Quite an interesting article from the BBC re cupcakes - I'm particularly interested in the idea of cupcakes gentrifying an area
... cupcakes are a clear cultural barometer. Academics in New York are constructing a map of emerging cupcake shops throughout the city. The theory is that these give a more accurate guide to gentrification than traditional demographic and housing surveys.
If you look at the areas where cupcake cafes have sprung up in London I would agree this is certainly the case. They tend to be in the more exclusive areas, for example from the Kings Road area you can easily walk to 4 cupcake cafes. You'd have to be wearing some pretty sturdy walking shoes to walk to my local cupcake cafe - not many cupcakeries in the New Cross/Peckham area!
I also agree that the cupcake phenomenon has a lot to do with nostalgia. For Christmas I want one of these - something I remember using when baking with my mum/gran/aunt...
We're returning to things we've done in childhood, activities like baking, which gave us joy. It could be about the legacy of heritage. People are trying to hang on to a recipe that was sacred, that granny used to make."
Whatever gets people back into baking can only be a good thing surely so bring on the cupcake love :)
The picture is of last years Halloween cupcakes from Lolas (yes we tried a few different Halloween cupcakes)
