A cupcake is a little cake, baked in a small paper or aluminum cup. It is often topped with frosting and may be decorated with edible decorations.<\/p>\n
It’s not entirely clear when the first cupcake was made, but it is believed to have appeared in a cookbook in either the late 1700s or mid-1800s. Some scholars think the cupcake got its name from its origination in a muffin pan while others believe it was named because of a mnemonic device that helped bakers remember the recipe, “one cup butter, two cups sugar, three cups flour, four eggs.”<\/p>\n
Today, cupcakes are usually baked in a cupcake pan, a metal baking tin with six or twelve depressions or “cups” for the batter. The pans are usually coated with a non-stick surface or liners, which make it easy for the cupcake to pop out of the pan after baking. There are also special pans for miniature and jumbo size cupcakes.<\/p>\n
Whether they are chocolate, vanilla, or even plain, cupcakes can be filled with cream, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients to create a variety of desserts. To add filling to a cupcake, the batter is placed in a pastry bag fitted with a large, round tip (such as a Bismark filling tip ($3, Michaels), and the tip is inserted into the top of the cupcake. The filling is then squeezed out through the center of the cupcake, creating a pretty pattern on the surface of the confection.<\/p>\n
Cupcakes can be frosted with buttercream, fondant, royal icing, or another type of frosting. They can also be garnished with edible flowers, sanding sugar crystals, sprinkles, or other decoration. Some bakers also use a piping bag to apply the frosting, while others frost their cakes with a knife.<\/p>\n
The baking process for cupcakes is much shorter and at a lower temperature than that of a standard cake. This is because the smaller size means that the heat will circulate more effectively and that the cupcakes will bake faster. This also prevents the formation of cracks on the surface of the cupcakes.<\/p>\n
For students to learn about how different temperatures and baking times affect the final product, have them work in teams of two or three and divide a box of Betty Crocker(tm) Super Moist(tm) yellow cake mix into several cups. Teams should then measure out and place a portion of the cupcake batter into each cup of the cupcake tin. Each team should then bring the tins of cupcakes to the oven at approximately the same time, to be baked for about 15-20 minutes.<\/p>\n
Once the cupcakes are out of the oven, allow each team to share their results with the class and discuss the differences in texture and appearance. Using a toothpick, students should also test for doneness. If the cake is still raw in the middle, they can return it to the oven for a few minutes to bake a bit more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A cupcake is a little cake, baked in a small paper or aluminum cup. It is often topped with frosting and may be decorated with edible decorations. It’s not entirely clear when the first cupcake was made, but it is believed to have appeared in a cookbook in either the late 1700s or mid-1800s. Some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n