The Uptake On The Cupcake

Hello everybody!

The cupcake. A wondrous invention. It's better than a muffin (I'm willing to throw down on that), not nearly as heavy as a pound cake (or at least it shouldn't be) and it's everything from its own meal to a dessert to an affectionate nickname. The New York obsession with cupcakes arguably started brewing from Magnolia bakery in the West Village. Yes, we all know about their legendary status but is it THAT good anymore? I would like to throw my hat into the ring and say, defiantly, no.

I've had quite a number of cupcakes in the last couple of months. People who've wondered where my posts have disappeared to need not look any further than my ballooning waistline and smile. Cupcakes. The word itself makes you smile. As if Willie Wonka himself got his little team of Oompa Loompas together and tried to come up with a name for this delectable little goodie. And what a job they did. Cup. Cake. Mmmmm.

So, here's the Uptake on the Cupcake. What are your favorite flavors? Both cake and frosting mind you. Merely picking one is being a novice. Is it a peanut butter cupcake with french chocolate icing? Maybe a luscious and unique carrot cake topped with a toupee of vanilla butter cream? Or are you a true New Yorker at heart and you're going for the local Red Velvet and Cream Cheese frosting combo? The variations are endless and delicious.

Where do you like to go? Is it the famed Magnolia bakery? Maybe the diminutive Baked by Melissa in Soho and Union Square or perhaps an unknown hole-in-the-wall bakery in Brooklyn that you don't feel like sharing? Let me know what you combo and location you think is best.

As for me? Right now, I've got a soft spot in my heart (and stomach) for the Banana cupcake with French Vanilla frosting from Butter Lane at 7th and 1st avenue. But the good thing about cupcakes is you don't have to have only one....

Good eatin',

Your Hungry Asian