a cake in a cup
Whether you call it a fairy cake, a bun, a patty cake, or a cupcake, it’s a real cake miniaturized down. (pardon my Big Business movie reference)
According to Wikipedia, the earliest extant description of what is now often called a cupcake was in 1796, when a recipe for “a light cake to bake in small cups” was written in American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. The earliest extant documentation of the term cupcake itself was in “Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats” in 1828 in Eliza Leslie’s Receipts cookbook.
Although the current cupcake craze which first began in 2000, when Miranda and Carrie munched on Magnolia’s Cupcakes on an episode of Sex and the City is waning, I will never tire of the perfect one portion size cakes.
I made Churro Cupcakes for a recent Mexican themed family get together. They were a huge hit!
Churro Cupcakes
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter- bring to room temperature
3 egg whites- bring to room temperature
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake papers, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15–18 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans, then cool completely on wire racks. Frost, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 C salted butter — bring to room temperature
8 oz cream cheese — bring to room temperature
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of salt
4 C powdered sugar
2 T milk (approx)
Thoroughly mix butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Add milk to desired consistency.
I got this recipe from Only the Best Cupcake Recipes book by Deanna Buxton
Get the book for free when you purchase the 30 Meals in One Day package!
