After 8 weeks of testing all the cupcake shops in my home town of DC, The Washington Post Food Section just crowned the winner, Georgetown Cupcake. Ah Georgetown, my alma mater. How lovely to have had that shop opened so few blocks away many years ago when I was in school. They won for their “Chocolate Ganache” cupcake. And the competition was fierce. 159 cupcakes from 16 bakeries were tested by food professionals and Post employees, and they did not sugar coat their results (forgive the pun). The brutal honesty lent much legitimacy to the search. I had no idea how many dry, tasteless, overly sweet cupcakes graced our capital. The article, Sweet Victory, is an interesting read, including a brief history of the cupcake (Perhaps I love this because I forced a brief history of the decorated cookie into my book, too) as well as an explanation of the modern craze (thank you Magnolia Bakery in NY and Carrie Bradshaw for eating them on TV).
If you are a cupcake baker, you might want to check out the accompanying article on the “Ten Commandments of Cupcakes,” tips for making the best tasting cupcakes. Very good guidance there, such as lessons on simplicity, respecting ratios of frosting and cake, and the importance of the right ingredients.
