[1] Our favorite from Junior’s: the retro “Hostess cupcake” with a creme center (photo by Katharine Pollak | © THE NIBBLE).

[2] The first of numerous Hostess Brands snack cakes (photo © Hostess Cakes).

[3] Something more conventional: a cupcake with blackberry frosting and a fresh blackberry (photo © Gelson’s).

[4] Too elegant to eat? Cupcake by Samantha Chiu (photo © So Super Awesome).

Earlier this year we were at a trade show in San Francisco. A fine German chocolate producer was exhibiting its wares, displaying three tiers of gorgeous chocolate cupcakes as an example of what could be made with its couverture and cocoa.

“Wow, beautiful cupcakes!” we said. A company executive responded, “We don’t have cupcakes in Germany. They are unknown. But when we planned our booth here, our American importer said that cupcakes were the rage. So we had these made.”

The residents of Germany don’t know what they’re missing. The cupcake revolution has generated more enthusiasm in the U.S. since the introduction of, perhaps, frozen yogurt in the 1970s.

Even Junior’s Restaurant of New York City, known for generations for its cheesecake, has gotten into the act. To celebrate its 60th Anniversary, the restaurant on West 45th Street has added cupcakes to the menu—a boon to theater-goers in need of a cupcake fix. They can also be found at the bakeshop at Grand Central Terminal.

The cupcake choices are classic, and you can find recipes on line:

 
It was hard work—believe us—but we ate some of each yesterday afternoon. And we ate two for breakfast this morning.

 
Cupcake on, dudes! (That’s the sugar talking.)

> The six cupcake holidays follow.

> The history of hostess CupCakes is below.

> The history of cupcakes.

> The history of cake and the different types of cake: a photo glossary.
 
 
CUPCAKE HOLIDAYS

> February 24th is National Cupcake Day [Canada].

> May 11th is Hostess Cupcake Day.

> June 13th is National Cupcake Lovers Day.

> October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day.

> November 10th is National Vanilla Cupcake Day.

> December 15th is National Cupcake Day.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HOSTESS CUPCAKES

On May 10, 1919, Taggart Bakery of Indianapolis introduced Chocolate Cup Cakes. The first generation of cupcakes were devil’s food cake with chocolate frosting—no vanilla cream filling, no white icing squiggle.

It is believed that the first batches were sold in stores on May 11th, which we now celebrate as Hostess Cupcake Day.

Taggart was purchased by the Continental Baking Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1925 and they were renamed Hostess Cup Cakes (today CupCakes).

They were followed by Twinkies (1930), Donettes (1940) and SnoBalls (1950).

In the early 1930s, the CupCake got an update: It was filled with the same vanilla cream as Twinkies and embellished with a seven-loop white icing curlicue on top of the chocolate icing, to distinguish the Hostess CupCake from all others.

More sweet treats followed: Suzy Q’s, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Zingers. The latest is Meltamors, chocolate cake with peanut butter cream filling.

The company continues to expand the line with seasonal specials, such as red-white-and-blue decorations and fillings, and baseball-decorated white cupcakes for the summer. Here’s more about them.

Continental Bakeries was acquired by Interstate Bakeries in 1930 and renamed Hostess Brands.

In 2012, Hostess Brands filed for bankruptcy and after a huge public fight with union leadership, the company decided to liquidate in 2012. Fans feared that its iconic products would disappear forever.

But in finally, in n a deal closing in November 2023, the company was raised from the dead by J.M. Smucker, which agreed to sell its assets for about $5.6 billion. Here’s more about it.