A cupcake is a small cake that is baked in a cup and topped with frosting. They are typically used for special occasions, such as birthdays and baby showers. They also are popular with children who are learning to bake.

Cupcakes are smaller and easier to transport than large cakes, so they’re perfect for sharing with family or friends. They are also more affordable and calorie-friendly than larger cakes, so they can be a great option for kids and adults who are watching their weight.

They are made using a standard cake-mixing method, so they usually contain a higher ratio of fat (butter, oil, or dairy) and sugar to flour. This helps make them more tender than other types of baking, while also creating a lighter and more delicate crumb.

Most cupcakes are topped with frosting, but they can be adorned with other fun decorations to make them look more festive. These decorations can be anything from sprinkles to icing. Some people even use a decorating bag to create drop flowers, leaves, petals or stars on their cupcakes!

To prepare your cupcakes, you’ll need a muffin pan and paper cupcake liners. The pan should be well-greased with butter or vegetable shortening, and the liners will help keep the cupcakes from crumbling while they’re baking. You can also buy fluted (corrugated) paper liners for this purpose.

When you’re ready to bake your cupcakes, the first step is to measure out all of the ingredients. This will ensure that you get the proper amounts of everything for your recipe. After the ingredients are measured out, they must be mixed together until a thick batter is formed.

The batter must be transferred to the cupcake pan, and the cupcakes are then put into the oven. They’re then baked for the amount of time specified in the recipe. When they’re done, the cupcakes are then cooled.

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, they can then be frosted with a generous dollop of frosting. This will give them a nice, smooth finish and allow you to easily pipe swirls of frosting around the outside edge of the cupcake.

Some people like to use a piping bag with a #6 star tip for piping swirled frosting on their cupcakes. To do this, start at the outside of the cupcake and spiral up towards the center to create a beautiful peak.

Another method to frost your cupcakes is to use a flexible spatula, which will allow you to spread the frosting on the sides of the cupcakes with ease and will make it much easier to do fluffy swirls. The spatula will also help you keep the edges of the cupcakes from getting too sloppy, which can happen if you try to frost them by hand with a piping bag.

Some people like to make their own homemade frosting, but you can also purchase pre-made frosting at many grocery stores. Just make sure that the icing is at least room temperature, as it can harden quickly if it’s not. You can also add food color to your icing if you’d like to give it a different color.