Nope, this is not my cupcake, which you can tell because it’s a Cowboys cupcake and not a Ravens cupcake (GO RAVENS!). But isn’t it awesome?

Blue Velvet Cowboys cupcake! © Victoria Pearson

Between September 12 and 19, Sprinkles Cupcakes of Dallas is selling special Blue Velvet Cowboys cupcakes. Fully 100% of the proceeds supports the Salvation Army (so if you hate the Cowboys, you’re still not allowed to hate these cupcakes). Plus, one cupcake every day will have a silver star inside it, and if you find that star, you win some neat stuff as well as a chance at the MVP Grand Prize (which includes Thanksgiving Day game tickets, an autographed football, and a chance to see a private rehearsal of the halftime show, among other things).

This idea could only be better if the cupcakes were Ravens cupcakes. Maybe I could bake some. I could try making purple velvet, like the gorgeous cake here (scroll down for the photo of a lovely lavender slice). But I’d probably have to draw the line at recreating the Ravens logo out of frosting. Decorating tiny baked goods with bird heads is probably a little complicated for me at this stage.

(via Cupcakes Take the Cake.)

In Slate, Daniel Gross warns of the cupcake boom’s inevitable bust.

“Cupcakes are having their moment, no question, and many could make sweet profits. But remember what always happens after a sugar rush: a crash.”

He explains how the recession has both paved the way for a “cupcake bubble” and a “cupcake crash.” The sweet treats are touted as an affordable luxury in times like these (and let’s not forget, cupcakes are total comfort food), but in the long run it’s hard to make money off of them, he points out.

Mmm....cupcakes.

I know everyone here in New York City says that cupcakes are, like, so over. But I don’t really see that happening yet. Those plucky little desserts don’t show any signs of slowing down, in my opinion; I mean, we just recently got a cupcake truck. Actually, I guess that could be a sign that cupcakes have kind of become stale…how much farther can we go with them?

(I will note here that personally I think Cupcake Stop is an amazing idea and I hope to come across it in the city sometime very soon. Also I hope the cupcake bubble isn’t about to burst because, darnit, I love cupcakes and I don’t care if they’re not hip anymore.)

So what do you guys think? Are cupcakes going anywhere anytime soon?

(Thanks to John W. Smith for the link.)