Those little sweet delights

They are selling well, in bake shops and delicatessens, in weekend markets, even in tiangges. A lot of homemakers have started making and selling them. Even young girls in pre-school are doing them in their moms’ kitchens. Those little sweet things have caught the fancy of people with a sweet tooth. They are muffins or cupcakes, which have their origin in the US and UK where they were initially referred to as “quick breads.”

One recent mid-afternoon at the SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City, we noted shoppers falling in line for their afternoon snack at the entrance to a new outlet. Curious, we decided to join them. It was an outlet called The Royal Touch, a member of a chain based in England. They offer a wide selection of cupcakes (we counted more than 15 kinds), good coffee (Illy) and fragrantly blended tea. The scent of tea pervades more than that of coffee, and the cupcakes are all attractively topped with colorful icing.

The “royal” attached to the name represents the former employers of the originator of the store, Carolyn Robb, who for 11 years belonged to the kitchen staff of the royal household. That was during the happier times of Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The princes William and Harry were still young boys then and Carolyn would bake them cupcakes as they pranced about the kitchen. She is proud to have been commissioned to make Prince William’s groom’s cake when he married the now Duchess Kate.

The muffin or cupcake has a long history tracing back to the 17th Century when an innovation to the traditional cake was introduced in the US. There these were called quick bread, in the UK they were dubbed fairy cakes, perhaps because they were tiny with multi-colored sprinkles, and in Australia they were known as patty cakes.

The muffins of those times were simple, each one meant for an individual, almost bare of décor and less sweet. They were yeast-leavened bread, done with flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Plain, with hardly any color. In the 19th Century, British author Jane Austen referred to them as a tea table staple. True enough, they were served mostly at tea time. Muffins were also infused with the flavors of chocolate and blueberry. 

Today, the muffins and cupcakes have been given a new dimension with the addition of “gourmet” flavors, like tiramisu and cappuccino.

At The Royal Touch, the beverages (mostly tagged at P100 a pot or cup) and the cupcakes (at P95 per) are served on fine bone china sets, which reminded us of a visit we made to the London factory of the world famous Royal Doulton, manufacturers of stoneware, ceramics and other tableware since 1815.

At the Makati Supermarket in Alabang, we found yet another cupcake outlet selling smaller ones, each costing P65. We remember years ago when we would prefer to buy muffins – walnut, banana or blueberry – more than the cookies from Mrs. Fields. Then we found the minis sold by some enterprising housewives. There is joy in eating cupcakes, and there is also some extra money for idle homemakers.

Have a cupcake and enjoy the Sunday!

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