Fancy cupcakes have nothing to do with traditional muffins

The cute cupcakes with their vivid colours and flavours lure dessert lovers to have a taste. In Kerala, the cup cakes are called 'poo (flower) cake' as the beautifully ruffled paper in which the cakes are baked resemble a flower. However, online trolls have not spared Keralites' favourite 'poo cake.' Many trolls read that we have 'degraded' the muffin, a popular American baked good, by calling it 'poo cake.'

Muffins are baked dish and are mainly of two types. The ones baked in pretty paper cups are called quick bread muffin, which are believed to have originated in the 19th century in North America. Meanwhile the flat bread muffin, popularly known as the English muffin, was made for the first time in Europe in the 18th century.

American or quick bread muffins

Quick bread muffin is a breakfast dish which has the same ingredients of a loaf of bread. It is, however, baked in paper cups and usually is smaller in size. This may be the reason why we mistake quick bread muffin for our ordinary cupcakes which are easily available in almost all the bakeries here. Cupcakes are small cakes made with the ingredients required to bake a cake. Frostings may be used on top to make it extra sweet and look beautiful as well.

Muffins are usually made in chocolate, lemon, and banana flavours. The batter is mixed, poured into muffin trays or paper cups and baked to perfection. The American muffins can easily be baked at homes and also made in large numbers for industrial purposes.

English or flat bread muffin

The dish which originated in Europe has flour and yeast as the main ingredients. It is leavened bread which looks like a flat bread. It is toasted on pan and topped with jam, honey, and fresh fruits to serve for breakfast. Savoury toppings like cheese, sausages, and eggs, too, are added to suit individual tastes and preferences. Unlike the American muffin, the English muffins are not oven baked; instead they are toasted on a griddle or a flat pan. They wouldn't usually have the shape of a cup cake and are unsweetened.

Almost all the states in the USA have their own indigenous variety of muffin. The delicious corn muffin is the official muffin of the Massachusetts state, and the sweet and tangy blueberry muffins are a favourite in Minnesota. Meanwhile New York is famous for its unique apple muffins.