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Muffins and cupcakes share many similarities, however, there are a few characteristics that set these pastries apart. For one thing, muffins tend to be on the healthier side, as fruit can be added to them. They aren’t too sweet and can be made even healthier if the baker uses whole wheat four. Muffins are dryer than cupcakes. Cupcakes are sweet, soft, and are typically made with more eggs and butter. They are usually slathered in frosting. Muffins are typically eaten as a breakfast food, whereas cupcakes are eaten as a sweet treat or as a dessert. There is no denying how tasty both are.

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Cupcakes are constantly evolving, or changing. New flavors are constantly being created and there is no limit as to how a cupcake can be decorated. At one time, cupcakes were only sold in stores or made at home. However, as the years have passed, cupcake lovers, makers, and sellers have gotten pretty creative in the way they are sold. In 2005, Sprinkles Cupcake was the first cupcake bakery to exist. This quickly became a trend throughout the world, which led to cupcake trucks that would park around large cities, selling the delicious desserts. In 2012, the first cupcake ATM opened!

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Have you ever tried to eat a cupcake and while peeling the liner off, much of the cupcake gets peeled off with it? As a cupcake pro, the biggest tip I can offer to avoid this cupcake catastrophe is to remove the cupcakes from the tin as soon as they come out of the oven. Sometimes if they are left in the tin, steam builds up from the hot cupcakes and the moisture can may make the liners pull away. If that doesn’t work, try a different type of cupcake liner-like a greaseproof kind. These tips will ensure that you get to savor every last bite of your yummy cupcake!

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Can you imagine living in a world without chocolate chip cookies? Well, boys and girls, it almost happened! The chocolate chip cookie was actually invented by accident! Back in the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield, who was the owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, was desperate for supplies to make her cookies. She broke a chocolate bar into pieces, hoping that the chunks would melt, making chocolate cookies. Instead of melting, the chunks of chocolate stayed in the cookie. That’s how the popular treat was created! Now it is enjoyed by millions!

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Top Tips for the Perfect Cupcake First, make sure all of your ingredients are together and that they are all room temperature. Once all of ingredients are in the mixing bowl, be sure not to over mix the batter. After the batter is ready to go, use a scoop to fill the cupcake liners, don’t just guess! Place the pan in the center of your oven for the best cooking results. *After the cupcakes have been cooked make sure you store them in an airtight container!

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When you are mixing the batter for cupcakes, you want to make sure that you start on low. This will ensure that all of the ingredients are mixing together evenly. If you over mix, the air bubbles in the batter have to work extra hard to expand. This results in the air bubbles bursting when they are cooking, which leaves long, hollow tunnels inside of your cake, and a surface that resembles a volcano on the top of your cupcake. If you under mix, then the batter will not set correcting which may make your cupcakes flaky and have a crumbly center! Cake batter is like Goldilocks! It has to be mixed just right!

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Although some newer recipes call for bananas as a substitute for eggs, most cupcake recipes require good old fashioned eggs. Once you get all of the ingredients together, it can be easy to lose focus on the task at hand and start throwing the materials into the mixing bowl. Sometimes, people crack their egg(s) over the mixing bowl, and pieces of the egg shells fall in! One time, someone cracked an egg into the batter while the mixer was on, and the egg’s shell was completely mixed in! What a mess! To prevent this from happening, crack your eggs into a different bowl and then pour the egg mix into the big bowl.

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Cupcakes have been around since the 17th century! These delectable treats were originally created for kids, which is why they are the perfect portion size. However, it seems as though adults are now enjoying cupcakes just as much as the kids! In Britain, cupcakes are called fairy cakes and in Australia, they are referred to as patty cakes. The brand Hostess is credited to making cupcakes take off in popularity starting around 1950. They decided to dabble in the cupcake business, because it took less time to bake than cakes!

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Dear Betsy-I’m having a birthday party for my son next month-and I wanted to know the scoop-cake pops or cupcakes? Love, Freda Dear Freda-A cake pop is more like a cake ball which is an shaped like a chocolate truffle-being an individual portion of cake. These cake pops are formed from crumbled cake AND frosting, unlike the cupcake that is baked as a sphere. These are the new trend in the dessert world. On the other hand, cupcakes are classic, and you have more space to work with when it comes to decorating! -Betsy

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Mark- I am okay with you making cupcakes for your teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week, as long as your brother is home to supervise. Below is a list of how I would like you to clean up after. 1. Throw away all trash-butter wrappers, egg shells, etc. 2. Collect all cooking utensils-bowl, whisk, cooking pan, etc. Place in warm, soapy water in sink and let soak. 3. Collect all materials- flour, sugar, cupcake liners and put them away. 4. You may test ONE cupcake. Love you, Mom

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