Is there anyone who doesn’t love cupcakes? Cute and friendly, hand–size or bite–size, they’re always just–right–size for snacks, desserts, and celebrations. Everyone gets a whole “cake” of his or her own—no fighting over the corners or the center! And when you use paper liners in your cupcake tins, there’s virtually no mess.
But those are side benefits. For the baker, the real joy of cupcakes is having one or two dozen opportunities to express your creative flair with every batch. Cupcakes practically beg to be decorated—and not only with frosting, as we’ll discover. And they offer myriad display options, too. No wonder cupcakes are big news in bakeshops: Many cities now have trendy bakeries that sell nothing but cupcakes, like Boston’s Johnny Cupcakes and San Francisco’s Kara’s Cupcakes and Citizen Cupcake.
