Happy International Chocolate Cupcake Day!!!

Who wouldn't like the sounds of this day? Though not a recognised holiday where we can take a day off to celebrate, I feel this event should be given the spot light for the day regardless.

The origins of ICCD are a bit vague according to my research. I couldn't pin down a time when it started, but I did learn a little something about cupcakes in general. Silly me, I thought the name "cupcake" stemmed from the size of the container in which they're baked (wouldn't you naturally assume that?). No, but that's too far off. Apparently the "cup" in "cupcake" denotes the amount of ingredients going into the batter mixture. Ie: a cup of flour, etc.. This also explains why we call a pound cake "pound cake". Also according to my research, older recipes instructed the baker to bake the cakes in little cups, hence "cupcakes". So while my original assumptions weren't totally off I didn't know why it was. This only covers the history of the cupcake itself, which isn't long on its own having been "invented" around the mid 20th century. Alas the origins of the day set aside to pay homage to the chocolate cupcake remains a mystery to me. If you have heard/read anything shedding light on it, please do share!

Unlike a birthday, where we celebrate with a birthday cake, what can we celebrate with cupcakes? We could of course celebrate cupcakes with.... cupcakes, although this seems a little ouroboros with the snake getting all the cake! I feel I could branch out and put these little baked bite-sized chunks of happiness to better use. Coincidently, today also marks World Menopause Day! How perfect for women to celebrate something with a chocolate cupcake?

During my studies, we learned a lot about the human reproductive system. I learned that we are the only apes to enter the stage of menopause. Only gorillas in captivity get old enough to start the change. However in their natural habitat other ape's lifespans don't accommodate for menopause. Does this make we naked apes special, or mutants? A little of both actually. Now that we have worked out how best to stretch our lifespans into and beyond the realms of what our bodies can deal with we now have a whole new demographic: Age Dore. The non-reproductive, non-working section of society. In terms of evolution, not being able to reproduce puts you in a category where your role is altered. No longer are your genes being passed on to the future generation, so what contributions can you make to society now? Unlike some cultures in the world where if a woman cannot produce offspring, she is considered male (I wont get into the convoluted anthropological discussion of sex vs. gender), the majority of cultures embrace post-menopausal women as 'guardians' for the future generations, ie: the 'Grandmother Hypothesis'. So essentially, our culture has made being a grandparent extremely important. All the more reason to celebrate the awareness of menopause. I am well aware that World Menopause Day is not a day to rejoice if you are experiencing or are post-menopause(al), but more a day to shed light on the effects it has on the woman's life and body and different ways to make the transition easier. Like eating chocolate cupcakes!

So, today, neatly sort (don't dig) through your Mother's or Grandmother's old recipe books and find a good looking recipe for chocolate cupcakes. Make the cupcakes putting love in every one, and give them to someone whom you think needs their very own personal cake. Enjoy, repeat as necessary.