On July 9, 2000, the food world changed forever.
The date marks the debut of season three, episode five of Sex and the City, during which Miranda and Carrie enjoy a cupcake in front of Magnolia Bakery.
The ensuing mania surrounding the West Village shop was a sign of things to come for the confections industry and, for better or worse, made waiting in line for the trendy “it” food the new norm.
When, 10 years later, Instagram hit the scene, people’s obsession with dessert trends reached a fever pitch. “Today people will literally go somewhere just to take a photo of the food,” says Justin Schuble, who documents the DMV’s most close-up-ready dishes for the almost 250,000 followers of his Instagram account, @dcfoodporn.
There’s no doubt desserts are having a moment. Below, we take a look at some of the trendier treats, assessing their ascent to fame—and their staying power.
DOUGHNUTS
A 2015 CNN Money article entitled “Krispy Kreme Krashes” painted a gloomy outlook for the chain, citing a 12 percent dip in share earnings and missed sales targets. While it may be tempting to take this as a sign that the doughnut industry is in decline, Elliot Spaisman, co-founder of Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, has another hypothesis: “There are smaller, more local shops upping the ante. If there are enough of them, they’re going to hurt the bigger guys that have been in business a long time.” In comparison, Spaisman adds, Astro had record-breaking sales in 2017. Within the last 10 years, doughnut shops have given the classic dessert a gourmet makeover, offering more sophisticated, seasonal flavors (creme brulee and maple bacon) than the traditional glazed and chocolate. Fans are eating it up. “Everyone has memories about doughnuts, if you keep reinventing them and trying new flavors I think there’s still an audience for it,” Spaisman says.
WHERE TO FIND DOUGHNUTS
Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
7511 Leesburg Pike, Suite 103, Falls Church; astrodoughnuts.com
Duck Donuts
Multiple locations; duckdonuts.com
Paul’s Bakery
2008 Lafayette Blvd., Fredericksburg; facebook.com/PaulsBakery/
Munch
The Block: 4221 John Marr Drive, Annandale; facebook.com/munchicecream
Sugar Shack
Multiple locations; sugarshackdmv.com
Fractured Prune Doughnuts
1604 Village Market Blvd., Suite 120, Leesburg; fracturedprune.com
CUPCAKES
Nostalgic, photogenic and versatile, cupcakes were primed to take off. But how did the tiny sweet become such a powerhouse industry? One theory points to the Great Recession. The peak of the cupcake boom coincided with a period when Americans were watching their spending, and the snack was an affordable luxury. “It’s just a little treat,” says Alexandra Cheppa, pastry sous chef at Buzz Bakeshop in Alexandria. “Now you have Cupcake Wars and the Georgetown Cupcake reality show [DC Cupcakes]. Today people are very serious about their cupcakes.” Though Cheppa maintains cupcake sales are up at the bakery, the expansion of shops nationwide has slowed. From 2014 through 2017, the national chain Crumbs Bake Shop closed all of its 70-plus shops, and bakeries that once focused solely on the treat are diversifying to remain relevant. Cheppa points to the closed Curbside Cupcakes, a mobile cupcake bakery that expanded its offerings once they transitioned to a brick-and-mortar shop. “They had to diversify and keep up with the market.”
WHERE TO FIND CUPCAKES
Buzz Bakeshop
Alexandria and Arlington; buzzbakeshop.com
Alexandria Cupcake
1022 King St., Alexandria; alexandriacupcake.com
Cupcakes Actually
11944 Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax; cupcakesactually.com
Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, McLean; fluffythoughts.com
Lavender Moon Cupcakery
116 S. Royal St., Alexandria; facebook.com/lavendermooncupcakery
HYBRIDS
When Starbucks began selling cake pops in 2011, Yael Krigman thought her fledgling cake pop business would be over. The opposite happened. “They educated my customer base about cake pops,” she says. “And it goes to show you there is a difference between machine-made [desserts] and handmade [desserts].” Sales at her cake poppery and farmers market stands steadily increased over time, suggesting this trend has yet to reach its peak. The lollipop-meets-cake mashup falls under the umbrella of hybrid desserts, which combine two or more treats into a Frankenstein-like creation. The most famous is undoubtedly the Cronut, a concoction from New York-based pastry chef Dominique Ansel that caused mass hysteria when it debuted in 2013. The intensive preparation method, combined with the fact that there are only so many available every day, make the product particularly appealing to trend chasers. The sensation spurred black-market competitors, spinoffs (including one available in Fairfax at Unique Bakery, and a bronut, a brownie-like doughnut from EatsPlace, a now-closed pop-up at Torpedo Factory), and delivery services that charged $100 per pastry. Lines have cooled considerably, though there’s still demand for the treat, which consistently sells out daily.
WHERE TO FIND HYBRID DESSERTS
Unique Bakery
9557 Braddock Road, Fairfax; theuniquebakery.com
Baked by Yael
Old Town and Del Ray farmers markets; bakedbyyael.com
Expired
An incomplete list of the dessert world’s micro-trend mania.
• Froyo
• Freakshakes
• Macarons
• Unicorn/mermaid/rainbow/galaxy
• Charcoal-infused
• Waffle pops
• Popcorn-flavored
• Cakesicles
• Funfetti
• Stuffed croissants
• Savory ice cream
• Edible cookie dough
• Soft serve (in restaurants)
