I'm in Paris! Guest Post # 2 - Caroline from The Old Country Blog!

About The Old Country Blog

As a recent journalist and National Geographic oral historian, Caroline has a passion for both writing and history. She also loves to bake and was lucky to have grown up very close with both of her grandmothers. Thus, the creation The Old Country Blog!

My German grandmother (who married a tall, dark and handsome Lebanese man) told rich stories about the old countries — food was often a major plot point. And, as a New Orleanian, she was raised on great food and immersed in Louisiana's unique way of life.

Every Wednesday, The Old Country Blog serves up a new recipe with a side of history or a fun tradition.

The Long Life of the Cupcake

While individually sized cakes, baked in ramekins and molds are scattered throughout culinary history, the original cupcake dates back to 19th century America.

E. Leslie’s 1828 cookbook, “Receipts” concocted the first cupcake. The petite cake saved time in the kitchen — large cakes take longer to cook through — and changed baking forever.

The treats were called cupcakes not only for the individual serving, but also because they were often bakes in cups, many in teacups. And the darling nature of this process was not unnoticed, The name Fairy Cakes was coined because of the dessert’s dainty size and charm — fit for a fairy. In England, Fairy Cake is still a proper term for personal cakes, though they often have less icing and vary in size.

Cupcakes reached a new level of popularity just after WWII, when packaged brands hit the market. The cupcake craze has only increased with boutique pastry shops and an infinite number of flavors — including my most recent kitchen experiment, Strawberry Jalapeño with Buttercream Lime Icing.

For more info on Cupcake History:

http://www.crazyaboutcupcakes.com/learning.htm#history

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html#cupcakes