^ that’s me, photographed by the lovely perrine in a little picnicy area in greenwich (what my head refers to as “the marc jacobs area”). dress: dorothy perkins. bag, watch: betsey johnson. cupcake: magnolia bakery.

i have deep respect for the difficult art of the cupcake, perhaps the greatest art in the pastry world. a cup filled with cake – what a lovely concept! how simple, how useful, and yet how incredibly challenging. cupcakes are not just about cake and frosting, but the harmony of the two. i make an effort to sample cupcakes from around the globe, seeking candidates for my prestigious list of best cupcakes in the world. the current champions are thus:

* Kara’s Cupcakes ~ San Francisco

* Kickass Cupcakes ~ Boston

* The Cake Shop ~ Oxford

* Sweet Tooth Factory ~ London

on my recent visit to new york, i continued the tradition. while i found the infamous magnolia bakery’s frosting too sweet, i discovered a new favorite in the form of another local staple:

* Baked by Melissa ~ New York City

her mini cupcakes are the epitome of minimalism, urging the taster to savor each tiny bite: quality over quantity. that is…if you can limit yourself to just one, which is a challenge perhaps even more difficult than the act of mastering the perfect cupcake recipe to begin with. ★