Ever wondered why cupcakes exist, or why they’re called cupcakes? Is there really a world’s largest cupcake? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves here at Betty Crocker on the daily – and we were just dying to know the answers, so we did a ‘lil research for you know... science. Here’s what we found!
Did you know?
The humble cupcake’s origins can be traced back to the United States of America. In 1796, American Author Amelia Simmons wrote in the notes of a cake recipe that the cake was to be “baked in small cups”. The name originates both from the measurements used for regular-sized cake, and the cups that smaller cakes could be baked in. Cupcakes were heralded for their convenience and affordability of ingredients, as opposed to its predecessor, the pound cake (which was originally baked in earthenware, ramekins or clay baking pans).
The largest cupcake weighs 1,176.6 Kg, a feat achieved by Georgetown Cupcake in the United States. A custom oven and pan were created in order to make this cupcake as big as possible. You could share this cake with an entire nation, that’s for sure!
The fastest consumption of cupcakes can be attributed to Rob Hartmann, who ate six cupcakes in 59.20 seconds! Of course, whilst this is a pretty cool achievement, we’d say to leave it to the professionals…
The world’s most expensive cupcake, sold by Dubai’s Bloomsbury’s Cupcakes, is wrapped in 24-carat gold (the edible kind, of course). Save your pennies, because this cupcake retails for almost $1,000!
