Cupcake is a small cake that serves one person. Cupcakes are usually baked in a muffin tin lined with thin cups made of paper or foil. Cupcakes may be decorated in much the same way as larger cakes, using frosting or icing, a smooth coating called fondant, and other decorations. In England, cupcakes are called fairy cakes. Australians use that term as well, along with patty cakes.
The earliest known cupcake recipes date back to 1776. Early cupcakes were baked in individual cups the size of teacups. In the early 1800’s, cupcake also referred to a type of cake recipe, regardless of its size, with ingredients measured in whole cups. Also called 1-2-3-4 cakes, quarter cakes, or number cakes, these cake recipes were easy to follow. They typically called for one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs.
Cupcakes are similar to muffins. But cupcakes are sweeter and more delicate than muffins, and cupcakes are always frosted or otherwise decorated. Today, some specialized bakeries sell only cupcakes. Sprinkles, a cupcake shop based in Beverly Hills , California, was the first to sell cupcakes from an automated vending machine .
