"Mancakes" -- cupcakes designed especially for men -- is the newest term to enter the baking lexicon. The
New York Times reports on the emergence of "manly" cupcakes in an attempt to dispel the notion that the dessert is intrinsically feminine. The article highlights Toronto's "
For the Love of Cake" as being on the forefront of the cupcake's newest incarnation.
"Containing everything from bacon to beer, so-called "manly cupcakes" are a tongue-in-cheek response to the apparently too-prissy offerings that dominate display cases. As a female observer wryly put it on the blog Jezebel: "Pink frosting and/or sprinkles cause testicular shrinkage. Men just can't be too careful."
Of course, nobody's seriously suggesting baked goods are gendered. But by riffing on sexual stereotypes, business owners have uncovered a rich new market for cupcakes with cojones.
"In Toronto, For the Love of Cake
has seen...a frenzy over its "mancakes," whose four available flavours are in such high demand that the shop has to keep two in the daily cupcake rotation at all times."
"It's been a great way of getting guys interested in cupcakes," says cakemaster Genevieve Griffin, whose hyper-masculine creations evoke images of Betty Crocker with a lip full of Skoal. "Anything with bacon or beer goes over really well with men."
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New York Times