World Cupcakes

England's second match is on tonight and as the sun was still shining, typically up until today, we had planned to have a BBQ rather than watching it in a pub. Not sure if that will still be the case but we still have lots of nice things to eat while we watch the game. Instead of making a pudding (although I really felt like making meringue with fresh strawberries and raspberries) I have gone for some World Cupcakes as dessert. With just a hint of a theme, I have created cakes with white and red striped butter icing, and also a set of football pitch cakes complete with retro footballing accessories. Do you recognise Bobbly Charlton out there?! If we win I'll be making some Gold Cupcakes for the celebratory after parties. Fingers crossed!

Cupcake Backlash?

A recent article in the Times stated that the cupcake was dead. Of course I disagree. Sure, they became popular a few years back (some thanks go to Sex and the City in which Carrie munches on pastel-coloured cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery) but in my opinion the charm and 'cuteness' of the cupcake still appeals and they are here to stay, for quite a while I hope.

It is assumed that the cupcake business has been taken over by Mums wanting to do something from home instead of going back to work, but that is not the case with me and if it were, so what! According to the BBC's Junior Apprentice screened last night, the cupcake business is worth £26.5 million. Not bad for a mixture of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. But it is the care that is taken into creating the perfect cupcake, the appealing decoration and the sweet taste that makes them truly gorgeous and appealing. There has been mention of the Whoopie Cake taking over, but can you really see those presented on a 6 tier cake stand at a wedding? Perfectly nice, but not as special. Check out M&S's creations if you haven't yet seen them.

So I won't post a link to the aforementioned review (despite being fairly amusing) instead I will give a mention to the Stylist in which an April edition champions the army of cupcake entrepreneurs. We are here to stay!