Who Cares that Cupcakes Have Peaked?

I have been informed that cupcakes are passé, like red velvet cake (and soon, salted caramel-flavored everything). I confess I love them, even if it does make me unfashionable in the eyes of cutting-edge gastronomes. The cupcake pictured here, bought at my local diner/cafe, O’Neil’s, where a member of the staff regularly makes them, is particularly unchic, being plain, ordinary yellow cake with plain, ordinary chocolate frosting and broken Reese’s peanut butter cups on top. It’s not a recipe for ten minutes of culinary fame, but as soon as this photo was taken I joyfully consumed the fresh lovely with mid-morning coffee … and plan on going back after lunch in hopes that there will be one remaining for dessert. Perhaps the cream-cheese-frosted red velvet cupcake. (O’Neil’s Sandwich and Coffee Bar: 114 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT. 203-791-8121)