Who Invented the Cupcake

A cupcake by definition is a small individual portioned cake baked in a cup-shaped container and usually frosted and/or decorated. Today, cupcakes have become an incredible fad and a booming business. According to Google, cupcake recipes are the fastest growing recipe search. Cakes in some form have been around since ancient times, and todays familiar round cakes with frosting can be traced back to the 17th century, made possible by advances in food technology such as: better ovens, metal cake molds and pans, and the refinement of sugar. While it would be impossible to say who actually made the first cupcake, we can look at several firsts surrounding these sweet, baked, desserts. Cup by Cup Originally, before there where muffin tins or cupcake pans, cupcakes were baked in small pottery bowls called ramekins. Teacups and other ceramic mugs were also used. Bakers soon evolved standard forms of volume measurements (cups) for their recipes. 1234 cakes or quarter cakes became common, so named after the four main ingredients in cake recipes: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. Origins of the Name Cupcake The first official use of the phrase cupcake was an 1828 reference made in Eliza Leslies Receipts cookbook. A 19th century, American author and homemaker, Eliza Leslie wrote several popular cookbooks, and incidentally also wrote several books of etiquette. We have included a copy of Miss Leslies cupcake recipe at the bottom of this page, in case you would like to reproduce her recipe. Of course, small cakes without being called cupcakes existed before 1828. For example, during the 18th century, there were queen cakes which were very popular, individually portioned, pound cakes. There is also a 1796 recipe reference of a cake to be baked in small cups made by Amelia Simmons in her book American Cookery. We have included Amelias recipe at the bottom of this page as well, however, good luck on trying to reproduce it. However, most food historians give Eliza Leslies 1828 recipe for cupcakes as being the most significant, so we are giving Eliza the distinction of being the Mother of the Cupcake. Cupcake World Records According to Guinness World Records, the worlds largest cupcake weighed 1,176.6 kg or 2,594 lb and was baked by Georgetown Cupcake in Sterling, Virginia, on 2 November 2011. The oven and pan were custom-made for this attempt and the pan was unassembled easily in order to prove that the cupcake was fully cooked and free standing with no support structures in place. The cupcake was 56 inches in diameter and 36 inches tall. The pan itself weighed 305.9 kg. The worlds most expensive cupcake was a fondant topped cupcake appraised at $42,000, embellished with nine .75 carat round diamonds, and finished with one 3-carat round-cut diamond. This gem of a cupcake was created by Areen Movsessian of Classic Bakery in Gaithersburg, Maryland on April 15, 2009. Commercial Cupcake Liners The first commercial paper cupcake liners for the US market were produced by an artillery manufacturer called the James River Corporation, motivated by the dwindling military market of the post-war era. During the 1950s, the paper baking cup became very popular. Commercial Cupcakes In 2005, the first nothing but cupcakes bakery in the world was opened called Sprinkles Cupcakes, the folks that also brought us the first cupcake atm. Historical Cupcake Recipes Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats - By a Lady of Philadelphia, Eliza Leslie 1828 (Page 61): Cup cake 5 eggsTwo large tea-cups full of molassesThe same of brown sugar, rolled fineThe same of fresh butterOne cup of rich milkFive cups of flour, siftedHalf a cup of powdered allspice and clovesHalf a cup of ginger Cut up the butter in the milk, and warm them slightly. Warm also the molasses, and stir it into the milk and butter: then stir in, gradually, the sugar, and set it away to get cool. Beat the eggs very light, and stir them into the mixture alternately with the flour. Add the ginger and other spice, and stir the whole very hard. Butter small tins, nearly fill them with the mixture, and bake the cakes in a moderate oven. A Light Cake to Bake in Small Cups From American Cookery by Amelia Simmons: Half a pound sugarHalf a pound butterrubbed (combine the sugar and butter) into two pounds flourone glass wineone glass Rosewatertwo glasses Emptins (probably some kind of leavening agentnutmeg, cinnamon, and currants (no mention of amounts)

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Communication Differences Male vs. Female Free Essays

If you are a woman have you ever wondered why a man did not understand the way you worded something or communicated something to him. Or if you are a man, did you ever wonder why a woman said what she did or did not understand why she didn’t â€Å"get† what you were saying or why she reacted a certain way to your words? The way men and women communicate with each other different because of many reasons. In this presentation, I will try my hardest to communicate to you, both men and women, what these differences are and hopefully fulfill you with a better understanding of why we communicate differently and how to break those barriers for your professional and personal lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Communication Differences: Male vs. Female or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1. The typical stereotypes. Explain that no way is better, just different. Social Conditioning. (Use personal examples) a. Men are more direct. i. Men tend to be more direct in communicating and look for a solution as quickly as possible b. Women are more emotional and tend to speak in dialogue. ii. Women tend to be more emotionally involved with communicating and feel that the whole picture and different solutions are important. 2. The differences in male and female communication in social settings c. How women build and maintain relationships iii. Women tend to focus on making connections 1. Secrets 2. Relating experiences 3. Discussing options 4. Find commonalities d. How men build and maintain relationships iv. Groups of friends tend to be larger . Do activities rather than conversing vi. More competitive 3. The differences of men and women communicating in a business setting/work environment e. How men communicate in business environment vii. Men want facts 5. Men usually ask fewer questions to stimulate conversation in their work relationships and often end conversations more abruptly than women. viii. Men take one task at a time 6. Men tend to like to focus on one task at a time ix. How men keep status at work 7. Tend to be more literal and use language to establish status 8. Tend to ask less questions to not show they don’t know something 9. Tend to not like to give or receive detailed feedback. Find it criticizing. f. How women communicate in a business/ work setting x. Women’s brains are always â€Å"on† 10. There is more neural activity in the female brain at any given time than in the male brain. Enhances multitasking. xi. Women focus on friendship first 11. For example, female salespeople, they tend to build relationships when they sell. They don’t tend to go into a transaction focused on the final outcome but wanting to build rapport and learn more about the client first. xii. Women remember the little details 12. Females can generally remember more physical and relational details than men. Breaking this Barriers 1. Try to Understand the different styles when communicating with the opposite gender and keep them in mind 2. Actively listen- concentrate on the main points and focus on what is being communicated no matter which way these points are being communicated. 3. Interpret non-verbal clues. In conclusion, men and women’s brains are wired differently and the two genders tend to use two different sides of the brain which in turn leads to many differences in men and women. Communication, whether by a male or female, still has a focus, so find an end result sooner or later. Communication differences between males and females are also most likely due to social conditioning that stem from childhood. I truly feel that there is no right or wrong way to communicate, but understanding the way both genders do so is important for effective communication in business as well as in life. Related article: â€Å"Advice About Communication† How to cite Communication Differences: Male vs. Female, Essay examples

Machiavelli’s Political Ideas and Influence free essay sample

The Renaissance took place in Italy during the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. The Renaissance was a â€Å"rebirth† and revival of political and social ideas from the Ancient Greek and Roman eras. One social ideal of the Renaissance was Humanism. Humanism was a Renaissance idea that emphasis human potential and ability. A political idea from the Renaissance was political realism. Political realism is when a ruler accomplishes goals in the interest of state and does not mind resorting to violence if necessary. A major author and political figure from the Renaissance who embodied political realism was Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a Florentine born in 1469 and lived during the crux of the Renaissance. Before his career as an author Machiavelli was a Florentine ambassador in France and The Holy Roman Empire. Machiavelli studied Renaissance humanism and political realism. As a reaction to what he saw in the north, In 1513 Machiavelli wrote The Prince, which explained his ideas and experiences from his time as an ambassador. The Prince was a how-to book on how to rule a country and how to conduct yourself as ruler. After Machiavelli wrote the Prince he became a chief political figure in the Medici. The Medici were a wealthy banking family that consolidated power in Florence. Machiavelli worked as a political advisor to the family until he died in 1527. Machiavelli’s discusses his ideas in The Prince. In the Prince Machiavelli explains his unique and different ideas such as political realism and ruling with the best interests of the state. Also he influenced rulers in the Renaissance, and today in modern political theory. Before writing The Prince Machiavelli was an ambassador in France and the Holy Roman Empire. During his time in Northern Europe as an ambassador Machiavelli concluded that the people in the north were barbaric, but if there was a war between Italy and one of the Northern European states the Italians would loose since Italy did not have a free standing army. A second reason for writing The Prince was to gain high political status with the Medici family. The third and most important reason why Machiavelli wrote The Prince was to question the work of Ancients, in particular Livy, and to give is opinion of how a prince should rule his country. As Machiavelli said in his Discourses on Livy, † It is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it, to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity. † These were the stepping-stones for Machiavelli’s reasons for writing The Princ e. In The Prince Machiavelli outlines certain characteristics and qualities that he believes a prince should have. One certain characteristic was a prince should be very deceitful. He thought that if a prince is deceitful he is also unpredictable and your enemy could never calculate the prince’s next move. Machiavelli believes a prince should, â€Å"appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, religious upright, and to be so, but with a mind framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite. † By showing good qualities the people think their prince is merciless. But if he can possess the polar opposite qualities as well, a prince can be unpredictable to their enemy. If a prince were to take Machiavelli’s advice his enemies could not overthrow him. A second idea Machiavelli discusses in The Prince is, a prince should rule with the best intensions for the state. Ona Matei, a professor at Western University of Arad, wrote an essay on Machiavelli’s ideas on civic virtues and said, â€Å"A man who never abandons the task of searching the common good for the community/the state he rules and who posses all the necessary virtues in order to accomplish this task† If a prince accomplishes tasks with the best interest of the state he will be well liked by his subjects and won’t be threatened to leave power. Also if a prince is well liked by his subjects it is much easier to accomplish tasks with the interest of the state. By ruling with interest a prince can be forced to leave power by his subjects. Machiavelli’s third topic is his biggest concern for Italy. After working as an ambassador he noticed that the â€Å"barbarians† or countries from Northern Europe had large armies with well-trained soldiers. Since Italy relied on mercenaries to do most of the fighting Italy would be taken over by these large, barbaric, armies if there was ever a war between them. So Machiavelli emphasized that a prince should have a free standing army. In The Prince he said, †Mercenaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious, and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies†. . If a prince were to have mercenaries do all the fighting his enemies can overtake him. But if a prince has a large and powerful army he can intimidate his opponents. Other than being the author of The Prince Machiavelli is well know for his political realism. In Machiavelli’s case he believed that some bloodshed was all right as long it proves to be beneficial to the state. If the violence is justifiable then it can make the state stronger. During the time of the Renaissance Machiavelli felt there were no strong leaders within the city-states. His remedy for the Italian people is a leader who is strong, but loved by the people. Machiavelli gives this answer to the question whether it is better to be loved or feared, â€Å"It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved. If a prince unties both qualities he will never be overthrown because there is no reason if he is loved and if he were also feared then nobody would want to overthrow him. But the reason why it is better to be feared if the two qualities can not be met is a person who is feared is less likely to loose power than a ruler who is kind.