Cupcakes of the Week

I've seen some amazing cupcakes this week. I've also looked amazing this week. Just thought you should know.

Crumb Cake Cupcake

Yellow cupcake with cinnamon and sugar baked inside topped with cream cheese frosting, "crumbs" and powdered sugar

Photo via Sugar Mommy Cupcakes

The Official Seattle Mariners Cupcake (available at Seattle's Safeco Field)

Not sure what this is, but doesn't it look AMAHZING!?!

Picture via CakeSpy

Tiffany Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes topped with buttercream, Tiffany-blue tinted fondant, white fondant bows, and sugar Tiffany heart charms

Photo via Flickr

Captain Crunch Berry Cupcakes

Captain Crunch flavored cupcakes with berry icing, topped with a crunch berry marshmallow treat, drizzled with white chocolate

Photo via Death by Cupcakes

Muppet Cupcakes

Notice how the liners match the character

Photo via Cupcake Occasions

Sour Cream Apricot Cupcake

Filled with Apricot preserves, topped with mascarpone frosting and slivered almonds

Photo via Ming Makes Cupcakes

SOME of the People Behind D.C.'s Cupcake Explosion

Like my dear, blonde, historic-preserving good friend Anna said...why wasn't I included in this?!

Because I know you care what I have to say on the matter, I do agree with the owner of Baked and Wired. It should go without saying I will never admit to there being such a thing as "too many cupcakes", but I too wonder if D.C. has the capacity to accommodate even more cupcake-only shops.

Cupcakes are like that Swedish acoustic solo artist who you discovered on your Jack Johnson Pandora station and isn't quite famous yet, but you know some day she probably will be. And when she finally does get called out on Twitter by some celebutard like Ashton Kutcher or one of her songs winds up on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, that's when you'll be all "oh, yeah, I've been listening to Ulriga since before she was cool", which, ya know, will really solidify your superiority. And then after an appearance on SNL and two number 1 singles in a row, she'll come out with a "new sound", whiter teeth, a quarterback boyfriend, and a couple singles featuring Missy Elliott or Lil' Wayne. But even though she looks cuter, and is thinner thanks to the impossible standards of beauty set forth by Hollywood, now her music sucks, but you can't get away from it 'cus they play it every 9th song during the Kane show in the mornings!!! And then suddenly she's winning Grammy's, making cameo appearances on Disney shows like iCarly, and signing Oprah's "no-phone zone" pledge, and you're thinking to yourself "WTF Ulriga...what happened?!"

So yeah, cupcakes are just like that. The last thing this economy needs is another trendy business concept with no sense of quality or value (remember oxygen bars? No? Oh that's right...cus they were stupid!). Having a quality cupcake shop (or bakery selling great cupcakes) in every neighborhood is one thing, but when every Tom, Dick, and Ulriga quit their publicist day job to open up another mediocre cupcake shop, that's when the quality starts to suffer. And THAT, my friends, is going to give cupcakes a bad name.

Next question.

CupcakesOMGlee!

Don't get it twisted--Gaga is still my number one "things-that-start-with-the-letter-G" obsession:

But Fox's runaway hit Glee is inching in as my second favorite, followed, of course by Guidettes (Snookie has single-handedly taken my favorite hobby of grooming to a-whole-nother level).

Now, up until last night, my old and new obsessions had yet to truly collide, but when they finally did, well, I'm pretty sure the heavens opened and the angels shed a single tear. In a word, it was magical.

Honestly, it would be weird if you DIDN'T ask yourself "what the hell is going on?" It's a burger...holding hands with a cupcake! It's the food equivalent of Richard Simmons dating,oh  I dunno, anything that's not a farm animal. 

I mean, hey, I get it...but I recognize that owning 3 cupcake costumes (2 store bought, 1 that I crocheted. No big.) and a Cherry-on-top hat isn't a staple in most people's wardrobe. So it's reasonable that such deprived peasants would be curious to understand the scenario being presented in this image. For that, I say get thee to the Fox website to watch last night's episode, 'cus Mama's got better things to do than explain that to you, like one-armed handstand push-ups. I can basically do 100. Impressive? Yeah, it is.

My point is that that if you're not watching Glee, you should be. And if you're not eating cupcakes, you can at least dress like one. 

This Just In: The French are Still Excellent Bakers

Having a brain double the size of the average person means that I need to be challenged. So, occasionally, I'll just read blogs in different languages. Coupled with my air of superiority, that typically means I read French blogs. Fast forward to right now, when I land on these parfait cupcakes!!!! 

How do you say: Jah-DORE!

Via La Casserole Carree

Since I can read French (i.e., I know how to turn on the translate feature), I can tell you that these parfaits consist of Limoncello-soaked cupcakes, cut in half, layered with raspberry mouse, topped with Lemon buttercream. Then of course it was sprinkled with un peu pink sprinkles. Voila!

And Merci.