In Defense of the Cupcake

Yesterday I was perusing food blogs and came across my interwebnet friend Marilla over at Cupcake Rehab for some delicious dessert recipes. As her blog title suggests, she loves her some cupcakes. But that isn’t all she makes. Jams, jellies, pickling, pies, sauces, cookies, breads (ZOMG THE BREADS!!!)… it’s all good at her site. But sometimes she feels the need to clarify her stance on the humble cupcake.

I love cupcakes. I won’t apologize for it, I don’t feel bad when a snobby food blogger scoffs at them in favor of a green tea cookie with local honey glaze or lemon curry marmalade, and I don’t care if the people I reading this are tired of them. I am not. Besides, what is there NOT TO LIKE? It’s a small, individual cake. Just for you. That you don’t have to share (!).

And she is absolutely right! What is NOT to like about a cupcake??

Each one is an individual ray of sunshine, just waiting to send your taste buds into Sugar Valhalla. Honestly, peeling off the liner heightens the anticipation of biting into the velvety sweetness by a factor of twelve and seven orders of magnitude. And think about it: no cutting, no crumbs, no messing up the icing, no fighting over the decorations, no “I want more icing!”, no mess.  Choosing a cupcake is a symbol of individuality. YOU pick the one that speaks to you. That’s totally different than a cake that screams conformity.

Don’t get me wrong: I like cake, too. But the cupcake appeals to the rebel inside us, telling the rest of the world, “THIS ONE IS MINE, ALL MINE!!” And sometimes you need to have something that’s only yours, even if it is a cupcake 😀