What makes a cupcake a cupcake?!

According to Dictionary.com, here is the definition of cupcake -
noun.
"a small cake, the size of an individual portion, baked in a cup-shaped mold."
According to my husband, -
"anything with frosting on it."

This was very relevant indeed this morning at 6am as I was baking Cinnamon Sugar-Puff Cupcakes, from the amazing book cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans

I swear to you, gentle readers and cupcake afficionados, what came out of my oven in the wee hours of the morning was in actuality muffins not cupcakes!

muffin

noun.

"an individual cup-shaped quick bread made with wheat flour, cornbread, or the like and baked in a pan containing cup-like forms."

hmmmmmmmmm.

Cupcake or muffin, these little treats are delicious! And even more wonderful, easy-peasy to bake! Prep time is a quick 15 minutes, and with few ingredients they are the perfect "BREAKFAST CUPCAKE" or a lite afternoon tea-time Cupcake for the baker who does not actually enjoy baking :-)

Cinnamon Sugar-Puff Cupcakes 

These medium-sized cupcakes puff up in the center while baking. Rather than frosting,the tops of the cupcakes are rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar right after they are baked. That crunchy coating plus their light texture gives them the air of a doughnut.

(doughnut. noun. "a small cake of sweetened dough fried in deep fat, typically shaped like a ring or ball.") 

I prefer to bake these without paper liners - they remove cleanly and easily from the pan and without liners, the sides bake to a nice golden brown.)

- Elinor Klivans

prep time 15 minutes

350* for 18 minutes

Yield 12

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) room temperature butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 large cage-free egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

Coating 

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

Coat cupcake pan with shortening (I prefer this to nonstick spray, but that will do as well.)

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended and creamy. Beat in cage-free egg. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy.

Fill tins 1/2 full - I found this recipe only yielded 8 cupcakes. As it is just my husband and I eating them, I felt somewhat relieved :-) but if you are baking for more, I would definitely double the ingredients!!!! And in turn, there was far too much coating for these 8 little treats - half of the coating ingredients would have sufficed.)

When done, cool for 5 minutes then remove carefully onto a wire cooling rack (Elinor is correct - they slid easily out of the cupcake pan!!!!!) 

While cooling, make the coating. Melt butter and pour into a small bowl. In another small bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.

While still hot, roll the cupcakes upside down first in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated completely. Serve warm.

They are utterly delicious!!!!!!! and I am so convinced that they are actually muffins that I ate 2 for breakfast oops :-) Do try these at home pretty please and let me know immediately your impression/definition of these cupcakemuffindoughtnut wonders!!!