There are two main differences between a muffin and a cupcake. The most obvious is that cupcakes are generally frosted in some way, but the greater difference lies in the texture. Muffins tend to be more dense, or possible more moist, than cupcakes. Cupcakes are supposed to be a bit lighter, more tender and fluffier than muffins. As Dagmar, at A Cat in the Kitchen, described it “If you threw a cupcake against the wall, you would hear something of a “poof!†If you threw a muffin, you would hear a ‘thud!'”
But not all muffins or cupcakes fit into this mold. There are dense cupcakes and light and fluffy muffins. Why not give them their own name to distinguish them from their origins? Fluffin – fluffy + muffin – is a term that works perfectly for both categories and can be applied to each and every cake-like muffin (and muffin-like cupcake) out there. It might take a while to catch on, but the cute factor might just give it a push into popularity.
Marianna
May 18, 2007I guess I can understand why they wouldn’t call them muffcakes.
m00se
May 18, 2007oh i think i’ll call them muffcakes. i did this for a party. i was in a hurry and made chocolate cupcakes from scratch with chocolate icing but wanted something lighter so i altered a box of lemon-poppyseed muffin mix and frosted it with homemade vanilla icing with just enough lemon juice. they were pretty good if i do say myself.
Victoria
May 18, 2007I agree, fluffin sounds goood. I personally like baking muffins because it’s soooo much less work. heh. I’m such a bum sometimes.