The technical distinctions between cupcakes and muffins are the ingredients as well as the processes through which they are made, which then determine the leavening agents and leavening processes.
A Muffin is either within the quickbread subset of breads or just a bread depending on the recipe:
- For quickbreads: the leavening agents are primarily baking soda [chemical leavening] and/or baking powder [chemical leavening] and also may include whipping in eggs [mechanically induced chemical leavening] and usually all ingredients are mixed simultaneously.
- Most other breads are made with yeast [biological leavening] and are then kneaded [mechanically induced chemical leavening].
A Cupcake is within the cake subset of the of desserts:
- Although they may also use baking soda [chemical leavening], the baking process stars out with creaming butter and sugar [mechanical leavening]: , then whipping in eggs [mechanically induced chemical leavening], followed by mixing other wet ingredients and then finally the dry ingredients.
In summary:
Muffins are never creamed, Cupcakes never include yeast,
Cupcakes must be vigorously mixed, Muffins may contain a living beast.
by: Kendra L. Kramlich, 2011
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