Blog Spotlight: Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit

“Life is short, eat dessert first!” — Jacques Torres

On occasion, my sweet tooth has led me astray (vegan chocolate cake?!?), but more often than not, it’s brought me to wonderfully delicious confections. In one other respect, it hasn’t failed me; without it, I might never have stumbled upon the Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit, perhaps the most delightful cupcake blog I’ve yet found on the Internet.

I admit that “cupcake” and “blog” are not two words that immediately run together, but in case you didn’t know it, food is huge on the Internet and the blogosphere. Whether you’re looking for a recipe, restaurant gossip/recommendations, or exotic ingredients, you’ll find plenty of message boards, mailing lists, and blogs devoted to the pursuit of culinary excellence.

Cupcakes, in particular, have been enjoying a resurgence recently, thanks to the likes of the TV series Sex and the City and Saturday Night Live, as well as a simple yearning for childhood pleasures. The Web has responded with dozens of outposts dedicated to the miniature cakes, but the Cupcake Bakeshop rises above the masses.

It’s said that you eat first with your eyes, and the same goes for surfing the Internet too. On both counts, the Cupcake Bakeshop satisfies; even if you have no plans to bake any of these recipes, you could easily spend all day poring over the radiant pictures. The beautifully lit and artfully cropped images will have you drooling in no time, but they serve another purpose; they also offer valuable guidance to anyone trying the recipes and the techniques. When the author works with an unusual ingredient or practice, she often includes a photo illustrating her method for following the recipe. Also, her snapshots depict original, attractive presentation options, and she uses clean, well-organized layouts for the recipes.

Venture beyond the frosting, however, and you’ll find another unique twist that keeps readers coming back to the Cupcake Bakeshop. The author is famous for her use of unusual ingredients and combinations, as any reader can tell by the list of exotic concoctions she’s dreamed up. But in the process of satisfying her sweet tooth, she’s also capitalized on one of the blogger tenets: specialization. It’s not only made her a better baker; it’s made her a better blogger as well. Need proof? Check out the litany of comments on any of her blog posts; many of us can only dream of so devoted a following.

Cupcakes sum up delightful visions of childhood birthday parties, colorful wrappers, and rich frosting. The Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit brings a touch of these memories back, with a clean, bright layout, enticing photographs, and luscious, original recipes. Indulge to your heart’s delight–but try not to lick your computer screen while doing so.