I’m combining several celebrations into one this National Vanilla Cupcake Day.
As a cupcakologist, I conducted thematic research earlier this week at Sprinkles and Georgetown Cupcake. Informative, if predictably so. It was useful to get reacquainted and to overhear the preceding customer actually order a vanilla cupcake on a Tuesday, unrelated to any promotions for today’s holiday.
Vanilla being my favorite flavor, I set out to investigate its superior execution. Switching from cupcakology to food criticism, I sought to taste the handiwork of an exceptionally skilled pastry chef who operates a single shop as compared to a large corporation. There was no doubt who could provide such research specimens.
Under the leadership of Tiffany MacIsaac, Buttercream Bakeshop excels at the craft. The quality of the cake shines through, but what most impresses me is the frosting. I generally dislike frosting and often scrape it off. Buttercream masters the full potential of what buttercream can be. It’s that rare combination of skill, intuition and hands-on quality control that can whip premium butter and restrained quantities of sugar into palpable delight.
Disregard the cosmetic blemishes in the picture. The cupcakes spent a day in transit as I conducted field research. Even with tousled hair and smeared makeup, they are model citizens.
With the deepest respect for Veterans Day, I note that cupcakes are also a form of patriotism. Given their worldwide omnipresence, it’s easy to forget they were born in the USA. An indirect reference to cake baked in small cups appears in a 1796 cookbook and “cup cakes” originate in 1828. Public service and vanilla cupcakes are both expressions of patriotic pride in my book.
Andrea Adleman | Cupcakologist 