Muffins Vs Cakes

[bednobs]

What is the difference then.just made blueberry muffins and the y have the same ingredients, taste, consistency and look of cakes. What makes them muffins?

[237SJ]

I think what makes them muffins is that is what the Americans call them but they are cakes. You have made American style muffins. English muffins are quite different.

[mazie]

Muffin cases are slightly bigger than our cake cases....that's the only thing that seems to make them different. The cake mixture is just the same

[Grimaldi]

It's the addition of vegetable oil to the recipe which makes the difference.

[237SJ]

//it`s the addition of vegetable oil that makes the difference// Carrot cake is made with vegetable oil but it is still called cake.

[pastafreak]

Some interesting reading here....

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Cake_vs_Muffin

Muffin ingredients are also combined differently-not as thoroughly as cakes...and lumps in the mixture are OK!

[askyourgran]

I like a slice of cake but I can't stand muffins.

[pastafreak]

You can use veg oil in many cake recipes...its just a different form of fat.

[Buenchico]

The OED separates the two (food) definitions of 'muffin' as follows:
"a. Originally (now Brit. regional): any of various kinds of bread or cake. Now: spec. (in N. Amer. generally known as English muffin) a small, flat, cake made from yeast batter and cooked on a hotplate, usually eaten split, toasted, and spread with butter, jam, etc., esp. for breakfast or tea

b. orig. N. Amer. A small, usually sweet sponge cake, baked in a cup-shaped container. Freq. with modifying word indicating the flavour or additional ingredients."

So the type of muffin that you're referring to is simply the American name for a particular type of cake. It's much the same as baking some biscuits and calling them 'cookies'.

Of course, some of us are old enough to remember a different type of Muffin!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cX07V4iwBM

[Zacs-Master]

Bit like asking what's the difference between a loaf and a bread cake.

[237SJ]

I like English muffins but they have to be savoury. Without English muffins, there would be no eggs benedict and that would be unthinkable!

[pastafreak]

If you read my link,you will see that there are differences...more liquid, less sugar,etc...along with how the ingredients are combined.