In Praise of Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the world's most perfect food. Not nutritionally, but from an aesthetic and taste perspective, cupcakes are tops. They're pretty, portable, and absolutely delicious. As testament to this, a few weeks ago, Banjo and I were at Washington Square Park. Banjo has recently become obsessed with 'hunting' squirrels, which is a hilarious thing to watch. She spots them in no time, tracks their movements, and then, with excruciatingly slow, methodical movements (the most hysterical part to watch), she slowly makes her way toward them. Of course, they dart away before she can ever nip their tails, but she is undaunted, and will lean/stand/sit against the tree, her head fixed on the squirrels, in the hopes that (a) one will fall/lose his/her balance or (b) she'll learn to climb trees/fly. On this particular day, a plucky squirrel taunted Banjo. This squirrel was eating a cupcake wrapper. So, see? Even squirrels heart cupcakes and really, what better judges of culinary relevance are there than squirrels? Agh, that was the worst story used to make a point ever. At least it was cute.

I've always loved cupcakes, little treasures that they are. And while many women dream of a tower of fondant for their weddings, I dream of a small tower of homemade Funfetti cupcakes, complete with Pillsbury icing. No, it's not fancy, but the colors and the littleness make them seem like they're especially made for everyone.

I'm lucky enough to have had some great cupcakes in my day. Every year growing up, my parents would throw a large Christmas party and my mother would slave in the kitchen for days making all of the food (none of this ordering party platters shit for her, no sir). One of the things she'd have me help her make were 'Black Bottom Cupcakes,' (www.joyofbaking.com/blackbottomcupcakes.html) the most delectable mix of soft, chocolatey cake, cream cheese, and chocolate chips. Their prevalence in my youth is probably one of the reasons I was a husky child. But, I digress.

Right before I left Boston, Sweet (http://www.sweetboston.com/) opened its doors. Haley and I visited Sweet a few times after our "runs," and were happy with the spoils. Pineappley carrot cake cupcakes were a standout. I also liked that the place served cold glasses of milk and lovely hot coffee to accompany your cupcake (or cupcakes, rather - let's be real here). I also worked very near to Flour Bakery, which featured humongous chocolate cupcakes. Not my favorites, but seeing a cupcake midday can brighten the whole work day. One of my Boston friends, Emily, is an amazing vegan baker. Not only can she make a chocolate chip cookie that could fool any butter-devotee, but for every party she ever held, she made lush cupcakes with colorful frosting. Yum.

Shortly after moving to Chicago, I discovered that I lived near More (http://www.morechicago.com/), a small, chi-chi cupcake boutique. For what it is, More is alright in my book. They feature sweet and savory cupcakes, but the best is the Red Velvet. These aren't homemade cupcakes, but rather dense, gourmet little cakes with thick swathes of icing. I am partial to the more homemade variety, but More still satisfies the occasional craving.

So, in praise of the little cakes that bring a smile to humans and squirrels alike, I bring you some lovely recipes for a variety of interests:

For everyone:

Black Bottom Cupcakes
(http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlackBottomCupcakes.html)

For the vegans:

Basic Vegan Cupcakes
(http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Cupcakes/Detail.aspx)

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (from Vegan Post Punk Kitchen)
(http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=49)

For the calorie-counting:
Lemon Scented Blueberry Cupcakes (from Cooking Light)
(www.http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1571446)

Banana Cupcakes (from Cooking Light)
(http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222206)

And if these recipes don't sate your appetite, check out this blog, entirely devoted to cupcakes: http://cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com/. There's some definite food porn here.