CUPCAKE

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A CUPCAKE (the common US term) or fairy cake (the common British term, although it is now used interchangeably with the US term), is a small cake designed to serve one person, usually made in a small paper cup container. As with larger cakes, frostings and other cake decoratioms, such as sprinkles, are defining characteristics of modern cupcakes.

Cupcakes are often served during a celebration, such as children's classroom birthday parties. Additionally they can be served as an accompaniment to afternoon tea. They are a more convenient alternative to cake as they are smaller and don't require utensils or division into appropriate sized pieces.

A simple cupcake uses the same fundamental ingredients as most other standard cakes: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Nearly any layer cake or loaf cake recipe can be used to make cupcakes.