I HEART Cupcakes!!

What is it about cupcakes that makes most people smile? Is it that a cupcake is a bundle of yumminess in a small, pretty package? Is it the fact that you aren't committed to just ONE flavor of cake or frosting? Or is it the SPRINKLES (yes, cupcakes MUST have sprinkles!)? What has me in this cupcake fantasy world, you may ask? Last night I was looking through my cupcake recipe book to see what delightful little cakes I should make for a football game party at a friends house this weekend and I found it so hard to decide what to make! Do I make vanilla cakes? Chocolate? Strawberry? Lemon? All of the above? And should I put the same kind of frosting on all of them? So many options! Then I got distracted because I started to wonder WHERE cupcakes originated so I started looking online to see if anyone knew. I found that the term "cupcake" was first used in a book of recipes from 1828 and since hearth ovens were used primarily around the turn of the 20th century, muffin tins were used to bake cakes because they required less time to bake than a large cake. According to the Food Timeline website, food historians are unsure of the origin of the name CUPCAKE - could be because they were baked in cups (before the muffin tin came along) or if it is because the ingredients used to make the cakes were measured out by the cup. Either way, I am soooo glad that someone came up with the concept! And after reading about cupcakes, I decided to run to the cupcake shop around the corner from my house and get myself a treat to eat while I decided on what to bake. In the end, I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (told ya, GOTTA have sprinkles!!) and strawberry with cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries on top. I think everyone will enjoy them!

Enjoy your weekend and keep it clean!