9 Scrumptious Cupcake Fun Facts That Will Sweeten Your Day
1. Cupcakes vs. Fairy Cakes Showdown
Despite a long-standing rivalry that would make Superman and Batman blush, cupcakes and fairy cakes are not, in fact, just secret identities for the same delicious dessert: The weigh-ins reveal that fairy cakes boast a lighter sponge cake and a delicate glace icing, while their counterpart, cupcakes, flaunt a denser butter cake and generously pile on the buttercream, wearing their larger sizes like a badge of honor.
Source => huffpost.com
2. Cupcake Evolution: From Pottery Cups to Muffin Tins
Before the invention of the mighty muffin tin, the ancestors of cupcakes were forced to resort to a more primitive lifestyle, huddled together in pottery cups and ramekins, dreaming of the day they could break free from their ceramic confines: It wasn't until Eliza Leslie's Receipts cookbook in 1828 that the term "cupcake" was coined, revealing the origins of these scrumptious treats which relied on pottery cups, ramekins, or molds for baking before muffin tins became popular, forever changing the course of cupcake history.
Source => madeleinesbakery.com
Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II's wedding cake weighed a staggering 500 pounds and served 2,000 slices? Discover more royal cake wonders in our fun facts!
=> Fun Facts about Cake
3. Size Matters: Mini, Standard, and Jumbo Cupcakes
Feeling a "cup-quake" coming on? Can't shake that muffin top? You're not alone: Cupcakes come in all shapes and sizes, from minis to jumbos, which are twice the size of standard cupcakes, and can even be baked in specialty pans for your wildest cupcake desires.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
4. Myth-Busting: Cupcakes and Afternoon Tea Parties
When the Duchess of Bedford craved teatime nibbles, she wasn't serving "Earl Grey's Anatomy" at her soirées: It turns out that there's no evidence of cupcakes gaining their reputation as the teatime must-haves during the mid-19th century afternoon tea parties.
Source => destinationtea.com
5. Unlocking the Perfect Cupcake Height
Cupcake conundrum: how high will these little sugary peaks climb? The answer lies in the magic of measuring out your cupcake chaos: filling each liner with roughly ¼ cup of batter (that's about ½ full) will yield a scrumptious summit of 2½ inches tall. A little experimentation may be necessary for the perfect rise, so channel your inner mad scientist and bake away!
Source => bhg.com
6. Godzilla's Guilty Pleasure: World's Largest Cupcake
If you thought your sweet tooth was insatiable, imagine the kind of cravings that could only be satisfied by a cupcake so colossal, it could give Godzilla a sugar rush: Meet the "queen cupcake", declared the World's Largest Cupcake by the Guinness Book of World Records, weighing 1,224 pounds, 4 feet tall, 11 feet in diameter, and containing over 2 million calories. Baked by Merengue Bakery in California and decorated pink for breast cancer awareness, this record-breaking delicacy was auctioned off on eBay, donating all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Source => delish.com
7. Butterfly Cupcakes: Winged Wonders of Australia
Have you ever heard of butterflies that you can actually sink your teeth into without feeling guilty? It's about to get curiouser and curiouser down under: In Australia during the 70's and 80's, butterfly cakes were a popular treat at kids' birthday parties, featuring wings made from pieces of the cupcake itself, mock cream, and a light dusting of icing sugar to create an edible butterfly illusion.
Source => cookingwithnanaling.com
8. Hipster Cupcake Roots: A Pottery Love Affair
Before muffin tins were a twinkle in any chef's eye, cupcakes were cozying up to the pottery scene like a hipster sipping coffee from a mason jar: The first cupcakes were actually baked in heavy pottery cups, with the term "cupcake" popping up as early as 1828 in Eliza Leslie's Receipts cookbook. Nostalgic bakers today might still opt for using ramekins, teacups, or other ovenproof dishes to craft their scrumptious, cup-based confections.
Source => nationaldaycalendar.com
9. Superhero Cupcakes in San Antonio
They say not all superheroes wear capes, but in San Antonio, some of them wear cupcake wrappers: This Texas city boasts Cupcake Wars winners like Choco Patisserie and One Cute Cupcake Boutique, offering a daily changing menu of scrumptious cupcakes that are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert escapades.
Source => cupcakemonster.com