National Chocolate Cupcake Day

The story

A chocolate cupcake is a single-serving chocolate cake baked in a small cup or paper liner and usually crowned with frosting. The earliest known mention of a cake baked in small cups comes from Amelia Simmons's American Cookery in 1796, which described "a light cake to bake in small cups." The word "cupcake" appeared in Eliza Leslie's Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats in 1828. The name may refer either to the cups the batter was baked in or to the practice of measuring ingredients by the cup.

Chocolate cupcakes became an American classic in the 20th century as cocoa powder and baking chocolate grew cheap and widely available. In 1919 Hostess introduced its chocolate cupcake, and in 1950 the company added the famous swirl of white icing on top. Paper liners became common after World War II, making cupcakes easy to bake and carry.

The cupcake boom of the 2000s, helped by bakeries like Magnolia in New York and shows like Sex and the City, turned cupcakes into a gourmet treat. Today chocolate cupcakes come with ganache, buttercream, salted caramel, or peanut butter frosting, filled centers, and endless sprinkles.

On National Chocolate Cupcake Day, bake a batch, decorate them with your favorite frosting, and share them with friends.