After three years and 36 flavors, the Cronut remains as much of a star as the day it was born. The doughnut-croissant hybrid that changed the pastry world celebrated its third birthday this week, and like any proper proud papa, Cronut creator Dominique Ansel threw a party at his SoHo bakery on Friday night for friends and supporters.
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Among the festivities: Guests sang “Happy Birthday” to a giant tiered cake of Cronuts, while feasting on Cronut holes in 12 of the pastry’s most successful flavors, which change every month:
Rose Vanilla May 2013
Lemon Maple June 2013
Fig Mascarpone September 2013
Salted Dulce de Leche November 2013
Valrhona Chocolate Champagne December 2013
Raspberry Lychee February 2014
Milk & Honey with Lavender March 2014
Blueberry Lemon Verbena May 2014
Matcha Golden Pineapple March 2015
Key Lime Young Coconut June 2015
Red Bean Strawberry Jam February 2016 (Tokyo)
Brown Sugar Rhubarb with Lemon Thyme Sugar May 2016
Wait, doesn’t this mean it’s technically the Cronut’s 36th birthday?
Chef Dominique had just returned from Japan two days before the party, where he’d also thrown a celebration at the first outpost of Dominique Ansel Bakery in Tokyo. He’ll soon launch another one in London — if he survives the jetlag. As the parent of any 3-year-old will attest, the time just flies by, but Ansel says he still wakes up inspired by the Cronut.
In addition to Cronut photo ops, temporary tattoos, champagne and rosé in the cafe’s backyard, and the greatest hits buffet of Cronut holes (the regular holes left over from the pastry are about 1cm wide, so these were more like Cronut puffs), there was a summer barbecue spread in the backyard.
The bakery’s neighbor, Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch restaurant, hauled over a charcoal pit to cook tortillas and a suckling pig for a pork taco spread. The restaurant’s staff had taken pity on the bakery’s crew during the initial Cronut frenzy, bringing them lunch during their longest days. Carmellini also attended, though not to cook.
The birthday party will be repeated on Saturday as a gift for Cronut superfans, some of whom won tickets by writing love poems to the pastry through an Instagram contest. And if you didn’t get an invite this year, don’t worry — it’s looking like there will be many more anniversaries in the Cronut’s future.
