It’s a muffin!
No, it’s a cupcake!
Isn’t the cupcake just a kind of muffin with frosting?
And the debate continues to exist even until today! Both cupcakes and muffins are delicious-looking treats that satisfy the sweet tooth like anything. Though they might look similar, in reality, they differ in terms of texture, process, taste, ingredients and presentation. Yes! The difference between them goes way beyond the big dollop of frosting atop. Therefore, we have jotted down the difference between cupcakes and muffins to help you identify and distinguish between them. But let’s start with the basics first!
What is Cupcake?
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Cupcakes are by and large miniature cakes that are 100% sweet. The concept emerged from the experiment of baking a mini version of cakes in small cups. Cupcakes even share the same recipe and ingredients as that of a cake. They are baked in an aluminium cup or lining paper. Once cupcakes are all baked and fluffy, they are cooled down and decorated with frosting. Nowadays, people love to get creative and decorate their cupcakes with tons of edible decorative items, just like cakes.
In fact, today, people prefer cupcakes over cakes and thus, the former has become a staple for different occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. Hence, this is one of the major reasons for the sudden surge in bakeries preparing cupcakes in Dubai.
What is Muffin?
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Muffins are round-shaped spongy snacks that are believed to be a healthier option than cupcakes. Therefore, people consume them for breakfast as well as evening snacks. While muffins are not as sweet as cupcakes or other sweet dishes, they are also available in savoury varieties such as corn & cheese and bran muffins. This dessert has a hard texture and has all the fun ingredients added to its batter, only with less sugar and butter.
Difference between cupcakes and muffins
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It’s show-time! Now that you are acquainted with the basics, here’s the ultimate smackdown: cupcakes vs. muffins!
Ingredients: Cupcakes typically comprise a higher content of sugar and fat. Just like cake, you will find the same ingredients, such as vanilla extract and chocolate. Muffins, on the other hand, have less sugar and healthier alternatives such as vegetable oil in place of butter and oat flour in place of all-purpose flour.
Preparation: Baking cupcakes involves creaming butter and sugar together. You have to beat the mixture at a consistent and high speed (for a longer time) to make the mixture airy and achieve smoothness and fluffiness. On the other hand, the batter of the muffin has to be whisked thicker and less uniform.
Frosting: The biggest point of difference between cupcakes and muffins is the fillings and frostings. Cupcakes are well garnished with all sorts of decorations, including frosting, sprinkles and pearls. In fact, some cupcakes consist of sweet or juicy fillings in the centre. Whereas muffins are served without any frosting or sugary additions.
Flavour: As mentioned already, cupcakes are always sweet in nature. Therefore, most of their flavours are sweet or fruity. On the contrary, muffins could be either sweet or savoury.
All in all, the prime difference between cupcakes and muffins is in the process, the ingredients used and the final touch. Now that you know the difference, the next time you think of sending muffins or cupcakes or even cake to Dubai, you know which baked-wonder to choose.
