The Fascination for Cupcakes, Mini Bites, and Mini Cupcakes

And an easy recipe for fresh strawberry mini cupcakes

A decade ago, bakeries typically sold an array of goods, from different types of bread to cakes and pastries. It was quite rare for bakeries to specialize in one particular product, however when Sprinkles Cupcakes decided to dispense mini cakes on-the-go in the form of an ATM, the curiosity of miniature baked goods peaked. 

The cupcake originated in the nineteenth century, but it wasn’t until the last few years that the world developed an obsession for miniature and bite-sized goods. Homemakers and other bakers alike enjoyed making these smaller versions of cakes because they looked cute and essentially were easier to prepare. Little did they know that this “mini trend” would soon take off in the culinary world. Throughout Park Cakes’  60-year partnership with M&S, the bakery garnered lots of creative output, such as the 2003 mini bites concept, which is now a cake niche that's market share is worth over 100 million dollars. Several retailers followed in selling their versions of miniature cakes, making cupcakes and other mini cakes mainstream and fundamentally “a pop culture trend in the culinary world,” as eloquently put by All About Cupcakes. 

After the 52% increase in cupcake consumption from 2010-2011, entrepreneurs observed a new niche that would grant them guaranteed success. Bakers were long aware of the cupcake appeal, yet it wasn’t until several years ago that cupcake industry took a sharp turn and heavily influenced the public with the allure of a miniature cake. 

In the spirit of celebrating all things mini, here is a simple recipe for fresh strawberry mini cupcakes, courtesy of Baking Bites : 

Have the oven preheated at 350F. Lightly grease your mini muffin tin (or use paper liners if you have them handy). Combine 1 cup flour, ½ cup and 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Cut up 5 tbsp butter into small pieces and combine with the dry mix, and make sure the pieces are no larger than a small pea. Mix in one large egg and 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries. After dividing the batter into the cups, bake the mini cupcakes for 12 to 14 minutes. 

To make the vanilla buttercream, beat together ½ cup butter at room temperature, 1 ½ tbsp of milk and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Gradually start mixing in 2-3 cups of confectioner’s sugar until it comes out thick and fluffy. Spread onto the mini cupcakes when they’ve properly cooled.