Cupcake

What are cupcakes?

- A cupcake (also British English: fairy cake; Hiberno-English: bun) 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, frosting and other cake decorations such as fruit and candy may be applied.
- Cupcakes are small, tasty snack cakes that are favored for their portability and portion-control.
They are batter cakes baked in a cup-shaped foil or temperature resistant paper. 1
- A cupcake can be prepared from a variety of formulations and can be decorated with cream and
icings. Its composition is not that different from traditional high-ratio layer cakes. The only
difference is the cupcakes higher batter viscosity, an important aspect for better processing and
baking tolerances.

Origin
- While the first official mention of the word cupcake was in the early 19th century, this dessert seems also
to be referenced in 1796 as “a light cake to bake in small cups.” Today, one can find a wide variety of
cupcakes, ranging from the simple to the sublime, and entire businesses have emerged in the last decade
focused solely on cupcakes.

Cupcake kits
- Cupcake kits are kits which provide a set of parts needed to allow an amateur baker to produce a
themed batch of cupcakes, often to tie in with themed parties. Examples of themes
include princess, pirate, fairies and dinosaurs. Typically kits include appropriately decorated cupcake
cases and cupcake toppers but some kits are available which also include the ingredients needed for
baking. Cupcake kits were introduced in 2008 or 2009 and continue to be popular items in
kitchenware stores.

Ingredients/ Recipe for normal cupcakes

 250g unsalted butter, softened
 250g caster sugar
 250g self-raising flour
 4 medium eggs
 4 tablespoons milk
 Pinch of salt (optional)
 You will also need

 Ice-cream scoop (optional)

 2 x 12-hole muffin tins, lined with paper cases

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F, gas 5. Line two muffin trays with 12 cupcake cases in each or bake in batches
of 12 using one muffin tray.

2. Start by creaming butter and sugar(opens in new tab) together in a bowl using a wooden spoon or electric whisk.
Beat until soft and fluffy. Then add the flour, eggs, milk, and salt and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Use a traditional-style ice cream scoop or spoon to divide the mixture between all the paper cases making sure to
get an even amount of mixture in each.

4. Place both muffin tins in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then swap the position of the tins over so the bottom
tray is now at the top of the oven, and visa versa, and bake for a further 3-7 minutes, until both trays of cupcakes
are a light golden colour. 

5. To make sure they are fully cooked, poke a clean skewer into the cupcakes - if it comes out clean the sponge is
cooked. Remove the tins from the oven. 

6. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few minutes and then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool. Once
completely cooled you can decorate with buttercream, icing mixture, and much more.

Basic tools for baking cupcakes

- Cooling Rack: Circulating air cools down cakes quickly to preserve the best texture.

- Skewers: Bamboo skewers are Food Network Kitchen chefs' favorite cake testers, but toothpicks
work just fine, and so does a paring knife, for that matter (you’ll be icing over the cut anyway).

- Mixing Bowls: Have three — a small, medium and large — that measure from about a quart to up
to 2 quarts. Glass bowls are popular too. Nesting bowls save storage space.

- Timer: This is the most-accurate way to project when cupcakes might be done — and it happens
fast with cupcakes.

- Measuring Cups: Have a 2- or 4-cup spouted transparent glass or plastic measuring cup for wet
ingredients (think water, oil and milk). Also, have a set of flat-topped measuring cups in 1-cup,
1/2-cup, 1/3-cup and 1/4-cup measures for dry ingredients like flour, sugar and cocoa.

- Muffin Tins: Two 12-cup tins will do for most occasions. Two 24-cup mini tins make a nice
addition.
 - Whisk: A nice, big, sturdy whisk is the original hand mixer, great for stirring together dry
ingredients or whipping by hand.

- Measuring Spoons: Have one set of measuring spoons with tablespoons, teaspoons, 1/2 teaspoons
and 1/4 teaspoons, preferably in metal, and keep them connected by a ring.

- Liners: These help cupcakes release from the tins, keep the cakes moist, and make for easy and
clean handling. Plus, they can add an element of style with color or pattern. Silicone or foil liners
can be used alone on a baking sheet.

- Wooden Spoon: They're good for stirring ingredients together.

- Flexible Spatula: Have a narrow, a medium (with or without a scoop) and a large flat one for
folding ingredients into a batter or scraping every last drop out of the mixing bowl. Silicone is a
favorite because it’s heatproof.

REFENCES

Cupcake Tools and Equipment Guide : Food Network | Easy Baking Tips and Recipes: Cookies, Breads &
Pastries : Food Network | Food Network

Cupcake recipe | GoodTo

Cupcakes | Baking Processes | BAKERpedia

Cupcake - Wikipedia