Cupcake Therapy: Trends in Indulgent Snacking

By June Jo and Melissa Heffernan

It was the summer of 1977 when I first rode my bicycle unaided by training wheels around the block, albeit tentative and wobbly. This momentous occasion was celebrated with my best friend and homemade cupcakes brought to table by my mom. The fond memory of those gooey cupcakes with their moist yellow cake, sweet butter cream frosting and rainbow sprinkles is what drew me into Seattle's first cupcake cafe: Cupcake Royale. And once I saw all those lovely little cupcakes, I was a princess again on my powder blue "Lil' Chick" Schwinn...

Have you had a cupcake lately? At a wedding? Or a friend's birthday party? Or, perhaps at a local cupcake cafe-a bakery specializing in just cupcakes. We're not talking about the supermarket variety; we're referring to baked art in the form of the gourmet cupcake. The haute cupcake phenom, which began as a way to use leftover cake batter at a New York bakery in Greenwich Village (circa 1996), has made its way to other trendy neighborhoods across America. A visit to NYC's now legendary Magnolia Bakery, inspired two bakers to open Seattle's Cupcake Royale in December of 2003. Here, exquisite cupcakes are paired with one of the city's finest eye-opening lattes in a "third place" atmosphere (one of the co-owners was employed by Starbucks). And this summer in a suburb of Seattle, New York Cupcakes debuted with a Baskin-Robbins style decor in the upscale Bellevue Square Mall.

Signs that the haute cupcake has gone mainstream:

• When cupcake cafes hit the suburban mall
• When InStyle Magazine [Sept. 2005] features a spread on celebrity picks of their favorite cupcake cafes
• When a NYC cupcake rivalry turns into a lawsuit over franchising rights [New York Magazine Sept. 19, 2005 issue]
• When trendsetters are sporting "designer" cupcake t-shirts
• When you can eat a cupcake sans calories by misting yourself with Jessica Simpson's Cupcake fragrance
• When Elizabeth Arden jumps on the bandwagon with a more subtle cupcake-scented fragrance, Fantasy Perfume by Britney Spears with just "a hint of cupcake"

As of this year, New Yorkers who were previously unable to partake in the cupcake craze-core wellness consumers, diabetics, celiacs, and those with food sensitivities-can have their cupcake and eat it too. The newly opened specialty bakery, Babycakes NYC in Greenwich Village, bakes their "signature gluten, wheat, dairy, casein, egg, soy, trans-fat, sugar and nut free" organic cupcakes that are sweetened with agave nectar, date sugar and birch tree sweetener (a.k.a., xylitol).

Gourmet cupcakes are hitting the sweet spot with American consumers. Cupcake cafes are poised to franchise nationally (and even internationally). As the low carb trend wanes in diet-plagued America, consumers are beginning to openly seek out-with less guilt-a bit of indulgence in their everyday diets. Americans, especially females, are getting used to the idea that small indulgences do not have to come with a dollop of guilt. In the spirit of the French Paradox, Americans are finally getting that it's not about self-deprivation (followed by the inevitable binge); it's more about moderation, portion control and eating the real thing (not "lite" or "sugar free").

A Scharffen Berger Nibby Bar or a fresh baked lavender infused butter cream frosted cupcake topped with candied violets are manageable indulgences. They serve not only as "reward" or "treat," but also as a way to feed the soul. Little edible indulgences, along with hot stone massage, aromatherapy, pedicures and other sensual pleasures are incorporated into individually tailored rituals meant to create a sacred time and space to care for the Self, and to serve as a respite from the daily grind of a time compressed life.

Choosing the right edible indulgence for oneself is linked to emotional well being, and is influenced by a random mood, a lingering memory of a specific taste and texture, a primordial craving, or a whimsical at-shelf impulse. A gourmet cupcake is the perfect indulgence: you can choose white or chocolate cake, which flavor of butter cream icing you fancy, and the design that appeals to your sense of style. Some cafes even allow you to pick the edible adornment to top off your cupcake. How's that for customization?

June Jo is focused on understanding food in relation to health, identity, tastes and desire. Her areas of expertise are ethnography, food and nutrition, healthcare and cultural translation. She has broad experience in brand management and integrative marketing - from creative and strategic planning at the agency side, to implementation through wholesale, retail, Internet and B2B channels. Her fieldwork has centered on food-as-medicine, international research communities and cross-cultural health practices.