What is it about over-priced, calorie-laden, exotic cupcakes that has everyone in such a twitter? I don’t get it. I particularly don’t get it when a friend was telling me that she bought cupcakes for her daughter’s class at school and thought she had a bargain because they didn’t cost over $100. Fifteen cupcakes for under $100? Is that really a bargain these days?
Then I started getting review books that featured cupcake bakers who find love through exotic ingredients and piles of frosting.
First I read Cupcake Rush by Donna Kauffman, and while I understood the minimalist approach of baking small goodies rather than a huge cake, I didn’t really buy that an upscale New York baker would chuck it all to become a cupcake specialist in a downscale Southern seaside town. But I didn’t think much about the cupcake angle.
Then the avalanche of cupcake books landed on me:
Cupcake by Mariah Jones, one of the 99-cent (or free) Kindle novellas, features an overweight protagonist and a sexy art gallery owner next door to her bakery. Why, one wonders, if the protagonist wants to lose weight, doesn’t she decide to bake low-calorie, heart-healthy alternatives? Because cupcakes are “in,” that’s why!
Cupcakes and the Centre of the Universe by Whitney Moore, another digital-only book, takes a Douglas Adams approach to the universe and baking. So much for the fish. Still, are cupcakes an acceptable alternative?
The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross is the chick-lit romance answer to the cupcake frenzy. One dumped woman moves from Dallas to Manhattan and takes the city by storm with her cutely named cupcakes. Uh huh.
Cupcakes and Cupids by Jennifer Connor is admittedly one of the first cupcake romances, but it’s so short that I don’t think it quite qualifies as the trend-setter.
How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue will be published in March 2012, but promises to be more chick-lit about friendship and the little bundles of fattening food.
And those are only the tip of the icing. A veritable glut of cupcakes are waiting in the wings to be published through the spring and summer, not only in the romance realm but also in children’s literature and mysteries.
My question is: Who cares? Are you so enamored with cupcakes that you’ll scarf up these goodies as they come out? If so, what fascinates you about them? Or are you like me puzzled as to their appeal? This dieting reviewer is curious to know.
– Pat Henshaw
My personal favorite a part of Christmastime may be the tree with colorful lights during my family room. It can make the entire house feel more magical. And I enjoy take a seat on the couch and drink hot cocoa and browse a magazine using the tree twinkling nearby.
I love cupcakes, but only homemade ones. The ones I have eaten that are lavishly decorated by a professional always taste very dry to me. I am always amazed by the parents of my sixth graders who purchase cupcakes, when 30 cupcakes cost anywhere from $15 to $30, and homemade ones are so inexpensive. My student who brought them yesterday was so proud to tell us he helped make them himself. Just makes sense to me.
I guess I missed this craze until now. However, after reading this I Googled “”cupcakes”” and what popped up? A store called “”Yummy Cupcakes””; there are three locations in the L.A. area! Who knew? Apparently this company is now offering franchise opportunities; hmm, makes me almost want to quit my job for a new career! ;) (Honestly, I don’t get it either. Yes, they’re easy to eat, but I’m not really into all that icing!
I love the little cupcakes as I don’t feel so guilty eating one and there are so many yummy flavours. I don’t buy from the chain that makes the larger ones.
I don’t want to read about baking them. My interest is solely in eating them – especially the honeycomb or lemon merringue ones.
I’ll admit that I bought one of the books you mentioned but only because I like the writers style of writing…there is no way I would buy the others though- one is enough. I’m not sure what the appeal is for the overpriced baked goods these days but they sure are getting pricey…lol…..
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I also live in DC and we love cupcakes! They are such a fun treat to get when you’re wandering around in the spring and need a snack. Plus I like comparing them from all the dozen cupcake bakeries. Although I admit I am a baked goods person so I am naturally inclined towards them. Would love to read about them in romance, thanks for the suggestions!
You might like this book, Krista. http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=8530
@Jean The general trends are WAAAAAYYYY behind Pinterest. LOL
See, I thought cupcakes were old hat, and cake pops were in. We’re getting tonnes of cake pop books at Chapters.
Jean
Yikes! I can buy cupcake mix and frosting for under $2.00!
I’ve been to a couple of gourmet cupcake shops here, and I’ll admit, they were delicious, but really expensive. Still, a nice treat. I’m not a huge cake fan though, more of a brownie lover. Can we talk gourmet brownies???
I certainly don’t get it. And since I haven’t eaten sugar in over a year, I’m really not crazy about fiction books that glorify sweets.
Cupcakes are just the newest book trend, like knitting and quilting before them. Confession time: I like cupcakes too. Georgetown Cupcakes (TLC’s Cupcake Sisters show) is delicious and nearly always has a line to get in.