CUPCAKES

 

The cupcake evolved in the United States in the 19th century, and it was revolutionary because of the amount of time it saved in the kitchen. There was a shift from weighing out ingredients when baking to measuring out ingredients. According to the Food Timeline Web, food historians have yet to pinpoint exactly where the name of the cupcake originated. There are two theories: one, the cakes were original cooked in cups and two, the ingredients used to make the cupcakes were measured out by the cup.

In the beginning, cupcakes were sometimes called "number" cakes, because they were easy to remember by the measurements of ingredients it took to create them: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of milk, and one spoonful of soda. Clearly, cupcakes today have expaned to a wide variety of ingredients, measurements, shapes, and decorations - but this was one of the first recipes for making what we know today as cupcakes.



       

Cupcakes were convenient because they cooked much quicker than larger cakes. When baking was down in hearth ovens, it would take a long time to bake a cake, and the final product would often be burned. Muffin tins, also called gem pans, were popular around the turn of the 20th century, so people started created cupcakes in tins.

Since their creation, cupcakes have become a pop culture trend in the culinary world. They have spawned dozens of bakeries devoted entirely to them. While chocolate and vanilla remain classic favorites, fancy flavors such as raspberry meringue and espresso fudge can be found on menus. There are cookbooks, blogs, and magazines specifically dedicated to cupcakes.

    

Cupcakes are known today as teeny, delectable desserts. But did you know that cupcakes have been around since the 19th century? Then, they were made with simple cake recipes, and they were far from the decadent desserts we can find today. Although classic vanilla with chocolate icing options are still popular and evoke a sense of nostalgia, upscale bakeries and even people who bake for a hobby have created elaborate flavors with even more elaborate options for design.

This website is designed to let you know that there's a little more to the cupcake than meets the eye. Explore the history of the cupcake, as well as the cupcake's increasingly prevalent role as a trendy item. Learn tips and tricks to creating your own cupcakes, and try out some recipes. Under the "Cupcakes Today" link, - they're more complex than you might think!

What I hope you get from this site is a greater understanding and hopefully a greater appreciation for these desserts. Cupcakes can remind us of elementary school days or they can become decadent works of art.

 

 Sweet (Not Savory) Cheeseburger Cupcakes

 

Before you take a bite of these cheeseburger cupcakes, you should know that they are sweet and not salty (wouldn’t want your taste buds to get too much of a shock).  Check out the ingredients:

• Coconut shavings and green food coloring (lettuce)
• Yellow cake mix (buns)
• Chocolate cake mix (meat)
• Yellow frosting (cheese slice)
• Red frosting (ketchup)
• Sesame seeds (sesame seeds)

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Labor Day Cupcakes

 

It’s hard to believe that fall, and Labor Day, are almost here again, but you can soften the blow with a cupcake. Georgetown Cupcake will be offering the Labor Day cupcake in several flavors, including red velvet. (Need I say more?) It might be the best investment you’ll make this year!

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Happy Valentines Day ‘Hoot’

One thing that is almost as big as cupcakes, is a trend for really cute owls! It is no wonder then that owls, cupcakes and Valentines Day have all been combined to create a super cute gift for someone special.

These owl cupcakes were created by My Own Barn and you can find out all about them at the blog.  It is truly a haven for owl lovers with everything ‘owl’ being displayed!  But it was not the blog that got my attention, it was the cupcake, adorned with a lovely owl that was winking at me on Flickr.  You can check them out here.

Heart in a Cupcake

This Valentine’s Day season we have showed you how to put hearts on top of your cupcakes and bake cupcakes in the shape of hearts.  Now we share with how to bake a heart in your cupcake.  If I was a little kid and bit into one of these I know I would have freaked out in excitement.  To be completely honest, if someone made these for me now I think I would still freak out! Bake It in a Cake seems to be willing to try baking anything into a cupcake.  She once baked a pie into a cupcake!  These hearts baked in cupcakes are much more tame and the pink hearts are actually sheet cake; so you’re baking a cake in a cupcake!  Head over to Bake It In a Cake to see full instructions on how to bake hearts in your cupcakes!

Halloween Cupcake Skewers

Pizzazzerie recently had a Cupcake Skewer Contest, the deadline for which has since past, but designs are still relevant to the Halloween season. The winning cupcake skewers wereBlack Magic Cupcakes, created by Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats.

While she did not win the contest, The Decorated Cookie still created bright, festive Halloween cupcakes that impressed me!  Below are The Decorated Cookie’s instructions for creating Halloween cupcake skewers but for

additional directions,Pizzazzeriehas a How to Make Cupcake Skewers post.

ONE Paint stripes on the lollipop sticks with orange and black acrylic craft paint. TWO Add orange polka dot mini cupcake liners that I found at the craft store (after I baked them, so they weren’t greasy). THREE Tint the frosting lime green (Americolor soft gel paste, Electric Green) and pipe it with a frosting bag fitted with a star tip. FOUR Tint and roll out black fondant. I cut out tiny little shapes using the tiny little cutters from a Halloween linzer set I bought (more on that in another post). FIVE The orange polka dot ribbon(also from Michaels) holds the cupcake on the stick.

Looking for the latest on Halloween?

If you are, then taking a quick trip across to the Cupcake Cauldron might be the answer for you.  Ashley’s blog is a mix of her current creations with a few great cupcake recipes thrown into the cauldron so to speak!  But it is Halloween that she does best, and here are two of her creations.

These show how much magic you can create by just adding a topper!  Of course the cupcake flavor choice is all important as well.  Ashley has used vanilla cake with fudge frosting for Pumpkin and for Skull she used a devil’s food cake with a mini peanut butter cup on the inside and peanut butter frosting on top.

Can’t believe Halloween is now just over a week away!

Cupcake Decorating Tip: Donut Holes!

This is so smart! I just found these adorable Easter critter cupcakes atCantonRep.com. Who knew that a donut hole could double as a cute bunny head or chick head? Brilliant! For full decorating instructions, visit the article: Easter Treats: Bunny Cupcakes and Chick Cupcakes.