Cupcake Nation

The cupcake has been in favor for a long time now. Everyone , from stars to soccer moms love it. It makes the perfect dessert along with making the perfect snack. The round shape and dome of icing remind us of happier times in our lives. Marcel Proust may have had his madeleines but we Yanks have our beloved cupcakes.

Cupcakes were born in the 19th Century. Their name derives from the fact that the ingredients were measured in cups as opposed to in pounds (hence how we get pound cake). Also ovens back then were not regulated and it took forever to bake an average cake. Home bakers found it easier to bake smaller cakes in what was known as gems or individual clay cups. The 20th Century gave us mass produced ones. The Hostess cupcake was introduced in 1919 but it wasn't until 1950 when the famous "squiggle on top" was introduced.

Cupcakes fell out of favor for a long time during the Seventies and Eighties. The Nineties ushered in the famous Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village.It reintroduced the cakes to a younger audience who had been fed factory made ones. Magnolia's cupcakes were different. They had a real homemade flavor, baked from scratch taste and topped with freshly made butter cream icing. Celebrities and their wannabes went wild for them and soon bakeries across Manhattan were imitating and even copying Magnolia's recipe. Thanks to this craze, everyone wanted cupcakes at their parties and get togethers. Williams and Sonoma, Target and even WalMart sell cupcake trees, tiered stands in which to prettily display the little cakes. Cupcake trees and pyramids are making their presence known at weddings with couples opting for cake s created out of four or five tiers of cupcakes.

The little treat has also been given gourmet status. Alongside of the traditional chocolate and vanilla ones , there are carrot, lemon poppy and red velvet. Nuts, raisins and chocolate chips have been added to give extra flair. Luckily the icing has remained the same with the traditional butter cream although the carrot and red velvet cupcakes have cream cheese. Sprinkles, pistachios and even gold dust (we're talking Hollywood cupcakes here) have been scattered on top.

Cupcakes are fun and easy to make. It's more time efficient to use a box of vanilla or chocolate cake mix. Icings can be easy as well. You can make your own (which tastes better than the canned stuff), using confectioner's sugar and butter as the base. Frosting can even be Cool Whip or pudding , depending on what you want to do. For butterfly cakes slice off the top of the cupcake , and split it in two. Ice the remaining cake and then stick the pieces in butterfly fashion into the cake's top. You can also ice these in a contrasting frosting and decorate to look like a butterfly.Another pretty idea is to swirl two colors of icing on top of the cupcake for a colorful pastel effect. This is perfect for showers or little girls' birthday parties. Of course for the holidays, nothing beats a cupcake party where you can dress up the cakes accordingly.

Cupcakes are sweet links to our innocent youth. They remind us that life can be fun and full of sweetness. There's nothing like treating yourself ot a homemade cupcake with a mound of butter cream frosting!!!!

Here is a recipe from The Boston Cooking School Cookbook My Mom bought it to add to her vast collection back in the Fifties. The recipes are still useful .

Chocolate Frosting

2 squares chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Put chocolate, butter and milk in top of a double boiler. Cook until chocolate melts. Stir well. Let stand until luke warm (about five minutes ). Beat in sugar until thick enough to spread.

If you want a richer frosting use cream instead of milk and add one egg yolk after chocolate has melted