In tough times, people don’t gravitate towards upscale gourmet desserts.  Instead of fancy pastries, people crave  comfort foods and childhood favorites – like cupcakes.  At a few dollars (or less) you can bring yourself back (gastronomically, at least) to a simpler time.

Cupcakes have been becoming increasingly trendy over the past few years, however, enterpresing bakeries are catching on to a new trend.  Across the country, bakeries are capitalizing on nostalgia by offering homemade versions of our old Hostess favorites – homemade imitations of Twinkies and Ding Dongs. 

In my area, Lulu’s Bake Shoppe in the North End (Boston) offers the Lulu Cupcake which bears a strong resemblance to the Hostess cupcake – chocolate frosting, swirls and all!  Lulu’s creative take on the cupcake includes cursive frosting on the cupcake top which spells Lulu but resembles the trademark Hostess frosting loops and swirls.  Lulu counts Oprah as a fan and has been featured in Rachael Ray’s magazine as well.  I’m looking forward to trying them so I can join their elite fan list!  (I was unable to access a website at this time, but Lulu is located at 227 Hanover Street in Boston, 617.720.2200).

For the truly thrifty who want to try making their own sweet treats at home, the cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking offers recipes like Coconut Snowball Cupcakes – an ode to the pink Hostess Sno Ball (the Baked version varies slightly by using a coconut based cupcake as opposed to a chocoalte cake).  Other nostalgia-inducing recipes include Red Hot Velvet Cake, Peanut Butter Crispy Bars, Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie and S’more Nut Bars.  Baked also offers several sophisticated recipes for the adult sweet tooth, including Almond Green Tea Cupcakes and Lemon-Lime Bars.  Baked includes wonderful information for the novice and advanced baker alike, and features beautiful photography.

For more information on everything cupcake-related, visit the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog.