Cupcakes have never been buns Oxford English dictionary: Bun: a small cake, typically containing dried fruit: a currant bun a bread roll. (in Scotland and Jamaica) a rich fruit cake or currant bread. Cupcake: small cake baked in a cup-shaped foil or paper container and typically iced.
I believe the proliferation of the use of 'buns' to describe the moderately firm set of buttocks on a subject of sexual attraction made the term too high risk to the baking industry and an alternative needed to be pushed heavily in order to rescue the situation. Plus, think about the moronic city dwellers for a moment. What would they pay for a 'bun'? Maybe 10p or 20p at a charity event. What would they pay for a 'cupcake'? "Oh, a cupcake, how lovely - £4.50? An absolute steal, I'll take 8 but keep the change from this fifty. A whole shop dedicated to cupcakes! Who would have thought it would work? But it must do, cos here I am throwing my money at you for your overpriced swirly butter/sugar goods. Bend over? Whatever you say!". Loving the deliberate mistake
Yeah they have, 10 years ago you went to a bake sale, a 'small cake' as your dictionary declares it, baked in a BUN case/foil paper with icing on, = 'bun or iced bun' - now people stick even more obesity inducing **** on the top n call it a cupcake. I'm with Porkins. Bun = 10p and cupcake = £4.50 to get even fatter whilst pretending you're a bit fancy. I hate 'em, me.
A mother fudging Muffin!!...BLUEBERRY!!... But thats not a cupcake...The cupcakes I love are, butter icing on top, then stick them in the fridge for about 10 mins...baaaang on..
I would agree for the most-part with Emzay's sentiment, but clearly we need technical clarity on bun vs cupcake. Obviously both could consist of similar recipes in the cake section, but I'd say any bun should have no more than 5mm of topping (excluding protruding decorative fruit, such as cherries, as long as it doesn't extend beyond 20% of the bun's thickness). Anything over that, and anything with butter icing or fresh fruit, becomes a cupcake. Special exceptions are made for buns with jam and cream fillings, as long as the centres have been removed with a knife, and no more than 80% of the original volume of the bun has been augmented with cream and jam.
I think clarification is also required to take into account the North-South divide: Southern: Iced bun Cream bun (donut recipe based ) Butterfly cake (buttercream and jam - just for you Krikkit ) Fairy cake (traditional school fair fare ) Wikipedia definition: In previous centuries, before muffin tins were widely available, the cakes were often baked in individual pottery cups, ramekins, or molds and took their name from the cups they were baked in. This is the use of the name that has persisted, and the name of "cupcake" is now given to any small cake that is about the size of a teacup. The name "fairy cake" is a fanciful description of its size, which would be appropriate for a party of diminutive fairies to share. While English fairy cakes vary in size more than American cupcakes, they are traditionally smaller and are rarely topped with elaborate icing.
Nah mate, it's a bun. Nee fairies involved. Baked in a bun case which sits in bun tin. Also the top one is an Iced Finger. Dafty southerners with yer cupcake shops n mythical creature 'cakes'
@ Red Velvet cakes/cupcakes/buns and buttercream and jam butterfly buns: They literally cause me to make that sound in my head! *drool* Also, I call them both buns and cupcakes. There are certain buns that you cannot call cupcakes, but I am of the opinion that all cupcakes can be called buns. Either way, I love eating them! A friend of a friend that I know (through that mutual friend!) makes some incredible cupcakes, cakes, buns and generally sweet, sticky goodness. Have a gander at some of her work on Facebook: Sprinkles & Crumbs (Dublin) on Facebook. Ali only started it as a hobby, but she's so good and her stuff is so popular that it's almost turned into a second full time job
This is oh so very very true. I blame London for its large amount of fancy baked goods shops. My fave of these so called cupcakes is a double chocolate one Or a standard butterfly cake with butter-cream icing and some strawberry sauce too.
My favourite cupcakes has to be the triple chocolate! chocolate cake, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips! DECLICIOUS!
I just read through all of this with my wife and nearly died laughing! Thanks for all the witty banter and cupcake goodness We had an event at work this evening so she made a trio of cupcakes to feed the guests. Plum and nutmeg cake with a lemon cream cheese icing Dark chocolate cake filled with cherry wine compote topped with vanilla butter cream Lemon cake with a blueberry filling topped with basil infused butter cream They went down great
Wow! Each of those sound and look beyond tempting, but given that none of us said anything about basil butter I for one feel shunned. You'd best send each one of us one to try to make up for it
I thin the biggest thing she took from all the comments was the massive dislike for "to much" frosting! I'm sure if your near Bristol she would make you some, she is always looking for testers
Looks around, they're all in denial, honest it's true. Shouldn't they be called fairy cakes, moves along.
My wife just made similar comment whilst reading over my shoulder... As others have said; it's a bun. Chocolate buns being my favourite.
