Cupcakes are mad cool.

I have never been cutting-edge. I am okay with that. So it does not bother me that the whole world has gone cupcake-crazy in the last decade, and that we are nearing the end of the craze. (I hear pie is the next big thing.) Anyway, I have never loved cupcakes, maybe because I've never had a really good one, and I've tried some of the popular cupcake chain product. But, they are so practical. I mean, a personal cake. Silverware optional. Plate optional.

Inspired by Orangette's recipe (and an episode of Cupcake Wars watched while ellipticizing), I decided to try out cupcakes for a picnic on Saturday. Chocolate cupcakes injected with Raspberry-Key Lime jam, topped with Tiffany's-blue vanilla frosting. (I intended to make the chocolate ganache, but neglected to buy an important ingredient - the chocolate.) This photo is from the test batch. And the test batch results are in: this picnic is going to have some mighty tasty cupcakes!!

Success has given me wings, and I'm now going to try making Chai Cupcakes. Welcome to my personal cupcake craze. Radical!