The ruthless world of yummy cupcakes

The cupcake business is cut-throat; businesses try to outdo each other with fancy designs. But who wants to eat them?

Nefer Sehgal February 09, 2011
Along with the added convenience of keeping in touch and stalking your friends, Facebook has allowed individuals to launch home-based businesses. Online groups for personalised greeting cards, flowers, baked treats and apparel are popping up all over the social networking website.

The most successful of these ventures is the baking business; who wouldn't click on a picture of a delicious cupcake? Many of these businesses have emerged, and why not? It’s free to start a fan page and cheap to advertise.

Cut-throat baking gurus

Do not be fooled by the cute baby bottles and delicate flower decorations. The baking business is ruthless. Competitors send their friends to check out other pages and point out flaws. Everyone one keeps tabs on each other in order to outdo rivals with special offers.  The cupcake wars may have been silent two years ago but now they have captured the media's attention and more icing will be spilled.

So how exactly do these women compete with each other?  They try to make the most eye-catching designs available, of course. You can order a cake that looks like a Birkin bag and even a cupcake with a 3D teddy bear on it. This is all thanks to the material fondant, a form of icing that can be molded like clay. There is no doubt that these pieces are works of art but my question is: do you really want to eat them?

Not as yummy as they look

When I pass by a bakery in New York, I ogle the Red Velvet cupcakes in the window because the butter cream frosting triggers my memory and I remember a taste from the past. But can one do that with a marzipan lookalike of a car?  In rare cases I feel like the taste has been sacrificed for the design. Entrepreneurs have offered such wonderful products and have created loyal fan bases, but I would like to see some more old fashioned cupcakes amped up, perhaps bigger and less laden with icing.

Perhaps I’m simply living in a dream world where the icing is just an afterthought and cupcakes are just cupcakes.
WRITTEN BY:
Nefer Sehgal A freelance director and a photographer.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (7)

Maryam | 13 years ago | Reply i agree with u fondant is not tasty at all.......... i usually take oiff all the icing then eat the cup cake.
Mariam | 13 years ago | Reply I owe facebook many thanks for introducing me to my favorite fb page, FOODILCIOUS...
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