CUPCAKES

Definition• A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one

person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, icing and other cake decorations, such as candy, may be applied.

The first mention of the cupcake can be traced as far back as 1796, when a recipe notation of "a cake to be baked in small cups" was written in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons.

In the early 19th century, there were two different uses for the name cup cake or cupcake. In previous centuries, before muffin tins were widely available, the cakes were often baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or molds and took their name from the cups they were baked in. This is the use of the name that has remained, and the name of "cupcake" is now given to any small cake that is about the size of a teacup.

History

Variants

A "cake in a mug" is a variant that gained popularity on many internet cooking forums and mailing lists. The technique uses a mug as its cooking vessel and can be done in a microwave oven. The recipe often takes fewer than five minutes to prepare.

A butterfly cake is a variant of cupcake, also called fairy cake for its fairy-like "wings". They can be made from any flavor of cake. The top of the fairy cake is cut off or carved out with a spoon, and cut in half. Then, butter cream, whipped cream or other sweet filling (e.g. jam) is spread into the hole. Finally, the two cut halves are stuck into the butter cream to look like butterfly wings. The wings of the cake are often decorated using icing to form various patterns.

Elaborately frosted cupcakes may be made for special occasions such as baby showers, graduations, or holidays.

A cake ball is an individual portion of cake, round like a chocolate truffle, that is coated in chocolate. These are typically formed from crumbled cake mixed with frosting, rather than being baked as a sphere.

A gourmet cupcake is a somewhat recent variant of cupcake. Gourmet cupcakes are large and filled cupcakes, based around a variety of flavor themes, such as Tiramisu or Cappuccino. In recent years there has been an up cropping of stores that sell only gourmet cupcakes in metropolitan areas.

As an alternative to a plate of individual cakes, some bakers place standard cupcakes into a pattern and frost them to create a large design

Top 10 Most Expensive Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery’s Caramel Cupcakes

Magnolia Bakery’s Caramel Cupcakes

• Magnolia Bakery’s cupcakes may not have the incredible price tag as some of the others. But the bakery was popularized by Carrie Bradshaw and has earned the right to charge $24 for a half dozen - a hefty price tag for a domestic bakery.

Sprinkles Cupcakes DozenSprinkles Bakery is

one of the premiere cupcake spots, often thought of as the first cupcake bakery in Los Angeles. That allows them to charge a hefty price - $39 a dozen - for a drop in corner bakery.

Crave Cupcake’s Maple Bacon Cupcake

Even the people of Australia are getting on board with the expensive cupcake trend. Crave Cupcake’s maple bacon cupcake clocks in at $45 a pop and is adorned with a golden Champagne macaron.

Palazzo Decadence D’or Cupcake

This cupcake doesn’t have any tricks or diamonds encrusting it. The high price tag, $750, comes from the luxurious ingredients used. Palmira single-estate chocolate and Tahitian gold vanilla caviar make this treat worth the price.

Courvoisier cognac-drizzled cupcake

a pastry cream filling that is flavored with Krug Collection Brut Champagne, which comes at $1,000 a bottle

buttercream frosting made with butter from Normandy and 70% cacao chocolate from Tuscan chocolatier Amedei, specialty coffee, French sea salt, organic cane sugar, and Tahitian vanilla beans

a chocolate cup decorated with gold flakes, stylized gold strips, and a ring of sugar diamonds

to top of the frosting: edible gold fondant flowers, leaves, and branch, and champagne caviar bubbles, made using molecular gastronomy

a pipette of 21-year-old Courvoisier cognac, drizzled on top before being eaten

An estimated price of $900 dollars per cupcake.

Bloomsbury’s Golden PhoenixThe Golden Phoenix

cupcake debuted in Dubai and clocks in at 645 British pounds - over $1,000 U.S. dollars. It is wrapped in 23 carat gold and is made with flour that is imported from Italy. The entire thing is also completely edible.

Food Network UK’s Luxe Gold Cupcake

When Food Network does something, they do it right. Their Luxe Gold cupcake is filled with peach and champagne jam and has a dollop of buttercream made with Chateau Yquem. It’s also wrapped in 24 carat gold leaf and is guarded by a velvet rope and personal body guard. Considering it is values at $1,227.70, we cannot say we blame them!

Mervis Diamonds created this cupcake to celebrate the store’s 100th anniversary. It was studded with diamonds all over and oozed supreme luxury. The price tag values at an estimated $30,000.

Mervis Diamond’s Fantasty Cupcake

Women who ordered this Valentine’s Day treat were met with an exciting surprise. The red velvet cupcake, priced at $55,000, included an eight carat engagement ring in the center.

Cupcake Gourmet’s Sparkling Red Velvet

Rox Diamond CupcakeThe Rox Diamond

cupcake was created to honor the annual Glam in the City event in Scotland. The cupcake, a pretty pink treat, is dripping with tiny diamonds and is worth over $150,000.

Most Bizarre Cupcake Flavors

Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes

Kale Cupcakes

Mountain Dew Cupcakes

Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

Cupcakes Benedict

Chicken and Waffle Cupcakes

Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes

Chocolate Mashed Potato Cupcakes

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mash Potato Frosting

Beer and Sauerkraut Fudge Cupcakes

Mango Chili Cupcakes

Salmon Cupcakes

Thank you!