Ok so this question may not be as in depth or soul-searching as that of Hamlet (If you're in high school or above and don't know who Hamlet is shame on you!)...but the question of what qualifies a muffin as a muffin can be just as vital to human existence! Ok that's not true...but hey a lot of people like muffins! So! What is a muffin? Well according to the dictionary a muffin s "an individual cup-shaped quick bread made with wheat flour, cornmeal, or the like, and baked in a pan (muffin pan) containing a series of cuplike forms." Hmm...why does that definition sound familiar....Oh! I know why!! Cupcake: "a small cake, the size of an individual portion, baked in a cup-shaped mold." Awfully similar definition, eh? Well do not be fooled there is a distinct difference between a muffins and cupcake!
The way most people identify the difference cupcakes and muffins as having different health benefits. A muffin is generally viewed as healthier as a cupcake and thus a muffin can be considered an appropriate breakfast food. Well listen up people! There is really not too much of a difference !! Sure you can get a blueberry muffin or banana muffin but they generally do not have to much more nutrients than say a banana cupcake or blueberry cupcake. So that makes the health difference a little less convincing...
Oh and by the way I feel it necessary to present a pet peeve of mine. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A CHOCOLATE MUFFIN! THAT IS COMPLETE HOGWASH! There is not a darn bit of difference between a chocolate muffin and say a chocolate cupcake or chocolate cake. So next time someone asks you if you are eating a chocolate muffin, be honest! It is a cupcake! There is nothing healthy about a chocolate muffin/cupcake!
Anyway! Another classic distinction is the whole idea of frosting. Now for the most part this could work. Usually cupcakes are spread with a light swirl of frosting. Or in the case of supermarkets, the cupcake acts as the carrying device for a glob of artificially-dyed frosting the size of Mount Everest. (Sounds appetizing, eh? ^_^) However it is possible for a muffin to be topped with some jelly, marmalade, of glaze.
So still we have yet to find a clear distinction between a muffin and a cupcake...Well time to get technical! Let's start with our ingredients! A muffin batter will always contain more flour than a recipes for cupcake batter. When it comes to mixing ingredients, cupcakes are meant to be creamed whereas muffin ingredients are told to be combined or mixed until wet. Also muffins are baked 5-7 minutes longer and at a higher temperature than cupcakes. The result of these ingredient, mixing, and baking differences results in a difference in density. As is easily noticed a muffin is much denser than a cupcake. If you look closely at the inside of a muffin you'll notice a pattern of small, consistent bubbles. A cupcake has bubbles of varying size and shape that cause it to have a texture that is lighter and cakeyer (yeah I know it's not a word so don't sue me). And voila there you have the difference between a cupcake and muffin!
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