Talk:Cupcake/Archive 1

who invented the cupcake? —the preceding unsigned comment is by 68.252.185.138 (talk • contribs) 02:32, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

I dont think anyone in particular is credited to "inventing" them, i think they're just a traditional thing like bread. but more modern than bread, obviously. -- jeffthejiff (talk) 09:37, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

Why does this recipe call for both self-raising flour AND baking powder? The point of self-raising flour is that you don't need a raising agent. And personally I think it's complicating it, adding the milk and vanilla extract, although it likely makes it work better.Skittle 14:20, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

It's probably why this recipe asks only for 1/2 tsp baking powder, rather than 1-2 tsp baking powder and/or baking soda. A better beginner's recipe should probably ask for all-purpose flour and baking powder, though. Also, milk and vanilla extract are pretty basic ingredients for most baking recipes, and they're a lot easier to add than dry ingredients that require sifting and so on.Terukiyo 21:41, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

I was just meaning that the very simplest recipe that pretty much defines most cupcakes/fairy cakes would be 2 eggs, 100g self-raising flour (why use plain flour and raising agent?), 100g caster sugar, 100g butter/margarine/vegetable shortening. Milk and vanilla extract may make a better cake, but they aren't basic ingredients required for it to be a cake. Skittle 20:18, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

Is there any viable need for this article to mention the fact that they talk about cupcakes in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? I doubt that any person who has ever wanted information on cupcakes has wanted or needed to know that, and Wikipedia should be more about useful information.--Neijon 23:12, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

Yes. That's how I happened to find this article!

Also, with regard to the name, the story about the measurements sounds bogus to me. I've always assumed they were called cupcakes because they are baked in a pan with individual little cups for each one. Y'know, cakes in cups. - too lazy to log in —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.92.68.103 (talk) 22:28, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

The current photos are almost abstract because they're close-ups, how about [1] instead? -- Jeandré, 2006-07-27t18:14z

Delightful Cupcakes

O, The wonderousness of the cupcake,
We got the mix from the store,
Made you and put you into the oven to bake,
For an amount of time that to me seemed would never end.
For, during this eternity, I, began to bore.
I could not think of anything to do,
But, soon, I was called by my friend,
And it was thus we the time melted away,
We talked about nothing,
As though nothing was something,
But, then remembering the cupcakes in a fright,
I ran to the oven, uncertain of the time there they had stayed,
But, thank goodness they were alright,
The cupcakes were fine,
Yummy, delicious, your and mine.
And so then frosting I did make, As with cupcakes is the trend,
With care I ensured nothing was fake,
For premade frosting makes me not want more,
Undesireable, making my tastebuds snore,
And I wanted something that would be talked of for a week and a day,
Not minutes, so, I tried something new,
Yet with each choice I was faced with the realization I could ruin everything.
But we ate all the cupcakes that away,
Such a wonderous sight,
The were, in comparison to anything else, the very best thing
They were quite a delight.
-James Eldred Pascoe

No muffins are breakfast and healthy like while cupcakes are more sweet and desertish.

Clearly these little cakes are delicious, but do they have enough in common with the muffin to be considered one? If this arguement can be made, then could one state that a cake is also a loaf of bread? A serious debate has been raised on this topic and I was hoping to get a third party evaluation. Any scientific proof that would help my case would be appreciated!—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Marvel comic (talk • contribs) .

Hi. I'm sorry we don't have any sources in the article at the moment, and I don't know of any reliable ones (or i'd probably have put them in the article already). But let me tell you what I know and you might be able to fashion that into something helpful.

Your comment about the bread leads me to think you may be confusing the different kinds of muffins. In Britian the items knwn as muffins are yeast raised breads, and there is a very clear difference between cupcakes (which use baking powder as a raising agent). But in America muffins are baking powder raised quick breads.

With American muffins and cupcakes you have the same basic ingredients, but the proportions are different and the way the mix handles is different. It's still flour, sugar and fat, with baking powder and flavorings. But cupcakes have more sugar and fat and the batter is very hardy, whereas American muffins have more flour and baking powder and you have to be careful not to overmix. Still with the same basic ingredients it's obviously a bit of a sliding scale with no clear dividing line between the two. I don't know if that's helpful, but hopefuly you can use it to win! --Siobhan Hansa 01:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Second that. Muffins have more 'holes' in them due to not being mixed as much. i.e They're basically only mixed until the dry ingredients are no more, whereas cakes are mixed until the texture becomes smooth. Phild 99 14:10, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

There seems to be renewed interest in the term "Cupcake", esp. for comedic purposes. There was the Sandburg "Cupcake" monologue, etc, and now we're seeing web sites like this one

[2]

which claim that CUPCAKES are the secret to selling homes fast, etc.

Why are "Cupcakes" now funny/fashionable?

This story might explain why cupcakes have recently become trendy. Unfortunately I don't have time this week to edit the article to reflect that. Lee Choquette 23:13, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in Australia the name "cupcake" is also given to a rather crude practical joke where one farts in one's hand then releases it in someone else's face.

We also call cupcakes (the food) "patty cakes"... Phild 99 14:10, 30 April 2007 (UTC)

Trust the Aussies to bring down the tone.... Think you're on your own there. But certainly having been brought up in Britain, cupcake is not a universal thing, to me it brings up an image of one specific type of 1-person cake, the ones with a thin, flat coat of icing - none of these swirls of creamy stuff. Of course, my Google skills now let me down and I can only find fancy versions from wedding cake people, but this or [this http://www.designer-cakes.co.uk/page4.htm] (eg the "Various Designs" centre right - no affiliation) sort of give you the idea if you strip off the flowers and stuff :-) Particularly in chocolate. FlagSteward 01:37, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm in Melbourne Australia and I have never, ever heard of this pracrice. Shaybear♥ —Preceding comment was added at 05:56, 4 March 2008 (UTC)