“Think
about it. Banning cupcakes is almost like an assault on the national identity,”
says Kathryn Oths, a University of Alabama anthropologist who spends much of
her academic time studying food and culture.
Her
radical statement was in response to the 2006 banning of cupcakes at George
Mason Elementary School in Alexandria, USA. The Washington Post detailed the outrage of many
parents, perhaps some not as radical as Oths, but of the same mind in their
belief that cupcakes are a vital part of an idyllic childhood. Over the last decade
they have become a trendy, everyday indulgence that has been enthusiastically
encouraged by the mainstream media.
Cupcakes,
then and now
Cupcakes
have been a treasured European decadence for over a century. Much like penicillin,
cupcakes were born out of an experimental accident. A 19th-century American
baker ended up making too much cake batter and proceeded to do everything he
could to avoid wasting it. By simply dumping the excess cake batter into little
cups and tossing them into the oven along with his cake masterpiece, a
beautiful delicacy was created.
Now,
cupcakes are included in the celebration of birthdays, Valentine’s Day,
elementary school cupcake drives, and even the occasional wedding ceremony.
Cupcakes have become so popular that specialty cupcake shops are now popping up
in metropolises all across North America. The shops offer a variety of cupcake
flavours, but specialize in only one dessert item; an arguably risky business
strategy.
Cupcake
specialty stores often make bolder choices when it comes to flavour. “Mint Condition”
and “Blue Hawaii” are both flavours offered at the Vancouver specialty bakery Cupcakes,
run by Heather White and Lori Joyce. White and Joyce actually secured a show about
their bakery on the W Network, called The Cupcake Girls. Additionally, several
vegan and gluten-free pastry options are popping up in specialty bakeries
around Vancouver, like Cassia Cupcakery on Commercial Drive.
Cupcakes
in businesses suits
Capitalizing
on the specific needs of a diverse range of customers, specialty cupcake
bakeries can be extremely successful, especially in busy areas like downtown
Vancouver. Cupcake businesses are currently so successful that entrepreneurs are
creating how-to websites so that even individuals who know little to nothing
about business, but have a passion for cupcakes, can open up their own
specialty shops. For example, cupcake-business.com, based out of the United States,
offers access to an array of valuable “resources, supplies and inspiration.”
Though
many could argue that cupcakes have become a somewhat passé fad, in the world
of business and finance, cupcakes are continuing to hold their own as a viable
and in-demand product. It’s difficult to predict whether cupcake popularity will
remain a trend or fizzle as a fad, but if the last ten years are any
indication, the industry will not be going down without a fight.
That
being said, a number of desserts are competing to be the next big trend on the
horizon. Katie Sweeney, an avid lover of food and regular blogger on the
website YumSugar: To Die For, reports that “food forecasters are predicting
that Americans are ready to move on to the next big dessert craze.”
Sweeney
mentions some likely dessert trend possibilities such as macaroons, though they
are difficult to make, or the recent “cake pops”, as seen in a variety of
flavours at Starbucks.
Cupcakes
and hot ladies
Despite
the obscurity and the single-product business approach, cupcakes have taken
modern media by storm over the last number of years. Reality television, in an
arguably desperate attempt at inspiration, has fully embraced the global
cupcake phenomenon. Both the Food Network and the Cooking Channel have several
reality shows featuring cupcakes, including Cupcake Wars, DC Cupcakes, and Sweet Dreams.
The
popularity of cupcakes doesn’t stop at reality television. Saturday Night
Live recently
did a rap segment referencing the Manhattan West Village high-life that most
specifically includes stopping for cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery in New York
City.
It
is difficult to pinpoint the catalyst for this bizarre media frenzy over
cupcakes, but as with many trends, celebrity approval might have something to
do with it. Since the turn of the century, cupcakes have had a recurring role
on the hit television series Sex and the City. Lead characters Carrie and
Miranda are often filmed at the famed Magnolia Bakery in New York’s thriving
Manhattan neighbourhood.
Ever
since their first appearance at Magnolia’s in season three, cupcakes have
become a symbol of sophistication, gossip, and sex. The sugary treats have
taken on the resemblance of, at the core of things, a forbidden fruit – a sweet
indulgence to share with friends.
Cupcakes
and charity work
Whether
or not Sex and the City can be credited, cupcakes have become a peculiarly ingrained
aspect of North American culture over the last decade. Of course, North
Americans are not the only culture graced with these frosty treats. Christianity
Today, an
international religious publication based out of the United States, details one
couple’s missionary work aiding women in Kabul, Afghanistan by passing on their
knowledge of baking practices. The article, entitled “Helping Afghanistan One
Cupcake at a Time”, written by Evelyn Juan in the fall of 2005, archives the
experiences of Donna and Aziz (only first names were listed due to issues of
safety) during work stays at the Women’s Centre in Kabul.
“My
heart was just so broken for the women, especially the widows,” says Donna in
interview with Christianity Today. Donna and her husband donate their time at the
Women’s Centre in order to teach the women homemaking skills that they can use
to generate an income. The Afghani women can then go on to work as cooks and
housekeepers in some of the wealthier Western homes of Kabul, and eventually
pass on their skills to other women by becoming teachers themselves.
One
of the most important skills that these women are taught to develop is baking.
Pastries actually generate a prominent source of income for the women while at
the Centre, a major charitable organization recently placed a standing order of
500 cupcakes each week. This unique connection is most definitely, if nothing
more, further proof that cupcakes represent a shared passion, a societal
indulgence, and a global phenomenon.
Cupcakes
are also present in charitable organizations in Vancouver. On Feb. 16, the
H.A.V.E. Culinary Training Society of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) hosted the 3rd
Annual Cupcake Throwdown at the Chapel Arts Centre. The event supported dozens
of cupcake artists in a throw-down competition. Event-goers received five
taste-testing tickets as well as a ballot for voting on their top picks.
H.A.V.E.
is a local DTES society “that provides foodservice job training and work
opportunities to individuals in Vancouver who experience barriers to
employment.” Focusing on cupcakes was a good way to bring attention to the
organization while keeping the bakers focused on current pastry trends.
Cupcakes
vs. your personal trainer
One
issue that the media of cupcake-lovers don’t particularly address is the high
sugar and fat content found in cupcakes. According to Eating Well magazine, “where good taste
meets good health,” the typical bakery cupcake contains approximately 585
calories, 20 grams of fat and 12 grams of saturated fat. Even a store-bought
cake mix, done at home, will likely contain around 298 calories, 14 grams of
fat and 5 grams of saturated fat.
Surely,
the popularity of cupcakes must be adding to a growing North American
waistline. To counter these insanely high numbers, Eating Well recommends recipes (such as
their own) with fewer calories and fat as well as “an ingredient list you can
pronounce and half as much added sugar as the bakery cupcake.” Their
Raspberry-Swirl Cupcakes have 194 likes on Facebook, which is almost as high as
the calorie count.
Cupcake
motivations
As
the American women’s liberation movement activist, Gloria Steinem once said,
“America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving
people.”
Her
metaphor is quirky, but it hits a very vital point. Why, in a world where the
United Nations reports approximately 25,000 people dying everyday from
starvation and hunger-related causes, is there a first-world obsession with
something as trivial and insignificant as cupcakes? In a world fraught with
war, poverty and famine, is it possible that cupcakes act as a pseudo-escapism
for the privileged first-world population? Whether escapism or indulgence,
cupcakes are undeniably making people happy.
//Claire McGillivray, writer
//Graphics by JJ Brewis
//Claire McGillivray, writer
//Graphics by JJ Brewis
|
