Snack Bar

Cupcakes!

While cakes of various sorts have been around since ancient times, the irresistible cupcake has a shorter, but still very interesting, history.

You may be surprised to learn that cupcakes did not become popular simply because they’re cuter than regular cakes. In the 1800s, there was a very practical reason to switch from cakes to cupcakes — they took a lot less time to bake.

Back then, people didn’t have gas or electric ovens like we have today. They baked in hearth ovens, over a fire. It takes a long time for a large cake to bake in a hearth oven, and by the time the inside has fully cooked, the outside is often burnt. Smaller cakes bake quickly and more evenly. How cupcakes got their name is an interesting story too. There are actually two reasons we call them cupcakes. The first is that they were sometimes baked in teacups. The second is that their ingredients were measured in cups — one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of milk and a spoonful of baking soda is a popular early recipe.

Fun cupcake facts

• Bakers can either grease their pans, or use paper liners to keep cupcakes from sticking to the sides.

• An early 18th-century recipe for cupcakes called for one glass of wine, in addition to sugar, butter and flour.

• In Britain, cupcakes are called fairy cakes.

• Popular cupcake toppings include frosting and sprinkles.