Lists

Bookish Cupcakes That Are (Almost) Too Pretty To Eat

Patricia Elzie-Tuttle

Contributing Editor

Patricia Elzie-Tuttle is a writer, podcaster, librarian, and information fanatic who appreciates potatoes in every single one of their beautiful iterations. Patricia earned a B.A. in Creative Writing and Musical Theatre from the University of Southern California and an MLIS from San Jose State University. Her weekly newsletter, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice offers self-improvement and mental health advice, essays, and resources that pull from her experience as a queer, Black, & Filipina person existing in the world. She is also doing the same on the Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice Podcast. More of her written work can also be found in Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy edited by Kelly Jensen, and, if you’re feeling spicy, in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 4 edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. Patricia has been a Book Riot contributor since 2016 and is currently co-host of the All the Books! podcast and one of the weekly writers of the Read This Book newsletter. She lives in Oakland, CA on unceded Ohlone land with her wife and a positively alarming amount of books. Find her on her Instagram, Bluesky, and LinkTree.

I’ve always been more in favor of cupcakes over cake. Partially because it’s like my very own cake and I’m notoriously terrible at sharing. On the other hand, a dozen cupcakes are much easier to share than a cake so it’s a win-win. Below are some beautiful bookish cupcakes that definitely inspire me to step-up my cupcake-decorating game. These pretty, pretty cupcakes are destined for Kiera Cass fans anywhere. https://twitter.com/emmmabooks/status/586632688351739904 These simple yet elegant Romeo & Juliet cupcakes have me swooning. the pin This post wouldn’t be complete without at least one example of Where the Wild Things Are cupcakes. the pin Butterbeer is life and I would have a hard time sharing these Butterbeer Golden Snitch cupcakes for sure. the pin via The Collegiate Baker Harry Potter everything, please. the pin via The Pastry Studio If you’re in the UK, you can actually order these edible book toppers for your own cupcakes! the pin via Victoria’s Kitchen I’m loving these Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland cupcakes! the pin via Miss Cupcakes These sorting hat cupcakes are genius! the pin via My Cupcake Addiction These Shakespeare cupcakes look almost too lovely to eat (but I would). the pin via Beth’s Cupcakes Lord of the Rings cupcakes can be served at Elevenses. Or second breakfast. Or lunch. Or tea. Or… the pin via Cupcake Creations the pin via Imaginarium Cakes These Hunger Games cupcakes are squarely in that grey area between food and art. the pin via Cakecrumbs When the night is dark and full of terrors, these Game of Thrones cupcakes will give you a tasty distraction the pin These Cat in the Hat cupcake toppers add plenty of fun that is funny. the pin via SweetITis Finally, this Very Hungry Caterpillar selection is almost a little too meta and way too cute. the pin via Cutsie Cupcakes