The popularity of the cupcake exploded more than fourteen years ago when the popular TV series “Sex and the City” featured lead actress Sarah Jessica Parker enjoying a cupcake from New York’s Magnolia Bakery. This all-American sugary treat that comes in delicious fillings, frostings and decorations has also become a fashionable and stylish dessert in the Kingdom. Kitsch Cupcakes, already in Beirut and Abu Dhabi, have opened an outlet in Riyadh on Tahlia Street.
How can one explain this cupcake craze? Some people say its nostalgia and the sentimental factor. Cupcakes apparently conjure memories from childhood; they tended to accompany classroom parties or any unusual and special treats.
Cupcakes have become so personalized. Everyone has a favorite cupcake. And there are some crazy cupcakes, like a chocolate-covered potato chip cupcake. This chocolate cupcake brings the salty with the sweet as it is topped with chocolate butter cream, potato chips flakes and a chocolate-covered potato chip. And what about a chocolate jalapeno cupcake?
Flavors at Kitsch Cupcakes are more classic but oh so scrumptious! “Candy Family” is a mix of Kitkat, Oreo, M&M, Kinderbueno and Bounty. The “Kitsch Special” is a chocolate cupcake with Nutella icing. ‘Naughty Bunny’ is a carrot cupcake with cream cheese icing and “Funky Monkey Choco” is a banana cupcake topped with chocolate icing.
In the beginning, cupcakes were a much simpler affair. The term “cupcake” was first mentioned in 1826 in Eliza Leslie’s cookbook. According to food historians, the origin of the name of the cupcake has given rise to two theories. The first theory claims the cakes were originally cooked in cups. The second says the ingredients for cupcakes were measured per cup.
Cupcakes were originally known as “number” cakes, or 1234 cakes, because they were easy to remember by the measurements of ingredients it took to create them: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs. They were plain yellow cakes, somewhat less rich and less expensive than pound cake, due to using about half as much butter and eggs compared to the pound cake. The names of these two major classes of cakes were intended to signal the method to the baker, “cup cake” uses a volume measurement, and “pound cake” uses a weight measurement.
Traditionally, cupcakes were made for children in basic flavors. Today the cupcake has gone gourmet, and it is playful, hip and glamorous. There are signature collections and bespoke designs with personalized messages piped onto individual cakes. If you want to create your own cupcake by choosing the flavor, the icing and the sprinkles you must order a minimum of 12 pieces at Kitch Cupcakes.
You can store your cupcakes in a plastic airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for several days. The only cupcakes that you will need to eat within a day of preparing are ones that use uncooked eggs in the frosting.
Cupcakes without frosting keep also well in the freezer. Next time you throw a party at the last minute, defrost the cupcakes and to add a layer of fun, make decorating them into party entertainment. Arrange a cupcake bar with a selection of frostings and toppings for guest to create their own bespoke cupcake!
Since their creation, cupcakes have become a pop culture trend. This traditional homemade dessert has turned into a mass-produced good. And if you think they appeal only to women and children, you are wrong; there are lots of men who love cupcakes too!
According to Vogue, “It’s the fashion elite who buy them as much as the yummy mummies.”
And what is it about the cupcake that attracts us so much? “It’s all about freshness and authenticity,” says Martha Swift, of the Primrose Bakery. Some aficionados would say the answer is all in the frosting ratio, which is more than that of a regular cake. Yet the icing does not overpower the flavor of the cake. Others praise the cupcake because they come in single serving proportions. No serving utensils are required, just unwrap, and enjoy. And they come in so many flavors! When you order a cake, you get a single flavor. So, you can order multiple flavors of cupcakes and get the same amount of dessert. Or maybe cupcakes bring us comfort in uncertain times, coming in the shape of an affordable micro-pleasure.
For more information, see Twitter @KitschCupcakes or Facebook Kitsch Cupcakes.
Email: [email protected]
