Holy Cupcakes!

A cupcake (or fairy cake) is a small cake designed to serve one person, usually made in a small paper cup container. As with larger cakes, frosting and other decorations are usually applied, such as sprinkles.

Related to the muffins, Cupcakes are often served during a celebration, such as children's classroom birthday parties. They are a more convenient alternative to cake because they don't require plates, utensils, or dividing into pieces because they are smaller. Cupcakes were first invented in the early 1800's.

A simple cupcake uses the same ingredients as most other standard cakes - incorporating butter, white refined sugar, eggs, and flour. These are the main ingredients of a cupcake.

The name "cup" cakes or "measure" cakes is believed to have developed because of the use of the practice of measuring the ingredients using a standard-sized cup instead of the previous practice of weighing the ingredients. The fact that these little cakes were baked in cup-shaped muffin baking containers gave double-meaning to the term "cup cake", and was probably the main factor for "cupcake" becoming the U.S. standard term.

It is also possible that cupcakes came into being simply as smaller versions of the Victoria sponge cake, as the mixture required is exactly the same. The mixture is also the same as the quarter cake recipe, so called because it is made up of four ingredients in equal ratios; butter, self-raising flour, eggs and castor sugar.

The cakes were likely called "number" cakes because of a mnemonic device for remembering the recipe: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour and four eggs plus one cup of milk and one spoonful of baking soda.

Word on the street is that for the best and most reliable chocolate cupcakes, look to Hershey's. Check out this variation for Red, White, and Blue cupcakes:

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING(recipe follows)
Fresh blueberries and strawberries
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. Garnish with blueberries and strawberries. About 2-1/2 dozen cupcakes.

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING: Beat 5 tablespoons softened butter or margarine until creamy in medium bowl. Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating until of spreading consistency. About 2 cups frosting.

Your guests deserve the best. When serving them cupcakes that you poured heart and soul into, what better than these adorable cupcake dessert plates from Rosanna Inc.?

There's more where this came from. Check out the awesome cupcake t-shirts at Johnny Cupcakes!

Etsy shop, Little Things, has these adorable vintage chenille handmade cupcakes. Perfect for admiring cupcake beauty without the sugar rush!