landscape. Known for it's donut shops, sushi, and "organic" fare, L.A. has it's own list of cupcakeries to boot. Leading the pack is Sprinkles (Beverly Hills), which has since earned a coveted spot in L.A.'s pop culture. It is the brainchild of two former Wall Street-ers who relocated to L.A., and wanted to recreate the craze that Magnolia started in NYC. There's always a line that forms outside the door of the tiny shop, however it hasn't been decided whether this is because the cupcakes are super-phenomenal, or because the workers are way too slow. Regardless, Sprinkles is making its mark with store-openings around the country, as well as a marketing blast through Williams-Sonoma stores, which sells the shop's cupcake mix in their stores. Other shops to note in the greater L.A. area: Sugar (North La Brea), Joan's On Third, Auntie Em's Kitchen (Eagle Rock) and Vanilla Bake Shop (Santa Monica).

Just under a six-hour drive north from L.A. is the bustling city center of San Francisco. Cupcake-lovers will be quick to mention Citizen Cupcake (Patisserie in the Hayes Valley area), headed by pastry-world star Chef Elizabeth Falkner. While high prices at CC may scare off some, those who have indeed tried the up-scale creations find them delectable. Need to take it down a notch? Try Kara's Cupcakes (Marina), Miette Patisserie (Ferry Building/Embarcadero), or That Takes The Cake on Union.

The heat of Miami also does not deter the bikini-clad from having their own chance at fun with cupcakes. For a while, Sticky Fingers was voted one of Miami's best cupcakeries, but has since closed its doors and relocated to GA. But that still leaves the door wide-open for other shops to jump in the lead. Cupcakes Nouveau (Coral Gables) takes the prize as Miami's gourmet cupcakery, with items like the Chocolat Chic and Moulin Rouge (red velvet). And at $2.50 a pop, these little cakes trump its contenders from the West and North. Misha's Cupcakes came on the scene in 2005, and are offered at many bookstores, cafes, and restaurants around town. Two Girls & A Cupcake bridges the gap between cake and chic, bringing a hip vibe to Miami's growing cupcake culture.

And finally, our Nation's Capital -Washington, DC- is home not only to some of the country's most incredible man-made monuments, but to a food culture that has emerged and evolved through the past few years. (Yes, that food culture also now includes "cupcakes.") When Warren Brown hit the foodie scene as host of The Food Network's "Sugar Rush" a few years ago, it wasn't clearly written that the litigating lawyer would leave the courtroom behind to pursue his side business as a moonlighting entrepreneur. Thus, Cakelove was born, and has become one of the DC area's most recognized names in foodie pop culture. Now with 7 bakeries flourishing around the Metro DC area (with one location in Baltimore, MD), Cakelove has taken cupcake awareness in DC to a whole new level. Among DC's other popular cupcakeries are: Baked & Wired (Georgetown), Georgetown Cupcake --which was recently featured on Rachel Ray's daytime show, Hello Cupcake (DuPont Circle) and Red Velvet (Penn Quarter) --brought to you by David Guas, former creative front-man for sweets at DC Coast, TenPenh, Acadiana, and Ceiba.

As you can see, cupcakeries around the nation are making their mark on the food panorama that calls to all sweet-tooths. But which one, among them, can claim to be The Big Kahuna... The Head Honcho... The High Priest of Cupcakery?

You decide.

(Photos: cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery from www.core77.com, cupcakes from Miette Patisserie from little-inklings.blogspot.com, and cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake from www.prospect.com)