Cupcakes, cupcakes they are everywhere! Cupcakes have been around for a long time and are becoming more incredible every day. Cupcakes can be found at all types of events and be known as the item that steals the show. And yes, people are so into their cupcakes that they will attempt to sneak just one more, especially if there is more than one flavor available.
The cupcake evolved in the 19th century in the United States. It was revolutionary because of the amount of time it saved in the kitchen. Cupcakes made baking more convenient because they cooked much quicker than a large cake. When baking was done in hearth ovens, it would take a long time, often resulting in a burned cake. Therefore, bakers found that baking smaller cakes didn’t take near as long as a large cake and they were rarely burned.
So, how did the cupcake get its name? There are a couple of different theories floating around as to how the cupcake really got its name. The first theory is that cupcakes were named for how they were baked. Instead of using a large cake pan, bakers made cake in cups. Therefore, they called them cupcakes.
The second theory behind the name of the cupcake is that the ingredients that were used to make the cupcakes were measured out by the cup. Because of this, the cupcakes were sometimes called “number cakes” and this resulted in one of the very first cupcake recipes known. The measurement of the ingredients were easy to remember. They consisted of…
one cup of butter,
one cup of milk,
one spoonful of soda,
two cups of sugar,
three cups of flour,
and four eggs.
Being that cupcakes have become very popular over the years, there are a variety of cupcake recipes available today. In fact, bakers are baking cupcakes with unusual flavors such as cinnamon rolls, egg nog, root beer float, pie flavors and pancakes with bacon.
Cupcakes are very popular today. Several books, magazines, blogs and websites are devoted to inspiring cupcake bakers. Cupcake recipes and decorating tips are readily available. There have even been TV shows based on making cupcakes. Cupcake Wars is a TV show that airs weekly on Food Network. During the show, four top cupcake bakers from around the country face off in three elimination challenges until one baker remains. The bakers are competing for $10,000 and the chance to showcase their cupcakes at the winning gig.
Cupcakes have inspired bakers to open cupcake shops all over the country in big cities and small towns. People are willing to stop in the shops to enjoy small and jumbo sized cupcakes along with other sweet treats, no matter what the cost! It is not unusual for a jumbo cupcake to cost five or six dollars. My favorite cupcake shop is Cupcakes by Liz in Joplin, Missouri. These pictures are of Liz’s new shop. As you can see, most cupcake shops are fancy and have a welcoming atmosphere.
People of all ages enjoy cupcakes. Cupcakes are great to take to work for coworkers to enjoy. But, if you ever take any cupcakes for your coworkers, make sure you take plenty because, like this lady, they might eat more than one.
Even though cupcakes can be kind of girly, the guys like to eat them too. Don’t let them fool you because they are dying to eat them.
Cupcakes are one of kids favorite treats. Kids enjoy having cupcakes just for fun and at their parties. The cupcakes can be decorated with any kids favorite cartoon character or something they are passionate about.
Cupcakes have become very popular to serve at weddings. Cupcakes will usually sit on a stand to form the shape of a wedding cake. Sometimes, the cupcakes are used as centerpiece decorations where the guests choose their cupcake from their own table. When serving cupcakes at a wedding, they offer a variety of cake flavors allowing the guests to easily choose the flavor of their cupcake. Cupcakes also eliminate the hassle of deciding how to cut the cake and having a lot of messy cake to clean up.
Cupcakes have been around since the 19th century and are just as popular as ever. Even though it isn’t certain if the cupcake got its name from being baked in a cup or from the way the ingredients were measured, it’s still a great dessert for anyone to enjoy. Keep your eyes out for interesting cupcake recipes in books, magazines, blogs or on Cupcake Wars. Try visiting a cupcake shop near you and surprising your friends or coworkers with a fancy or fun decorated cupcake. You might even be lucky enough to enjoy a cupcake at a party or wedding. Wherever you get to try one, go ahead and try one with a crazy flavor! I promise, you won’t regret it!
