THE 'CUPCAKE CRAZE' WAS NOT BORN IN DC

I blogged about the cupcake craze a while back, and now that I'm back in DC it seems that the "craze" hasn't simmered down one bit... not here, at least. And that's fine, because no matter how I look at it I think that I personally have an affinity to cupcakes (and all things baked). Blame my inner fat boy. (sigh)

Anyway, I had chatted with a foodie-friend about the DC area's cupcake craze --err, insanity is more like it, and how I'm partially over it not so much because of the cupcakes themselves, but because of some of the ridiculous things that I've been seeing online from my fellow Washingtonians. In the past few months I've read someone comment that the DC area is the "home" of the cupcake craze. Right. (yawn) I've also read someone's inner-most thoughts that DC will somehow become known for the cupcake, much in the same way that Philadelphia is known for their cheese steaks. Preposterous, I know.

Now, I love my hometown. In fact, there probably couldn't be a person more proud to be a home-grown Washington-area local as myself. But at the same time, I like to keep things real, and I always have to put things into perspective. I must refute these so-called ideas of Washington, DC and the cupcake craze...

#1. First and foremost, DC is not home of the cupcake craze. DC did not create the phenomenon, nor is it a pioneer in the process. Look back to 1988. NYC. Hell's Kitchen, to be exact. A little place called the Cupcake Cafe had opened up, and was one - if not the first - original shops dedicated to the cupcake. Then in 1996, NYC's now famous Magnolia Bakery picked up the momentum... blasting the cupcake into stardom through vehicles like "Sex and The City." Local NYCers then went on to other parts of the country to start their own (ie, Sprinkles in Beverly Hills).

NYC's Cupcake Cafe - possibly the birthplace of the cupcake craze (Photo from http://comradechufood.blogspot.com)

Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills (Photo from http://www.ozoux.com)

DC's cupcake craze eventually followed, and with much pomp and circumstance. And the craze only continues to flourish. With outposts like DC's Hello Cupcake and Fairfax Corner's Cupcakes Actually --both of which seem to be molded by the Buttercup Bake Shop/Sprinkles format-- the non-franchised aspect of the DC-area cupcakeries make it such an appeal, which can be problematic for franchises such as Long Island's Crumbs Bake Shop and BH's Sprinkles Cupcakes, both of which are expected to make their DC debut very soon. But the craze has only proven that there seems to be room for all. We shall see.

#2. Whoever had the bright idea that DC would become known for its cupcakes is seriously in need of a serious foodie re-eval. Who would compare a "DC" cupcake to a Philly cheese steak, or a NY pizza? I mean, honestly?! I shake my head in disbelief. If there is a food item in the DC area that comes close to taking the fame of being "indigenous" or our "trademark," it would be the half-smoke.

#3. The craze (which is sort of 5-minutes ago) seemed to have picked-up in DC a lot better than the Pinkberry-esque froyo craze that also enveloped the nation at one point. (And, no - DC definitely did NOT start that craze either.) But since DC is much smaller than other major cities, and because the cupcakeries tend to be populated in/around the same general area, one would probably think that - yes, the cupcake craze surely has its roots in DC. But yeah, not so much.

DC's own Baked & Wired in Georgetown (Photo from http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com, a pretty cool blog if I say so myself...)

Anyway. I just had to set the record straight. I love that DC has embraced cupcake culture with open arms, but - as it is with everything else - a little humility will go a long way. Know history, know truth; no history, no truth.

(Haha.)

POST-ST. PATTY'S DAY GOODNESS...

My co-worker got a bunch of people together to order a dozen cupcakes from Sprinkles in Beverly Hills. I ordered only one... it was called "Irish Creme" or something like that. Check it out:

Sprinkles' Irish Creme Cupcake: The Before Shot

After I dove-in...

It took me not even 5 minutes to pounce on this one like my life depended on it. But in true spirit-of-the-Irish form, I spent the evening getting sloshed on Newcastle, Hefeweizen, and Irish Car Bombs. Slaintè!
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Sprinkles Cupcakes, 9635 Little Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310.274.8765

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)