Out with the Cupcakes, In with the Yogurt

It seems that the cupcake fad that swept the nation with such sweet-toothed intrepidation is finally slowing down. The stores have stopped opening, though indeed the ones that did open seem to be doing just fine. The cakes are still dainty, their frosting colorful, their flavors dependable and pleasant.

Still, the little sugary mounds of goodness seem to have placated themselves into their societal niche of the food world. The excitement, the reminiscence of childhood, the chic-ness has packed up and moved on. Even the cupcake blogs have moved on to new projects or closed.

Take this site for example, once it was a prime cupcake blog, and still in some ways it is. There's a good repitoire of recipes here, and I still whisk one up once in a while. However, new interests come in and factors such as time and money, both of which I'm a little low on factor in.

But back to the decline of the cupcake craze.

It all was inevitable. Like slap bracelets, goat cheese salads, and The Spice Girls, all fads eventually oversaturate the market and we become accustomed to them. We wear them in like a good way-old pair of jeans; nothing flashy, but now comfortable and reliable. Always in back waiting for when we can use them again. Books, websites, blogs (this one included), shops, TV specials. We have accepted all cupcakes and there is nothing new about them to us anymore.

And so moves in the next culinary fad. It's been coming for a year or two now, slowly gaining momentum, but is now racing across the nation at supersonic waterslide speeds.

We have shifted to a culture of frozen yogurt (get it?).

Have you noticed? Sure there have been a few yogurt places around for quite a few years, but now it's a surge. A tidal wave of soft serve charged by weight.

But now they aren't your usual vanilla and yogurt. Now it's Tart Flavored yogurt, the intense tang coming from LIVE ACTIVE CULTURES! So neat! So new! Try it now! And you can believe there is plenty of non-fat, low calorie, dairy free and sugar free options. The most delicious whipped flavored-air you ever had.

Toppings that once offered simple selections like marshmallow topping, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles and nuts now proffer a wide gambit of options. Locally grown organic fruits, freshly whipped cream, fair-trade Brazil-nuts, and an assortment of candies, cookies, and mochi all eager to please and complicate your half pomegranate-half banana low calorie creamy concoction.

Not that I'm really knocking it. Honestly, there's a place called Yogurt Monkey here in Sac. 5 minute bike ride, $2.50 for blueberry low cal yogurt with some fresh bananas and yogurt chips? Oh so frickin' yum.

Still, cupcakes and yogurt. Can they co-exist? I think yes. Some stores of each will die once the fads fully fade, and I think they both have their seasonality. Come January, I doubt I'll be wanting cold yogurt, and in August who wants a piping fresh cupcake?

The ice cream fad really hit the food blogs recently, but I think we'll see a big resurgence soon. Flavors and combos for ice cream and frozen yogurts will be penetrating the blogosphere with alarming rate if I'm right.

Only time will tell.