October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day #ChocolateCupcakeDay. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t mind having a Chocolate Cupcake today or even two. Just don’t tell anyone because they aren’t on my #diet.
Sometimes its nice to splurge on something sweet and tasty and a Chocolate Cupcake would do that. As well as allow me to remember one of my fondest memories as a child. Which was my dad making Chocolate Cakes to put inside our School Lunches.
The only thing missing from those Cupcakes was Frosting. I think I will make up for that today make Chocolate Cupcakes which we never do. Don’t tell anyone but I’m going to put Frosting inside the Cupcake and double on top because Frosting is the best part of a Cupcake isn’t it?
Chocolate Cupcakes made their first written appearance in what was also the first Cookbook to be penned by an American. That American was Amelia Simmons who, in 1796, simply titled her book American Cookery, and featured novel, individual-sized Cakes.
But these delicious delicacies weren’t called Cupcakes until about 1828, when another Cookbook first coined the phrase. In fact, before Muffin tins were more widely available, people baked Cupcakes in whatever small vessels they could find including ceramic cups, ramekins, vases. Creating what initially started as a new, American idea which has since spread into a worldwide, confectionery.
Did you know the Cupcake craze may have ultimately peaked in the mid-00s, with a famous Manhattan Bakery making a cameo in the Sex and the City movie, but Chocolate Cupcakes make appearances in every baking show, contest, or competition and Cupcakes are a staple at the vast majority of office birthday or holiday parties.
Whether you’re dozing off to the Great British Bake-Off or trying to impress your friends, Chocolate Cupcakes have so joyously woven their way into our lives and Cupcakes deserve their own holiday. Just make sure you have a Choclate Cupcake in hand when watching the Show.
Cupcakes can be traced back to 1796 when a recipe notation of “a Cake to be baked in small cups” was written in American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons. The earliest known documentation of the term Cupcake was in 1828 in Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats in Eliza Leslie’s Receipts cookbook.
Bakers initially baked their Cupcakes in heavy pottery cups. However, bakers today use a plethora of tools at their fingertips. Some still use individual ramekins, small coffee mugs, large teacups, or other small oven proof pottery-type dishes for baking Cupcakes. Of course, the most common Cupcake tool is the Muffin or Cupcake pan. This handy tool includes multiple cups in one device.
National Chocolate Cupcake Day Activities
- If you have the opportunity today spend some time in the kitchen remember not to eat all the Batter before it hits the oven. Then bake the Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes.
- There are more Chocolate Cupcake recipes on the internet than anyone could get through in a lifetime, but you have to start somewhere.
- National Chocolate Cupcake Day is also a great opportunity to give some love to the local business in your area. Head over to a local Bakery and try some of there Chocolate Cupcakes they have to offer!
- Once you’ve settled onto your couch with a Cupcake turn on The Great British Bake-Off, Cupcake Wars, DC Cupcakes, or Cake Boss to celebrate the Bakers who work so hard to get those perfectly-crafted Cupcakes on the shelves.
Why People Love National Chocolate Cupcake Day
- Chocolate Cupcakes are adorable slices of goodness, and pop culture seems to agree. Most Cupcake fans will never forget the iconic episode of Sex and the City that featured Magnolia Bakery, one of New York City’s most beloved Cupcake destinations; or the pilot episode of Two Broke Girls, whose main characters dream of running a successful Cupcake business. In our stressful world, Chocolate Cupcakes are tiny pieces of joy and whimsy and Cupcake are impossible not to love!
- Countless research has been conducted on the health benefits of Chocolate, and over the years, the treat has been thought to be associated with lower risk of heart disease, improved mental performance, and lower risk of stroke. Shall we remind you that Chocolate is also just plain delicious?
- These days, we have the luxury of waiting in line for hours outside Bakeries to try unique desserts like Edible Cookie Dough, “Raindrop Cake,” and Cronuts. Treats like these are just the tip of the iceberg: since Cupcakes swept the Nation and made a name for themselves as a dessert worth clamoring over.
- Talented chefs have concocted all kinds of other tasty goodies in hopes that they might compete with Cupcakes’ popularity. That all adds up to some very happy taste buds for Sugar-loving customers.
Cupcakes have been called:
- Fairy Cakes
- Patty Cakes
- Cup Cakes (different from Cupcakes (one-word))
Recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
- Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream together sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with milk; beat well.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with milk; beat well.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with milk; beat well.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
