Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
updated Aug 17, 2020
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There are jokes aplenty about the difference between a cupcake and a muffin. Most of them point out that muffins lack a frosty top but that they can be especially sweet, even with whole-wheat flour and fruit. Most of us wouldn’t consider cupcakes a regular breakfast (the occasional revelatory breakfast, sure!), but we reach for muffins chock-full of chocolate chips and sprinkled with crumb topping or crunchy sugar without hesitation. Muffins are healthy, right?
The real difference between cupcakes and muffins really has nothing to do with their ingredients (frosting not withstanding) but comes down to their mixing method and composition.
Okay, Really, What Is the Difference Between a Cupcake and a Muffin?
Cupcakes are by and large miniature versions of their cake counterparts. This means that depending on the type of cake — funfetti, chiffon, chocolate — they are made and mixed up according to a cake mixing method. The batter is beaten longer to give a tighter, more even crumb. Cupcake recipes generally have more sugar and fat (butter, oil, or dairy) than muffins and may include ingredients like whipped eggs or even mayo for texture. And yes, cupcakes almost always include frosting.
Muffins, on the other hand, are typically mixed with the muffin method no matter their flavor. The muffin method is defined by mixing the dry and wet ingredient families in their own bowls and the gently combining them. Some cupcake recipes are also mixed via the muffin method, but remember that muffins are more likely to include less sugar, more fruit, and whole grains. Muffins can often be savory and include cheese and vegetables. If you top a muffin with crumb topping or glaze, it is a muffin purely based on the way it was mixed.
So now that you know the real difference between cupcakes and muffins, are you still eating just muffins for breakfast?
