what is the difference between cakes and muffins

[dogmom]

Hello, I read somewhere that cakes and muffins are different. Is that right? What is the difference in method or ingredients please? I always thought the name muffin was just a cover up for people who wanted to eat cake for breakfast but were too embarrassed to say so.

[KayLR]

I know a lot of "muffins" sold in grocery stores are pretty much cake mix baked in muffin papers. That's how they taste, anyway. But in my opinion, and from what I know, is that cake batter is typically beaten to death and pretty egg-y. Muffins, on the other hand, may not contain eggs at all, and are only hand-stirred or folded until barely wet. In fact, some instructions say to leave some dry-ness in the batter. The consistency of the two are not supposed to be the same.

[ApatheticNoMore]

For store/restaurant etc. bought mufins the only real difference is the lack of frosting. But homemade muffins are very different, they are closer to scones (only not as hard). The recipes I've tried do use egg but they aren't as fluffy as cake, and they aren't as sweet (still have some sugar though). Real muffins are the type of thing you'd want to put butter and maybe jam on, not super sweet fluffy fall apart if you try to put butter on them cake-like things.

[Stella]

I agree with ANM. Frosting. :)

[Tussiemussies]

Cakes they can be different types, sponge, butter and another type, I cannot remember and the mixture is beaten for usually about five minutes. Muffins --the wet ingredients are always added to dry ingredients and you fold the ingredients until they are moist, excessive mixing will not yield you with a good muffin. Less mixing is best. So there is some structural difference. I just don't know what it is. :)

[Rosemary]

Scones are almost like biscuits (traditionally). Very little sugar, no eggs, mostly flour and butter.
Muffins are leaner than cakes, with less sugar and fat (traditionally).
Cakes have more butter, more eggs, more sugar. Usually the butter and sugar are beaten together to add air, then the eggs are added with more beating to add more air/leavening power.

However - today's coffee shop fare is almost all the same, just baked in different forms.

I find it very interesting to look at recipes in 1920s/30s/40s cookbooks. Even the cake recipes are a lot leaner than today's recipes -- less fat, less sugar.

[treehugger]

"Muffins are for people who don't have the 'nads to order cake for breakfast." (http://thespicedlife.com/2010/02/muffins-are-for-people-who-dont-have-the-nads-to-order-cake-for-breakfast-triple-chocolate-muffins.html)

While I don't necessarily agree with it, that quote has always made me laugh, too. And that recipe looks pretty good.

Like others have said, modern coffee shop muffins have morphed into cake. And lots of "cornbread" at restaurants is appallingly cakelike these days, too. But my homemade morning glory or apple oat muffins are far from the realm of cake. I make cakes, too, so I can recognize the difference in ingredients and technique, and it's not just the presence or lack of frosting.

Kara

P.S. I was raised by a mother who thinks it's perfectly fine to eat leftover birthday cake for breakfast, so no shame here if I want to eat cake and call it cake. ;)

[IshbelRobertson]

I have to confess that I don't like American style muffins, although they are very popular here. Give me the British style muffin, doughy, toasted on a toasting fork in front of an open fire, slathered in real, local butter, which rolls down your chin!

Sweet, cakey, style muffins just don't do it for me, and when you add thick, yukky butter icing or sweet, sugary icing? Nope not for me!

[dogmom]

Thanks for your replies - sounds like muffins ain't what they used to be..