Photographed by Nilesh Acharekar/Mumbai, Anil Chawla/Delhi.
Styling by Rishika Roopchand/Mumbai, Natasha Chopra/Delhi.
Make-up and hair by Nalini, of Nalini and Yasmin Salon/Mumbai, Sandy for Dar Salon and Spa/New Delhi.

icing age

It’s small and cute and seems to coo ‘I love you’ each time you reach for it. After seducing the world with its fairy-tale charm, the cupcake is doing some serious sweet talking in the land of mithai. But there’s more to the cupcake than frosting and cake. Sona Bahadur unlayers the cupcakist world view

Love it. Scorn it. You dare not ignore the little mighty cupcake. The diminutive American staple has risen up the ranks to emerge as one of the sexiest sweeties of our times. It’s almost up there with Barbie, strawberry daiquiris and pink feather boas. And now it’s becoming an Indian sweetheart. Rangoli cupcakes, anyone?
The tiny dessert has big potential in India. Its proportions complement the bite-sized mithais Indians are used to, it’s sweeter than most Western desserts and it satisfies the craving for something ‘different’.
Actually, the cupcake takes the cake for being a rock star wherever it goes. Which other dessert has inspired boutique bakeries in tony Manhattan? Or had cookbooks, blogs and magazines devoted entirely to it? Online cupcake communities have cupcakeaholics drooling – you might just stumble upon a CBA (Cupcake Bakers Anonymous) in Cyberia. And folks, please mark December 15 as a day of international importance. It’s Lemon Cupcake Day!
How the humble cupcake held its own against the formidable cake – and came close to upstaging it at children’s parties and high-end weddings alike – is a delicious affirmation of the David-Goliath myth, the ultimate crumbs-to-riches story. You can be small and win, vouches the cupcake. Indeed, you can win because you’re small. Their size is more efficient for heat conduction, ergo cupcakes bake faster than layer cakes. That’s what made them revolutionary when they were first invented in the 19th century. Less is more.

The transformative power of the cupcake is legendary. Witness its astonishing metamorphosis from its homey 1950s squiggle-topped Hostess avatar to its 2000s superglam status as the chic comfort snack of Sex and The City’s Manolo-crazy heroines. Ugly duckling turned swan. That’s our cupcake.
A cupcake is approachable. Most people will try one rather than a slice of cake. There’s something very satisfying about the display of a cupcake which you don’t get with a cookie or a brownie, says a blogger. Pastries don’t have that aha factor. They don’t make people’s faces light up when they stare into a bakery case the way cupcakes do. And cupcakes get more brownie points for making people social than any other sweet. How’s that?v The pretty yum things can teach their PYT devotees a thing or two about makeovers and moving with the times. Take the legendary red velvet cupcake. Once an old-fashioned recipe that relied on the chemical reaction of unprocessed cocoa with buttermilk to get its trademark red hue, it now thrives on food colouring. Cupcakes vote for change. (There’s even an Obama cupcake.)
Be yourself, says cupcake the individualist. To each his or her own frosting. There’s one for every kind of personality. Devil’s food with chocolate ganâche for die-hard chocoholics, white chocolate and green tea for sophisticates, chai latte or mocha for caffeine addicts and gluten-free for the flour challenged. Careerists like the rise-rise success story of cupcakes. Romantics like its creamy swirling peaks. The part everyone likes – you don’t have to share it.
One of the few industries to boom during recession, the American cupcake bubble has left economists mighty impressed. As a cupcake analyst observed, the economic rationale of the desserts seems to withstand all conditions. When the economy is going well, people can afford little extras like cupcakes. When the economy is not going well, people can afford only cupcakes. Smart cookie.

The portion-control ethos of cupcakes suits our Pay Per Second times. A cupcake is a small indulgence. You don’t have to feel guilty about eating it. The sugar fix of calorie-conscious fashionistas, the mini-cupcake is a small miracle.
A cupcake is cheap luxury. Candace Nelson, c0-owner of Sprinkles, billed as America’s first cupcakery, called it ‘the lipstick of the food world – a little pick-me-up that people can still afford.’ In India, it’s a trendy fashion statement that appeals to the crème-de-la-crème. Bespoke cupcakes are all the rage.
A cupcake spells instant gratification. Quick, easy and portable, it speaks to the YouTube set. It’s about convenience. Lose those knives and forks. Just pick up and eat. It upholds the 21st century ethos of niche channels and personalised iPod jukeboxes. With cupcakes everyone gets just what they like. So cool.
It’s the ultimate comfort food. Away from snooty edginess of current patisserie and dark chocolate trends, the baby cake invokes a world that’s simple, familiar and soothing. ‘To be a cupcakist is to put your faith in the church of cute and sweet, to believe that childhood is a magical land accessible via a palm-size serving of sugar and fat,’ writes a journalist. Want to reconnect with your inner child? Have a cupcake.
The perfect gift for love aaj kal, a cupcake has ‘I Love You’ written all over it. And it reaches out to lonely hearts as only a cupcake can. ‘Pick me up,’ it whispers softly. ‘I’m yours.’

No one can be mad after eating a cupcake. ‘Make Cupcakes Not War,’ already a popular sticker slogan, strikes the perfect anti-war (and anger-management) notes. The message resonates in these sexually unfettered, post-Section 377 times. And until earth summits find a solution for global warming, there’s global frosting for some cheer and hope.
Come to think of it, there’s not much wrong a cupcake can do. (Okay, so it’s cutesy and shallow and a little silly. But you can’t hold that against a cupcake. Would you blame a ladybird for being adorable?)
Ultimately, the power of the cupcake lies in its endless versatility, its uncanny Can Do-ness. You can eat your cupcake and look it, too. Match it to your wedding dress or your nail colour. Dress it up or down. The flavour can be anything. The size can be customised. The message can be personalised. It puts you in control.
Welcome to the world of fairies. The cult of cute.
Hello, pretty.

Nikita Dembla, 30,
Nikki’s Desserts Mumbai

Take on cupcakes
Cupcakes look fabulous, taste great, and people don’t feel guilty eating them. It’s a pick-me-up so it’s less messy, you can carry it anywhere as it has a good shelf life.

Cupcake menu
Chocolate truffle, Ferrero Rocher, Lindt chocolate, marble, vanilla, buttercream, red velvet, mint, raspberry, strawberry, orange, lemon, banana, carrot and more

The perfect cupcake
Melts in the mouth. It’s what you dream of.

Cupcake moment
First time I did 3-D sugar work for my cupcakes with flowers and animals. It was so good that I was asked if my hands could be insured.

Cupcake kicks
The outstanding compliments I get. Decorating is the most fun part, especially a challenge to create something new.

Cupcake blues
You can’t grow your nails. Ever!

Most stylish cupcake
Red velvet with personalised message or a 3-D sugar decoration or sugar flowers.

Cupcake dream
My own cupcake cafe that serves coffee and all varieties of cupcakes you can think of!

Call: 022-23676232

Verve special:Nikita made red velvet cupcakes with buttercream frosting and decorated them with 3-D sugarcrafted bride, christmas bells, butterflies and hearts.

Blue shaded dress, by Nachiket Barve; pink flower cocktail ring, pearl and diamond bracelet, both by Natasha Sabherwal for Shimmer Shack. All in Mumbai. Beige and gold shoes, Nikki’s own.

Shirin Adenwala, 45,
Truffles Mumbai

Take on cupcakes
They’re a trend worldwide. Food fads keep changing but cupcakes are a sort of retro dessert. They’ve become hot gifting items in India but it’s a very girlie, kiddy thing. You cannot send cupcakes to a man!

Cupcake offerings
Apple and cinnamon, blueberry, lemon, caramel vanilla, chocolate, tiramisu, lemon meringue, cranberry pecan and others.

Signature cupcake
Caramel vanilla with white chocolate icing.

Earliest cake stirrings
Since childhood, the house was filled with treats to sample and mixing bowls to lick clean, and clouded in the aroma of baking.

Cupcake perfection
Is about lightness and of course the taste.

Cupcake edge
Gorgeous seasonal packaging. Recipes are all my own and I innovate different stuff.

Cupcake kicks
Love mixing, the way things come together.

Purist or experimenter
Experimenter, though there’s only so much you can do.

Fave bakeries
De Mer’s in Vienna. Also Le Notre Café in Bangkok.

Most fashionable cupcake
Champagne truffle. What could be more stylish!

Call: 9820058792

Verve special:Shirin made Christmas cupcakes in vanilla caramel and chocolate vanilla using white, brown and blue for the icing.

One shoulder salmon pink top at Creo, Mumbai. Black pants, silver earrings, shoes and watch, Shirin’s own.

Malika Rahat-Khan, 29,
Sugar Rush Mumbai

Why cupcakes
You can have an assortment of flavours so there’s more to try. It’s individual.

Cupcake menu
Chocolate with orange zest, peanut butter, vanilla, chocolate chip, coffee with vanilla bean icing, fresh strawberries and peach when they’re in season, apple and cinnamon. I like to combine chocolate with flavours like strawberry and orange. Also do mini ones.

Signature cupcake
Lemon meringue. Bit into the crispy meringue, then soft meringue oozes out like Spout chewing gum and you taste the lemon curd. And there’s also cake!

The perfect cupcake
Must give a full hit of flavour. The mini ones are tiny but full impact. Your mouth, your tongue, your nose all feel it.

Cupcake kicks
The basic cake recipe is more or less fixed. Icing lets me go crazy.

Cupcake credo
Everything must be fresh. No essence can substitute for fresh orange zest or taste the way vanilla beans do.

Most stylish cupcake
Dark chocolate with rose. Rose is such a pretty, delicate flavour. The dark chocolate adds that bit of earthiness. Insane!

Cupcake fantasy
Dark chocolate with marshmallows iced with vanilla and caramel.

Call: 9619686860

Verve special: Malika made mini cupcakes in dark chocolate with rose and orange zest, dark chocolate chip with vanilla, apple and cinnamon, among others.

Lime green bracelet by Natasha Sabherwal, for Shimmer Shack, Mumbai. Floral maxi, silver charm necklace and purple suede heels, Mallika’s own.

Aashiana Shroff, 27,
Tart Mumbai

Take on cupcakes
A cupcake is very appealing to women because it’s just one portion. It’s small and easy and you can choose your flavours.

Signature cupcake
Banana and coffee. Also peanut butter.

Cupcake gone desi
For Diwali this year we did beautiful Rangoli cupcakes.

Purist or experimenter
I love to mix up different things.

Cupcake boo boo
Once a new employee gave a client display cupcakes made of Styrofoam instead of real ones because she couldn’t tell the difference. I was horrified!

Coolest cupcake
Red velvet. It’s very different looking. And there’s the delicious cream cheese frosting.

Fashion Week cupcake
Would be something a little more European with cream cheese or mascarpone frosting. A Tiramisu one would be great as well.

Fave cupcake bakery
London’s Hummingbird Bakery.

Cupcake mantra
They have to taste as good as they look and must satisfy a craving.

Cupcake edge
My decorations.

Cupcakes next
Wish I knew. I’d start making it right away!

Call: 022-22875633
www.tart.co.in

Verve special: Aashiana made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting, dusted with Christmas festivity.

White shirt, pink skirt, black rope belt, pearl and gold earrings, gold bracelet and black patent pumps, all Ashiana’s own.

Aarti Gupta, 29,
Wicked Desserts, New Delhi

Take on cupcakes
They’ve definitely caught on in a big way and are here to stay because of their convenience and good looks. Anything attractive and different sells in India. v

Cupcake menu
Double chocolate, hazelnut praline with nougat, apple and cinnamon with almond crunch, blueberry, sugar-crusted lemon, banana and walnut, vanilla and choco chip, cappucino, spicy carrot. Also mini cupcakes for bulk orders like baby showers.

Signature cupcake
Double chocolate. It’s got the richness of dark Belgian chocolate and cocoa powder.

Cupcake edge
Mine are soft, spongy and attractive. Sometimes I sugarcraft them according to a theme.

The perfect cupcake
Should have a good texture, flavour, softness and sponginess. It should be iced well with frosting and decorated to suit the occasion.

Cupcake kicks
Combining different flavours in the batter, coming up with various concoctions and making them attractive for all ages.

Cupcake credo
Use quality ingredients. Pay attention to basic baking techniques like aerating the batter, folding and icing.

Coolest cupcake
Lemon or carrot with cream cheese icing. It’s got the citric freshness and the creamy rich and tangy texture of the cheese.

Call: 9811230770
wickeddesserts.co.in

Verve special: Aarti made an assortment of cupcakes in caramelised lemon, hazelnut chocolate, pear and cinnamon, cranberry and white chocolate.

Dress by Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna for Cue; Pearl earrings and bracelet by Shailee Gurwara, All in New Delhi.

Arshi Dhupia, 33,
Cravings, New Delhi

Cupcake menu
Vanilla with chocolate chip, bananna walnut and raisin, butter cupcakes filled with lemon curd, double chocolate chip with chocolate ganache and more.

Cupcake highlight
Recently did cupcakes for Halloween with pumpkin lanterns, mini brooms and ghosts, all made with marzipan. It was a lot of fun.

Cupcake kicks
Decorating cupcakes is probably the most exciting part although it’s so time consuming.

Cupcake perfection
The texture should be light and spongy.

Cupcake credo
The personal touch and care one takes while making a cupcake make it special. Ingredients have to be good. Never cut corners.

Most stylish cupcake
Would be simple, understated and classy. Taste is very important.

What after cupcakes
Cupcakes have been around for a long time and are here to stay.

Call: 9811296858

Verve special: Arshi made chocolate chip cupcakes topped with coloured buttercream dressed with Christmas decorations in festive colours.

Dress by Shantanu and Nikhil; Belt by Shailee Gurwara, All in New Delhi.

Location courtesy: Grandeur Interiors, New Delhi and Mumbai.
Grandeur offers Indian consumers truly designer treats in home interior solutions, with cutting-edge collections of Italian modular kitchens from Gruppo del Tongo, as well as kitchen appliances and decor furnishings from a range of international brands. Their pioneering spirit and customer service make their stores a design hotspot.

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