The recession-proof cupcake?

One area of the food industry that seems to be thriving despite the recession is the cupcake business.

I suppose these miniature treats have something of the 'Cath Kidston effect', that comforting kitchenalia brand whose profits bucked the economic downturn last year. They are wholesome, their size means you needn't share and they create nostalgia when you bake them (or at least they do for me!)

At the end of last year Lola's cupcakes of Primrose Hill bakery fame set up shop with a counter in Selfridges, bringing that white picket fence American dream to the masses. In need of a repose during a particularly stressful Christmas shop my boyfriend and I sampled one of their strawberry treats. They were good. But they were pricey, so i think it's all about doing it yourself.

Enter my own baking efforts (left, above). Ok, so visually they're not as pretty as Lola's but they taste just as good. I followed Tarek Malouf's famous vanilla cupcake recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery book. I've long been a fan of his red velvet cupcakes and he has just opened a branch in Soho so these gorgeous cakes are now closer than ever to my office.

Hundreds and thousands or some other garnish are obligatory, as is a really creamy frosting, after all that's the best bit! I opted for the vanilla frosting- the cream cheese topping is dreamy but very rich and hinders the gourmandiser's ability to eat more than just one. Be liberal with the vanilla extract as I found the amount recommended was hard to detect. Although Malouf's recipes always give consistent results you have to cook his cake mix for longer than the book says to really get them to brown up and I always struggle to get the recipe to stretch to a dozen, it's more like 10 at a squeeze! Maybe I'm being over-generous with the helping size?!