Cupcakes are still a thing, apparently. What was once deemed a noughties phase is here to stay, and who am I to complain? Miniature – and miniature miniature – cakes topped with perfectly piped buttercream are still as appealing as they were in 2003, and when flavours extend beyond vanilla and chocolate I am so there.
Outside of my kitchen (and a few friends') there isn't a single cupcake worth eating in Bristol, but wander a little further – London, to be exact – and there are delectable offerings on every street corner.
Crumbs & Doilies has cracked the cupcake industry. I found them on Instagram, of course, where anything sparkly, bright and uniform goes. C&D's Insta following stands at 197,000 at the time of writing, and it's not hard to see why.
With shades of unicorn and cute childhood favourites like bourbon biscuit and my personal fave, maple and bacon, the guys at C&D know how to grab your attention. But, more importantly, they know how to keep hold of it. Their variations are constantly changing, and it's a treat for the tastebuds (and eyeballs) of anyone taking a trip to their bakery in central London. Get your iPhone ready for a series of snaps worthy of the most beautiful Insta feeds – you're gonna get a lot of likes on this one.
And who doesn't want to see rows of identical peaks of pastel rainbow puffs? It's magical, it's edible and it's 100% accessible. But the question I'm asking is why only in London? It can't just be the capital, and its tourists, that want cupcakes. We've got Millie's Cookies, Ben's Cookies, Krispy Kreme and so many others dotted around the rest of the UK, so where are all the good cupcake shops at?
Maybe it's just me, and I'm being totally ignorant (likely), but I can't be travelling all the way to London every time I want a perfectly formed red velvet cupcake, can I? If there are some in Bristol that I have just totally overlooked, where are they? Show me your beautiful sponges! Or, dear Instagram, sort your algorithm out, yeah?
