In 2000, during season three of Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw sat on a bench outside Magnolia Bakery in New York Cit and bit into a big pink cupcake. Curls tucked behind her ears and frosting stuck to her lip, it was a moment that launched a million ships.
At the time the phrase “viral pastry” didn’t yet exist. But if it did, it would be the only way to describe the frenzied explosion of cupcakes that followed. In 2005 Sprinkles (RIP) opened in Beverly Hills as the world’s first cupcake bakery. By 2009 there were multiple cookbooks dedicated to the treats, including a compendium by Ms. Martha Stewart herself. That same year, Cupcake Wars, a reality competition series, premiered on Food Network.
All kingdoms crumble, though, and after a decade-plus reign, the cupcake was left behind—an aging monarch overthrown by Dominique Ansel’s cronut, and the neophilic nature of social media feeds.
Could now—a quarter-century after Carrie’s afternoon snack—be the right time for a cupcake revival? We think so. In fact, we believe in it so strongly, that for the first time in a decade at Bon Appétit, we’re publishing not one but three new recipes.
All the things that made the little cakes popular are still relevant today. They’re quick to make, baking up faster than their full-size siblings. They’re easy to transport and share, with no last-minute cutting or slice-size negotiating with your great aunt who wants “just a sliver.” And they’re cute!
Approached with a little consideration and curiosity, cupcakes can feel modern and sophisticated, the sort of treats we’d proudly unveil at any party, even if there are no kids running around. Consider these our contemporary cupcake commandments, illustrated by three new recipes that are, as Carrie would say, fabulous.
Chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet are all solid flavors, classics that we’ll love forever. But just like MomTok admits, switching things up on occasion can make for interesting results. Your pantry is the ultimate source for simple flavor boosters. Other teas like Lapsang Souchong, jasmine, and genmaicha are all great additions to any basic batter. Rip open an Earl Grey tea bag and add it to chocolate cake batter for a smoky florality.
When it comes to frosting, ground spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or fennel; dried and powdered curry leaves or fig leaves (find them at a farmers market or neighbor’s garden) are all welcome inclusions. Or just whip a jar of cookie butter for the easiest frosting ever. Look around you for inspiration! It’s closer than you think.
Almost any baked good can be downsized to fit in a muffin pan. Brownies, popovers, cookies, and even galettes can all be cupcake-ified. We turned lamingtons, the classic Australian dessert, into an adorable bakery-fancy cupcake, complete with sponge cake squares sandwiched with jam and sealed in chocolate. Quick breads, like banana, zucchini, and pumpkin, can also transform into a sweet ready for a swoosh of frosting. Anything can be a cupcake if you try hard enough! And honestly, you don’t have to try that hard.
Introducing an element of acidity can do wonders in taming frosting’s inherent sweetness. Think about how lemon juice or vinegar wakes up a salad dressing. Same principle. This magenta colored frosting is crammed with a half pint of fresh blackberries and generous splashes of lemon juice, both of which cut through the richness of the buttercream, making it all too easy to eat multiple spoonfuls on its own. Director of cooking, Emma Laperruque, is partial to a cream cheese frosting—this one, in particular, that’s almost universal in its application. Heavy on the cream cheese, light on sugar, it’s full of “milky and tangy and sunny” flavors.
How lucky to be alive at a time when desserts are more fun, whimsical, and fantastical than they’ve ever been. Cakes big and small are the ideal stage for your wildest decorating dreams. A curlicue of Castelfranco, tiny tomatoes or kumquats, a gleaming wet lychee, tendrils of young pea shoots, or glassy dried fruit chips make for thrilling garnishes.
A great low-effort, high-reward approach is to buy two or three stems of (preferably organic) showy, non-toxic flowers and scatter their petals on top of your cupcakes, as seen here with roses. Tulips, dahlias, and pansies are all safe and easily available choices. Unless they’re certified as edible, just be sure to remove all flowers before eating.
