Today is December 15, recognized as National Cupcake Day.
Here at Project Access, we take our cupcakes (and cupcake decorating) very seriously. During the height of the pandemic last year our team at the Project Access Family Resource Center at North Hills Apartments in Fullerton, California, hosted a “Cupcake Wars” family event.
The families were provided with supplies and in turn they created their cupcakes at home. Everyone connected via Zoom, and it was wonderful to see the families bond over this fun and engaging activity.
Did you know that cupcakes were originally known as 1-2-3-4 cakes because the recipe called for one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, plus one cup of milk, and one spoonful of baking soda?
Cupcakes have also been known by other names, such as Fairy Cakes and Patty Cakes (Patty cake, patty cake, anyone? Now you know where the rhyme comes from).
One of the first recipes for a cupcake can be traced back to 1796 written in American Cookery (by Amelia Simmons). The earliest known documentation of the term cupcake shows up in an 1828 cookbook called Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats. The cookbook was by Eliza Leslie.
Today, if you want to help “Spread the Joy” of the season beyond simple cupcakes, here’s your opportunity. You can help bring holiday fun and whimsy to Project Access youth year-round by making a 100% tax-deductible contribution: www.project-access.org/donate.