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[1] Better than the originals—much, much better. Here’s the recipe (photo © Brown Eyed Baker).
[2] Something more conventional: a cupcake with blackberry frosting and a fresh blackberry (photo © Gelson’s).
[3] Too elegant to eat? Cupcake by Samantha Chiu (photo © So Super Awesome).
[4] The first of numerous Hostess Brands snack cakes (photo © Hostess Cakes).
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Back in 2010 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 didn’t know what they were missing. But since we’ve had the opportunity to update this article 16 years later, we can report that while cupcakes may be somewhat marginal in Germany, they are no longer unknown.
We updated this article on National Hostess Cupcake Day, May 11, 2026, commemorating the day the first Hostess Cupcakes were sold in 1919.
While we can’t speak for other countries, the cupcake revolution has generated more enthusiasm in the U.S. since the introduction of, perhaps, frozen yogurt in the 1970s. Just take a look at the number of cupcake chains below.
And celebrate the holiday by baking your own version of a deep chocolate cupcake with a cream center and an white squiggle on top.
Below:
> Our journey with Hostess cupcakes.
> America’s top cupcake chains.
> What about cookies? America’s top cookie chains.
> The year’s 9 cupcake holidays.
> The history of Hostess Cupcakes.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> The history of cupcakes.
> The history of cake and the different types of cake: a photo glossary.
OUR JOURNEY WITH HOSTESS CUPCAKES
Decades ago, in our grade-school days, the highlight of the day was stopping at the candy store on the way home to buy a Hostess cupcake. Oh, how delicious.
But by the time we hit high school, they just didn’t taste as good. Perhaps in cost-cutting measures, the ingredients weren’t as great. Perhaps as we learned to bake alongside a great-baker mother, our palate was much better.
In another 10 years, when we picked up one at a gas stop, biting into it was not a pleasant experience.
The snack cakes of yore may seem less delicious today for a mix of reasons. Nostalgia magnifies childhood pleasures, but mass-market recipes often are reformulated to favor longer shelf life and cost control.
The softness, freshness, flavor, nostalgia of childhood rarely survive adulthood intact
So now, we bake our own, using the best chocolate, cocoa powder, and other ingredients in this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.
They’re not just a retro treat, they’re a delectable dark chocolate cupcake that’s hard to beat.
AMERICA’S CUPCAKE CHAINS
In alphabetical order:
Baked by Melissa, known for mini cupcakes.
Georgetown Cupcake, a smaller footprint, but with lots of media exposure.
Gigi’s Cupcakes, a major national franchise, should you like to own your own shop.
Magnolia Bakery, put on the map by Carrie Bradshaw and pals.
Molly’s Cupcakes, known for its quality and creative flavors.
Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery, perhaps the largest cupcake chain (200+ locations).
SusieCakes, more of a bakery chain than a pure cupcake chain, but its cupcakes are frequently praised.
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[5] Artisan and home bakers have re-created the mass-produced Hostess Cupcakes with fine ingredients. Here’s the delightful recipe (photo © Brown Eyed Baker).
THE YEAR’S 9 CUPCAKE HOLIDAYS
February 24: National Cupcake Day [Canada]
May 8: Give Someone A Cupcake Day
May 11: National Hostess Cupcake Day
June 13: National Cupcake Lovers Day
October 9: National Pro-Life Cupcake Day
October 18: National Chocolate Cupcake Day
November 10: National Vanilla Cupcake Day
December 15: National Cupcake Day*
December 15: National Lemon 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 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.
AMERICA’S TOP COOKIE CHAINS
In alphabetical order:
Chip City, still more regional than Crumbl or Insomnia but fast-growing.
Crumbl, huge footprint, social-media darling with 1,000+ locations in all 50 states.
Dirty Dough, super-stuffed “cookie bombs,” growing via franchise.
Great American Cookies, 372 stores (142 in Texas!), across 27 states.
Insomnia Cookies, considered Crumbl’s major competitor with 200+ locations and late-night delivery (and we far prefer them).
Levain Bakery, smaller chain but elite in reputation; hockey-puck sized, our very favorite cookies (photo #6, below).
Mrs. Fields, the classic legacy national brand, but quality tanked when the business was sold.
Milk Bar, not a pure cookie chain, but nationally noteworthy in dessert culture and shipping. More “dessert brand with famous cookies” than cookie chain in the Crumbl sense.
Schmackary’s, smaller chain in greater New York plus San Diego.
Tiff’s Treats, some 170 stores in 13 states, especially Texas and the South; but the most aggravating website (you can’t see the products unless you create an account).
> The history of cookies.
> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.
> The 10 basic styles of cookies.
> The different varieties of of cookies: a photo glossary.
[6] Our favorite cookies, chain or otherwise, from Levain Bakery (photo: The Nibble).
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*Both National Cupcake Day and National Lemon Cupcake Day are observed on December 15th because National Cupcake Day was originally established as a celebration of lemon cupcakes. A National Cupcake Day was celebrated in October for a period of time, but it was later merged with National Lemon Cupcake Day, on December 15th date. Who made this change and why, we haven’t uncovered. Not only is it confusing; it deprives us of another occasion to have a cupcake.
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