Cupcakes Who can resist a delicious cupcake? They are easy to make, simple to decorate and perfect for any occasion. All About Cupcakes
Fun Facts About Cupcakes
Cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes in the UK. They are small cakes designed to serve one person, can be baked in a range of cases and can be decorated with different toppings, including butter icing, cream cheese and chocolate.
Cupcakes were originally called “Number Cakes” or “1234 Cakes” cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, 4 eggs (in America, bakers weigh ingredients in ‘cups’)
There are four basic ingredients– butter/margarine, sugar, eggs, and flour. The cake batter used for cupcakes can be flavoured and other ingredients can be added, such as raisins, berries, nuts or chocolate chips. A variety of toppings can be used ranging from plain butter icing to salted caramel chocolate. The baker can use a spoon or a piping bag to apply the topping to the cupcake. The ingredients used in cupcakes can be altered to suit vegans and people with allergies including dairy, gluten and nuts.
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Cupcakes were first made in America in the late 1700’s because it was an easy way to remember portions - 1 cup of butter, 2
Cupcakes are called cupcakes because they were originally baked in individual pottery cups. The ingredients were weighed in standard size cups. Americans still use this method to weigh ingredients today. Cupcakes are easy to make.
Cupcakes can be made and used for lots of different reasons: To celebrate events like birthdays To give a message e.g. thank you or congratulations To use up food e.g. carrot cake cupcakes
Cupcakes bake much faster than normal cakes because they are smaller
Original cupcake recipes were usually flavoured with spices or dried fruit and not butter icing
In the 1950s, bakers started filling and topping cupcakes with cream and decorations
Cupcakes became really popular in the early 2000s
There are bakeries in the UK and the USA that just sell cupcakes
Cupcakes are popular at birthday parties and celebrations
Cupcakes are often given as gifts
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Young bakers can enjoy making and decorating cupcakes in lots of different ways Using different cases
Paper cases placed in a muffin tray (made of aluminium or silicon) Aluminium cases – these cases can be placed on a flat baking tray Silicon cases Novelty cases Small coffee mugs or large teacups
Adding different ingredients
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Raisins Chocolate chips Nuts Bananas, oranges, pineapples, lemons or apples Carrots (for carrot cake cupcakes Lemon curd Jam Honey
Adding different toppings
Butter icing (plain or coloured) Melted chocolate Salted caramel Cream cheese Meringue Rice paper toppings Fruits, including strawberries, blueberries or cherries
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Presenting/storing cupcakes
Individual boxes Boxes that hold 4, 6 or 12 cupcakes In a tub or tin
Examples of celebratory, message and novelty cupcakes
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Task: 1. What do some people call cupcakes in the UK?
2. What were cupcakes originally baked in?
3. Name the 4 basic ingredients in a cupcake: 1) 2) 3) 4) 4. What can be used to add a topping to a cupcake?
5. Is it possible to make vegan cupcakes?
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6. Can you think of three events where you would bake or eat cupcakes? 1) 2) 3)
7. Where and when were cupcakes first made?
8. Why were cupcakes originally called ‘1, 2, 3, 4 cakes’ in America?
9. When did bakers start filling and topping cupcakes with cream and decorations?
10. There are bakeries in the UK and the USA that just sell cupcakes TRUE/FALSE
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Put the words in the correct columns Christening
scales
cream cheese vanilla
mixing bowl
Equipment
mini eggs
Christmas party
leaving party
red velvet
caramel
melted chocolate cherries
double chocolate
Types of cupcakes
icing bag
passing exams
sprinkles
paper cases
birthday party muffin tray lemon cheesecake
Toppings
Events
Solve the anagrams SCUEKCAP
PNPIGSTO
PBEUTT NICGI
ECTHAOCOL CPSIH
EDR TVEEVL
EPARP SCEAS
IUTFR
CIPSES
*answers
* CUPCAKES / TOPPINGS / BUTTER ICING / CHOCOLATE CHIPS / RED VELVET / PAPER CASES / FRUIT / SPICES
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