In recent years, a gastronomic term that often causes confusion has become popular: cupcake . It is a small individual cake that is baked in a mold with paper .
Cupcakes are very similar to muffins and muffins . A cupcake (named after pastry chef Madeleine Palmer ) is a small bun or cake with a sweet flavor , while a muffin is a preparation that can be sweet or savory.
Beyond the similarities, there are differences between these three products . The preparation of cupcakes requires creaming butter and sugar, while muffins do not contain butter, but rather oil. The muffin batter, for its part, does not require mixing.
A cupcake, on the other hand, can be filled and have pieces of chocolate or fruit . The muffins, on the other hand, do not have pieces, and as for the muffins, they are not filled. Another unique feature of cupcakes is that they are always decorated.
In addition to all of the above, we cannot forget to highlight the existence of a long list of varieties or different versions of cupcakes, such as, for example, frozen cupcakes or so-called gourmet cupcakes. The latter are characterized because they are not only larger than usual but also because they are always filled and because they have very specific and different flavors such as tiramisu.
When it comes to making perfect cupcakes with an unmatched flavor, a series of tips must be taken into account, such as the following:
-The flour used must be low in protein and must be sifted.
-The yeast used must be powder.
-Vanilla extract is one of the items that contributes to giving a more special flavor to cupcakes.
-The ideal is to bake them at a temperature that is between 170º and 175º C and they usually need to be in the oven for around 22 minutes.
-If you want to color and decorate them, the ideal is to use paste dyes.
The literal translation of cupcake, an English concept, is “cup cake” or “cup cake” . This is because, originally, there were no specific molds and these individual cakes were made in cups or similar containers .
In the 21st century , the popularity of cupcakes spread throughout the world thanks to TV shows that began to show them frequently. Currently it is possible to find stores dedicated exclusively to these products in many countries .
Numerous programs specializing in cupcakes have appeared on the small screen. Examples of this are spaces such as “Cupcake Wars”, “DC Cupcakes”, “Cupcakes Maniacs” and even special programs about this food that have been carried out on channels such as Canal Cocina, among others. Not to mention that there are specific channels on YouTube focused on its preparation.
Due to the speed of their baking and the possibility of decorating them in multiple ways, cupcakes also became a food of choice at events such as birthdays and weddings .