Cupcakes vs. Muffins?

[Lindsey]

I was over at Nefermiw's house today and she baked us some yummy muffins. But then we got started on a huge debate over the differences between a cupcake and a muffin.

For instance, while I was growing up I would have been allowed muffins for breakfast but never a cupcake!

To me, cupcakes are frosted but never muffins (though I have seen some glazed.)

If it has fruit in it, I generally call it a muffin (apple, blueberry, raspberry, etc)

But can anyone here come up with a concrete definition that distinguishes between the two?

:roll: :evil:

[Bronze-Dragonrider]

I agree 100% with your definition :good:

[Aurelia]

I love cupcakes....I gotta love that frosting....

cupcakes are often made out of chocolate/vanilla with frosting. muffins are more natural/wholesome flavor (blueberry, cornbread) without the frosting or added sugar.

[Lindsey]

I love cupcakes....I gotta love that frosting....

cupcakes are often made out of chocolate/vanilla with frosting. muffins are more natural/wholesome flavor (blueberry, cornbread) without the frosting or added sugar.

I would argue that there are many other flavors for cupcakes (spice, strawberry, lemon)... and chocolate chip muffins certainly aren't wholesome!! :laugh: And many fruity muffins have just as much sugar as cupcakes.

It's really a conundrum.

[Nefermiw]

:wave:
:weirdo: They are all muffins :razz: :laugh:

BTW - here is the link to the muffin site: http://www.muffin-paradies.de/muffinframe.htm (It's all in German ;), so get you dictionary out.)

[Mayhem]

I love muffins.
Grandma made lovely ones but has stopped now :(


I miss my muffins!!!!!
:tantrum:

Muffins are bigger! And moister! And all round nummier!

Cupcakes are for kids parties, Muffins for adults to eat at the PC whilst watching for anyone who has noticed them!!
:evil:

[Lily]

Muffins I associate with cutting in half and adding lots of BUTTA.
If you want to
and they can be savoury
Cup Cakes are more likely to have more eggs and sugar in them
Perhaps they can be called "tea cakes" too!
Well that's what I think

[Caerwyddyn]

It's really a conundrum.
Can I have a dozen of those ?
:blush:

[Aurelia]

Good point....Cupcakes are muffins with frosting.

[Miss K]

Well I think cupcakes are small, dainty with icing and normally very sugary.

Muffins are bigger, and moist, often sugary too but never with icing.

Muffins can also be savoury too but i've never really heard of savoury cupcakes!!

:wave: :bouncy: :whee:

[Aranel]

Cupcakes = frosting
Muffins = no frosting

[Aurelia]

cupcakes are yummy, but so are muffins. which do you all like better?

[Weyrwoman Kalina]

I agree 100% with your definition :good:

And I agree with his agreement :evil:


;)

[Jax]

I always thought of cupcakes as smaller than muffins and yeah definitely with icing, and those paper patty pans.
* :drool: drools thinking about how much she wants a double chocolate chip muffin now* haven't had one in years...

[Apocalypse]

Cupcakes - cakes only smaller and not good for breakfast
Muffin - with fruit and good at any time of day. Not helpful when you have a sugar craving.... except for the white choc & raspberry ones! :good:

[Lindsey]

:laugh:

I guess quite a few people think of muffins as being bigger than cupcakes. There are certainly some HUGE muffins out there but the ones I remember eating when I was little (before portion sizes flew out the window entirely) and the ones I make at home are the same size as cupcakes :)

I agree about the savory thing.. you would never have a savory cupcake!

[Jax]

I went out and bought a double choc chip muffin today, I was really looking forward to it too, but I et it and it just wasn't that nice :sad: I feel gypped!

[Mayhem]

Jaxie, know why it wasn't as nice as it could be?

Because it wasn't a blueberry muffin.
That makes aaallllllll the difference!

[Jax]

I'm not much of a fan of cooked fruit, give me something with chocolate any day!

[Aurelia]

:ok: Usually chocolate chips are awesome--I bet a toffee muffin would be good!!!

[Brenda]

A cupcake is a miniature cake. Actual cake.
A muffin is a miniature sweet bread, like banana bread.

[geishagirl]

I agree with Brenda, But I prefer muffins

[Greenrider Tresa]

Cupcakes are sweets, muffins aren't! Though they're still good to eat...
Actually, I like muffins better, all that frosting on cupcakes is a bit much for me at times.

[Lily]

My local supermarket makes the yummiest muffins!!!
I buy a double chocolate chip one when I shop each week

ONE!!!!

Arent I good!!!!!

[Purpura]

Cupcakes are sweeter than Muffins I thought.

[Anneli]

I always thought that muffins were an American larger version of what we used to call fairy-cakes. So what's a cup-cake? Is frosting butter-cream?

[jjmouse]

A cupcake is a minature cake. Baked in a muffin tin. Line tin with special cupcake paper. Add cake batter. Finidhed, is usually, no bigger than palm size. Icing on top.

A muffin can be any size from palm size to fist size. Well. Fist size is relavent. I got small hands. ;) It can be anything from cornbread muffin to banana to blueberry to whatever.

[Jax]

My local supermarket makes the yummiest muffins!!!
I buy a double chocolate chip one when I shop each week

ONE!!!!

Arent I good!!!!!
OOooooooh!! Was it New World Lily?? I used to get them fairly regularly from New World. :sad: They were yummy. That was the yummy I was expecting with the one I bought yesterday, but it wasn't. *le sigh*

[Lily]

LOL sure is Jax!
Bet they cost more now though!!!!!

[Jax]

:drool: Yeah but they taste good and that's what matters! Here I bought a pack of 4 small ones for nearly $5 - and then when you change it to NZ$... :erm: :cry:

[Windra]

Muffin - not too sweet, although some types may outrank cupcakes in that field. Like those crappy manufactured ones they sell in places like Cumberland Farms. Way too sweet. Corn muffins get included. Usually all-bran or something like that, no icing...

Cupcake - Sugary, sickly sweet. Loads of delicious icing, but can make you retch if you eat too much.

Muffins own. 'Nuff said. ^_^
I like the chocolate ones, and the cheese ones.

[Aurelia]

I love cupcakes/muffins! Cornbread muffins are really good.

[selket]

cupcakes are sweeter than mufins. muffins are supposed to be good for you. fiber and all that. cupcakes just taste good.

[Anareth]

*sigh*

Cupcakes are just that, cakes in a cup size. Muffins are a quick bread. Chemically and texturally, they're totally different animals. Muffins are made with the muffin mixing method, cakes of any kind are usually either the creaming method or the separation sponge method. Muffins are chemically leavened with baking powder or soda or another agent like that. Cakes can be, but usually also include whipped eggs or egg whites. Sweetness or lack thereof, frosting/glazing or not, and inclusion or not of internal garnishes like fruit, a cupcake is a cupcake and a muffin is a muffin.

[Lily]

I so agree!!

Which is why I suspect the muffins made by my supermarket are in reality, cup cakes. They are very light and cakey and sweet. Extra butter would be unnecessary
Muffins are trendy
Cup Cakes are Ladies Tea Parties
As a way of doubling the price, they also provide muffins with a chocolate stick in them and lashings of chocolate icing/frosting
No way are they real muffins

but

YUMMMMMMMMMMMM

[Lindsey]

*sigh*

Cupcakes are just that, cakes in a cup size. Muffins are a quick bread. Chemically and texturally, they're totally different animals. Muffins are made with the muffin mixing method, cakes of any kind are usually either the creaming method or the separation sponge method. Muffins are chemically leavened with baking powder or soda or another agent like that. Cakes can be, but usually also include whipped eggs or egg whites. Sweetness or lack thereof, frosting/glazing or not, and inclusion or not of internal garnishes like fruit, a cupcake is a cupcake and a muffin is a muffin.

Thanks Anareth! That's the answer I was looking for! I knew the difference but couldn't quite explain it. :ok:

[Aurelia]

Cupcakes are cakes in the shape of cups, whereas muffins are muffs inside the house!