The ubiquitous cupcake has yet another contender for its crown.

A new hybrid sweet treat is taking New York by storm, named the cronut to reflect its mixed croissant/donut origins.

An initial batch of 50 was offered for sale to customers of a chic, modern Manhattan patisserie only a week ago.

Within three days, the bakery was selling 200 cronuts by 9.30am.

Pastry chefs in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne are now trying to discover the cronut’s secret.

To make a cronut, fine and flaky croissant dough layers are deep fried, then given a coating of rose sugar before receiving a vanilla cream filling.

The whole is coated in a light glaze flavoured by rosewater and decorated with crystallised petals.

The pastry’s creator apparently experimented with ten different recipes before settling on a finished product and the details of the baking process such as time and temperature are being kept secret.

New flavours of cronut are being developed.

The patisserie makes fresh cronut dough, rose-flavoured sugar and vanilla cream daily and has filed for a trademark for the product, as within its very short lifespan the cronut has received international press attention.

So far cronuts remain the province of fashionable New Yorkers, but this looks like a trend that will grow international legs very quickly, so sweet-toothed Brits should keep their fingers crossed and one eye on the window displays of their nearest bakery, or take to the kitchen to come up with their own cupcake rivalling sweet treats.