More on Cupcake Rankings Methodology

My cupcake ratings system uses four categories, each worth 25% of the total score. I want to explain my methodology and why I feel this system provides the optimal process by which a cupcake's superiority can be determined.

The first category is taste, with a maximum possible taste score of "5 sprinkles." Clearly, taste is of utmost importance to cupcake consumers-- no one wants to eat a cupcake that isn't tasty! Some critics might argue that taste should be worth more than 25% of a cupcake's total score. However, few cupcake-eaters are consciously aware of the fact that texture is equally important to taste in the enjoyment of cupcake consumption. A bad texture can overshadow and ruin even the best-tasting confections. For example, a cupcake with a perfectly flavored frosting and cake will not be enjoyable to eat if the frosting is runny and oily and the cake is dry and stale. The best of flavors cannot compensate for bad texture. Conversely, a less ideal flavor can be enhanced by perfectly smooth, fluffy frosting that melts right on your tongue and moist, soft cake. Thus, texture is also worth 25% of the total score, with a maximum possible texture score of "5 sprinkles."

Taste and texture account for most of the "mouth happiness" aspects of cupcake consumption. However, people are gifted with five senses-- in addition to taste, we're able to smell, touch, hear and see. Pretty much all cupcakes smell good, they're generally quiet, and if you touch even the best cupcake you will likely want to go wash your hands, so those categories can be ignored. However, sight is a powerful sense, and people associate how food looks with whether they'll want to eat it. Especially because cupcakes are often served for special occasions and parties and offered to guests, it's important for a cupcake to look good when arrayed on a platter or stand as part of an event's decor. Even if a cupcake is only being used for personal and immediate consumption, an attractive cupcake is more appealing than an unattractive cupcake. Baking involves not just perfecting the taste and texture of recipes, but also decorating the baked goods beautifully. So, aesthetics is worth another 25%, with a maximum possible aesthetic score of "5 sprinkles."

There is a certain je ne sais quoi about cupcakes that perhaps can't be fully appreciated or described by taste, texture and aesthetics alone. Perhaps the cupcake is so creative and original that it combines elements and flavors you had never before conceived and leaves you feeling positively delighted by the innovation. Perhaps you enjoy a cupcake more because it was delicious and then you learn it was only 100 calories, and low-fat! Perhaps the cupcake left you feeling intensely satisfied because it was filled in the middle with an extra shot of frosting that took you that extra step into cupcake heaven. Whatever those little "extras" are in a particular cupcake, they contribute to your satisfaction after eating that cupcake, which is highly important because a cupcake worth eating is always satisfying. There is simply no point in consuming dissatisfying food. So, for a final 25%, satisfaction is worth a maximum possible satisfaction score of "5 sprinkles," which allows room to account for additional factors that might be at play in configuring cupcake enjoyment. However, it should be noted that taste, texture and aesthetics can all contribute towards and account for the satisfaction felt after eating a cupcake. So, although "satisfaction" technically accounts for 25%, if you have a satisfaction level of 100% but the reason for your satisfaction is based 100% on the great taste of the cupcake, the satisfaction score of "5 sprinkles" is really due to taste, meaning taste can account for 50% of the rating. This flexible satisfaction rating factor can allow up to 50% of the total score to be based on taste, or 50% of the total score to be based on texture, or 50% of the total score to be based on aesthetics. Usually, the reason for satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a cupcake is based on a combination of taste, texture, aesthetics and additional supplemental factors, and so the end result is that the satisfaction score takes into account some percentage of each.