Please can we stop calling fairy cakes 'cup cakes'.

[nickytwotimes]

Unless you are American.
Thank you.

[Madlentileater]

Oh yes indeed. Cup cakes actually larger than fairy cakes anyway and with TOO MUCH icing.

[Spidermama]

I know. Let's say cup cakes when we mean cup cakes and fairy cakes when we mean fairy cakes.

[Madlentileater]

Good idea, but how do we insist everone does the right thing?

[oi]

what's wrong with cup cakes?

I say cup cakes. And everyone knows what I mean. The children know what I mean. And the cakes look like cup cakes.

[nickytwotimes]

Well, there will clearly have to be some kind of legislation drawn up, lol.
Those who fail to adhere to it will be harshly punished.

[Madlentileater]

Trade Description Act?

[madcol]

Are butterfly cakes in a separate category or a subset of fairy cakes?

[Habbibu]

Bunty Fairycake doesn't sound right, though.

[Takver]

Ok, enlighten me, what is the difference between (a) a cupcake and (b) a fairy cake? And are dd's butterfly cakes that she can't be bothered to butterfly (a) or (b)?
Ah, and (c), how do I stop DH (half American, he can't help it) asking for buns when he wants me to make bread rolls?

[edam]

takver, on c. start calling them baps, that'll really confuse him.

[oi]

I think fairy cake is a euphemism for cupcake.

I think butterfly cakes that haven't been butterflied would have to still be butterfly cakes by intention wouldn't you think? You could just pretend the butterfly bit was there (can't think why they were ever invented....as if anyone could be arsed to butterfly after sponging and icing).

[Madlentileater]

I would say butterfly cakes a subset of fairy cakes.
Fairy cakes are smaller, cupcakes nearer the size of muffins. Fairy cakes have little peaks to them. Cup cakes have flat tops and deep icing.
OK?
easy to train your dh, simply don't positively reinforce the undesired behaviour, i.e., bake no rolls if buns are asked for. Have rolls handy to give as soon as they are correctly named.
(B.Sc. (Hons.) Psych.)

[Takver]

Ah, but edam, they aren't baps at all, far too crispy. Course, I could change my baking style & start making stotties instead.

Oi, we butterfly instead of icing (IYSWIM) - more successful with dd than straight icing in that quantity is constrained by the size of hole, result is a higher proportion of cakes that adults can bear to eat (also I like butter icing & don't like shiny icing much).

Come to think of it, my grandad used to make what he called fairy cakes, and they always had currants in them and no icing at all.

[Takver]

madlentileater

[ilovemydog]

They are different - fairy cakes are smaller.

Cupcakes are big.

But I'm American and call them whatever...

[hobnob]

Where do Muffins fit in?

[KatyMac]

Muffins are solider (is that a word) more dense & generally not iced

[EffiePerine]

well call all fairy/butterfly/cupcakes BUNS

sorted

[EffiePerine]

muffins are made with yeast and eaten with butter

the cakey things are called BUNS or (if you must) American Muffins

[Madlentileater]

muffins cooked by different (sloppier) method, considered breakfast food in US I understand.

[Takver]

but unless we're coming over all american again, surely a muffin is a flat thing a bit like a crumpet without holes destined to be toasted & eaten with jam . . .

[EffiePerine]

ahem see post below

I think you will find they are buns

these are muffins

[Takver]

indeed for further clarification there is a whole wikipedia page Muffin_(disambiguation)

[oi]

I think cup cakes and fairy cakes are the same.

And muffins are those things with holes in that taste sort of rubbery that you toast and put butter and jam on.

American muffins are cakes that overflow from cup cake moulds.

[Takver]

but clearly, buns are not cakes, (unless you call rock cakes rock buns), they are made with yeast - cf chelsea buns, london buns, iced buns, bath buns - i rest my case