New dozen bakery running on Craig Street

Along with everything else in current U.S. society, some things are “in” and some are… Along with everything else in current U.S. society, some things are “in” and some are “out,” desserts not withstanding. With its soon-to-be-opened Oakland location, Pittsburgh’s Dozen Bake Shop is declaring cupcakes a definite “in.”

For the past few years, cupcakes have been the cream of the dessert crop. Magnolia Bakery in New York set the trend for cupcake perfection in the mid-’90s, and for the next decade, cupcakes were the go-to dessert, featured on shows such as “Sex and the City” and mentioned in the “Lazy Sunday” sketch of “Saturday Night Live.”

But recently, several magazines have said the so-called cupcake craze has died down, with some style magazines declaring cupcakes as officially “out” in lieu of more exotic treats, such as chocolate-covered chili peppers.

Despite cupcakes’ recent “out” declaration, Dozen owners James Gray and Andrew Twigg continue to produce creatively delicious cupcakes.

With its first bakery’s opening on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill in 2006, Dozen revamped the image of cupcakes from trendy treat to a dessert classic.

Soon after, with the help of Gray and a team of expert bakers, Dozen began expanding with locations in Lawrenceville, Downtown, the South Side and the Andy Warhol Museum, as well as a soon-to-be-opened Oakland bakery.

How did Dozen manage to expand in an economy that made opening a successful business nearly impossible?

It did with the combination of smart marketing, a unique image and, of course, a quality product. Dozen cupcakes are a quirky gourmet mix, and what gives the company its edge is the ability to make cupcakes cool.

Everyone can remember eating cupcakes as a child, so heading to Dozen will bring back fond memories of childhood parties and Mom baking in the kitchen.

Tanya Bielski-Braham, manager of Dozen, said, “Cupcakes are a friendly and tasty bit of Americana. Dozen harkens back to the retro age, and cupcakes seem to fit that image.”

But be warned — these aren’t your mama’s cupcakes.

Dozen offers standard flavors such as vanilla and milk chocolate, but the company has made a name for itself by offering more exotic fare, with recipes that include chai buttercream, Black Strap Stout beer, toffee and tequila.

The way Gray sees it, cupcakes are a blank canvas to mix and match, to experiment in a way that other, more formal desserts can’t. A vanilla-lavender cupcake topped with passion fruit buttercream? Sure, why not? Cupcakes are a traditional dessert, but they’re more fun, and Dozen takes them from being just desserts to a form of edible self-expression.

Many bakeries have fanciful, extravagant creations — I recently read a recipe that instructs bakers on how to recreate Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” using cupcakes — that come up big in the wow factor but fall short in the taste department.

But Dozen bakers have honed their skill to create a great-tasting cupcake in a simple, but still aesthetically pleasing, package.

For Dozen bakers, the art lies in the taste, not the packaging.

“The cupcakes are very classic. We use simple but high-quality ingredients. That is the recipe to success,” Bielski-Braham said. “Plus, we do simple but beautiful swirls of buttercream on the cupcakes. Nothing is better than fresh buttercream.”

Inspired creations include the Cosmo, which consists of dried cranberries soaked in lime juice, vanilla buttercake and pale pink lime-flavored buttercream icing, the Elvis, which is banana cake that’s filled with chocolate buttercream and topped with peanut butter buttercream, and a personal favorite, the Margarita, which contains tequila lime buttercream on vanilla cake with salt and sugar — underage customers shouldn’t worry because the alcohol burns off in the baking process. Dozen also offers vegan cupcakes every day in many flavors.

Of the ingredients, Bielski-Braham said Dozen bakers pride themselves on using only ones that are high quality and locally grown.

“James [Gray] is passionate about local, sustainable food — supporting local farms and vendors, such as GIVE water and Commonplace Coffee, as well using the finest ingredients, such as Guittard chocolate,” she said.

Cupcakes are their specialty, but Dozen’s bakers make sure to offer a variety of desserts, as well as soups, sandwiches, an assortment of coffee, teas and other drinks and a special brunch on Sundays at the Lawrenceville location.

Bielski-Braham said Dozen looks forward to the move to Oakland, which will bring the business closer to the college students who form its target market. The opening will allow the Squirrel Hill and South Side stores to close, and the owners will concentrate on their more popular locations.

“Oakland is a great location for Dozen. We have many customers who are college students or are faculty at Pitt and CMU, so it seems like a natural fit. We are very excited to be there,” she said.

With a new Dozen bakery just around the corner from campus, it looks like Pitt students are in for a sweet semester.