Cupcakes come in many shapes and guises, but the one thing they all have in common is
that they’re small, individual-sized cakes baked in a muffin pan or cup-shaped molds, which
are often lined with pleated foil or paper baking cups. You can make cupcakes by baking
almost any cake batter in a cup-shaped mold. Classic yellow cake or pound cake mixtures are
particularly popular, but gingerbread, carrot cakes, fruit cakes, yeasted cakes, and brownies
can all be transformed into cupcakes. They can be frosted, decorated, glazed, dusted, or left
unadorned — and whichever you choose, they’re sure to be delicious.