Leading cupcakeries are introducing new forms and flavors this summer.
The company formerly called Sprinkles Cupcakes dropped cupcakes from its name some years ago, presumably to broaden its identity. Its newest innovation, cupcake cups, aligns with the company’s evolution.
Adapting the concept of the chocolate peanut butter cup, Sprinkles launched cupcake cups in May. The cups come in three flavors: birthday cake, red velvet, and double chocolate. The chocolate exterior encases frosting-like filling.
Whereas Sprinkles was founded on in-person visits to its luxury boutiques, the company is expanding to reach mass-market shoppers at big-box stores. The cupcake cups are sold at 2,000 Targets nationwide.
Cupcake cups play on form. For their part, pickle cupcakes distort flavor. Baked by Melissa takes cupcakes to the savory side with a novelty for July’s National Pickle Month.
The New York-based mini cupcake mecca partnered with Claussen to create pickle cupcakes, adding pickle extract (and green food coloring) to vanilla cake and icing. Founder Melissa Ben-Ishay demonstrates the recipe in this video.
Flavorwise, it succeeds. The salty, tangy, acidic, and herbaceous notes strike the optimal balance, neither too subtle nor too pronounced.
Ben-Ishay is no stranger to savory food. During the pandemic, she became astronomically popular for savory TikTok recipes. This led to publication of her bestselling cookbook, Come Hungry: Salads, Meals, and Sweets for People Who Live to Eat.
Claussen pickle cupcakes are a limited-time special through July 31.
Andrea Adleman | Cupcakologist 