Black-and-White Cupcakes

Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen AdventuresLast summer was officially the end of the cupcake era for me. It was killed, ruined, destroyed for all eternity. Every ounce of cupcake-eating pleasure had been taken from me just as AM-radio overplay had erased all the pleasure of so many great songs from my childhood. Remember how great the Gypsy Kings were when you first heard them? Now, years later, just hearing the opening riff of “Bambaleo” is cringe-inducing. Overuse, overplay and the gnawing tedium of hearing The Kings was too much, and so it was with cupcakes. A great food to be sure, but all the stores, TV shows, magazine articles and books that shot up too fast, too soon and too frequently ruined cupcakes for me. I was angry. Then one day on the road, a friend of my in-laws brought me a plate of these little black-and-white beauties, and my faith was restored. These are simple to make, and while kids love them, you will love them even more. They are rich and decadent and just tart enough with the cream cheese to allow you to eat several. They will change your life and reaffirm your faith in the cupcake. Amen.—Andrew Zimmern