Cupcakes Throughout History

How far have cupcakes come over the years? Compare your favorites against these classic, albeit a bit crude, recipes from the past.

1796 - American Cookery: "A light Cake to bake in small cups. Half a pound sugar, half a pound butter, rubbed into two pounds flour, one glass wine. Emptins, a nutmeg, cinnamon and currants."

1828 - Seventy-Five Recipes for Pastry: "Five eggs. Two large tea-cups full of molasses. The same of brown sugar, rolled fine. The same of fresh butter. One cup of rich milk. Five cups of flour, sifted. Half a cup of powdered allspice and cloves. Half a cup of ginger. Cut up the butter in the milk, and warm slightly. Warm the molasses, and stir it into the milk and butter: then stir in, gradually, the sugar, and set it away to cool. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the mixture alternately with the flour. Add the ginger and other spice, and stir the whole very hard. Butter small tins, nearly fill them with the mixture, and bake the cakes in a moderate oven."

1833 - American Frugal Housewife: "Cup cake is about as good as pound cake, and is cheaper. One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs, well beat together, and baked in pans or cups. Bake twenty minutes, and no more."

1871 - Mrs. Porter's New Southern Cookery Book: "Half a cupful butter and four cupsful of sugar creamed together, five well-beaten eggs, one teaspoonful of [baking] soda dissolved in one cupful of cream (or milk), six cupsful of flour, nutmeg, one teaspoonful of dry cream of tartar."

2006: BakeSpace.com launches as the Web's first online food social network & recipe swap - complete with cupcake logo. Cupcake lovers rejoice and use the site to meet, exchange cupcake recipes and share their tips and expertise.

This article and photo has been used from BakeSpace.com check them out!

Black Forest Cupcakes by peabody rudd


# For the Cakes:
# 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
# 2 tsp baking powder
# 1 tsp salt
# 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
# 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
# 1 1/2 cups sugar
# 2 eggs
# 1 1/2 cups milk
# 1 tsp vanilla extract
# 1/2 cup Kirsch or cherry brandy
#
# Filling and Frosting
# 1 cup heavy whipping cream
# 1 cup powdered sugar
# 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
# 1 TBSP kirsch or cherry brandy
# 1 can pitted cherries, drained
# grated dark chocolate for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa together and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk. Add vanilla a beat well.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
5. When cupcakes are cool, unmold, cut into half or in thirds, and sprinkle with cherry liqueur.
6. To make the filling and frosting:
7. In a large bowl, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add sugar, vanilla, and kirsch. Beat until stiff. Spread layer(s) of cake with half the filling. Press cherries into whipped cream before adding next layer. Save enough cherries to decorate cupcakes. Frost top and sides of cupcakes with whipped cream. Decorate with remaining cherries. Sprinkle grated chocolate over cupcakes.
If you do not have Kirsch or Cherry Brandy DO NOT make these....the recipe has to have it to make it tasty. This is the original recipe. Source: Cupcakes Galore but Gail Wgaman