Battle of the Cupcakes

Cupcakes have become a booming industry, not so much in terms of profit, but in the amount of cupcake specialty stores that are opening around the world serving delectable flavours and tiny sprinkled delights.

Tea parties, weddings, birthdays and just for treats; there never seems to be an end to the possible occasions at which a cupcake could feature. I guess that's why the need for many cupcake stores. Last time I was in Australia, it felt like there were cupcake stores popping up on every corner which makes me assume that it's not only me that gets sucked in by their utter cuteness and colourful decorations. But seriously, is there really a need for so many stores? And doesn't anyone else think that it's a bit ridiculous that they charge you $4 for some flour, sugar and icing that you can gulp down in one bite?

Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes and I admit I've bought into the craze by having a couple of cupcakes with my friends and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at them through the window whenever I see a store, but here is a blogster who wrote 'It's Time to Shut Up About Cupcakes' that has put my current feelings into words perfectly:

You’ve got co-workers chattering about the cupcake they had last night. Meredith Viera is on TV dishing about the cupcake party she threw for her girlfriends. Newspapers are writing non-stop reviews of the hot new cupcake bakery in town. Your friends with blogs are obsessed too. At this point, it’s gotten so ridiculous that you can’t even ride in an elevator without seeing someone carrying a little 4 inch-by-4 inch cupcake box – that every other woman in the elevator is salivating over like a pack of blood-thirsty wolves.

I GET IT. No seriously, I GET IT. Cupcakes are delicious and soooooo yummy! OMG pink frosting!

That’s not the point.

What I really want to know is WTF happened? I managed to never once hear the word “cupcake” between the ages of 12 and 25. Then all of a sudden I wake up one day and can’t walk 20 feet down the street without hearing “Cupcake, cupcake, cupcake. Cupcake, cupcake, cupcake. Ooooooo Cupcake!”

Newsflash: Cupcakes are delicious today, they were delicious yesterday, and they were delicious 15 years ago. Nothing has changed. It’s just like in 1998 when everyone was smoking Cigars and celebrities all wanted to appear on the cover of Cigar Afficianado with a Cuban in their mouth. Now every popular actress wants to appear on the cover of Cupcake Quarterly with frosting from a Magnolia cupcake smeared on her face.

Haha this really made me laugh and I think he got the cupcake-obsession situation down pat. But you know what, at the end of the day, those sneaky little-colourful-delicious-looking treats always win people (and me!) over. Here are two cute cupcake boutique's that have got my mouth watering as I stare at them on the computer screen: Lola's in London and Little Cupcakes in Melbourne which I will pay a visit to when I go home.