Muffin vs Cake: What's the Difference Between Them?
Have you ever felt like muffins are basically just… cupcakes without icing on them (and that are socially acceptable to eat for breakfast, though we think cake is good any time of the day)? While they are similar, muffins and cake aren’t the exact same thing. Here’s what you need to know about muffin vs cake: the real difference between them, when we think they should be served, and more.
Muffin vs Cake: What’s the Difference?
While it might seem like muffins and cake are basically the same thing (they do have a lot of similar ingredients), they’re really not. Though they definitely have some similarities, there’s a lot that sets them apart from each other. Here’s what you need to know:
Texture and Density
Muffins: Muffins are usually hearty, with a coarser crumb and much denser texture than cake or cupcakes. They usually have less sugar and are often baked with other ingredients like dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, and the like. (Blueberry muffins are a classic for a reason!)
Cake: Cake is generally lighter and fluffier than muffins, with a finer crumb. As you well know, cake is often frosted with a rich, creamy frosting to pull it all together.
Sugar and Fat
Muffins: Generally speaking, muffins are often lower in both sugar and fat than cake. Some (but not all) muffins also include fruit, nuts, and other good-for-you ingredients.
Cake: Cake has more sugar and fat than muffins do. Sweet and indulgent, it’s generally not trying to pass as a wholesome, healthy food.
Some cakes—like muffins—use liquid fat like oil while others are made with a solid fat, like butter.
Baking Method
Muffins: Muffins are quick breads, which mean they come together pretty quickly. Make sure you don’t overmix them though—it’ll make your muffins dry and tough.
Cake: Cakes are made using the creaming method, which adds air to the batter, giving it that light, fluffy texture. Like with muffins, you don’t want to overmix cake batter or it’ll get tough.
Both muffins and cupcakes are often baked in paper liners to help them come out of the pan more easily.
Occasions
Muffins: Muffins are usually served during the day for breakfast, brunch, or even a snack.
Cake: Cakes are a fun, celebratory centerpiece, so it only makes sense to use them to help celebrate a festive moment: birthdays, weddings, retirement parties, special accomplishments, baby showers, and more all deserve a cake.
When Should You Use a Muffin Recipe vs Cake or Cupcake Recipes?
Not sure how to determine which base recipe will be right for your baking project? Here’s what you need to know:
When to Use Muffin Recipes
You’re Making Breakfast or Brunch: Even if you’re looking to make them feel a little more dessert-like, you’re still going to want to use a muffin recipe for breakfast or brunch. Add fruit, nuts, cinnamon, a cheesecake swirl, a sweet filling, the options are basically endless, but if it’s breakfast, you want a muffin.
You’re Looking for a Grab-and-Go Situation: Whether you’re doing the school run, commuting to the office, or gearing up for a road trip, muffins can give you that burst of energy you need while still being super easy to tote around (and relatively mess-free).
You’re Making Something Savory: Many muffins are sweet, but don’t underestimate a savory muffin. Pack it with cheese and herbs and it’s the perfect pairing for soup, salad, or even just an afternoon snack.
You’re Looking for a Low-Lift Project: Let’s face it: muffins are a lot less fussy than cake. Mix up your batter, scoop your muffins, and bake them. Once they’re cooled, they’re ready to eat.
When to Use a Cake or Cupcake Batter Recipe
Celebrations and Special Occasions: Cake is the ideal treat for celebrations like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, retirement parties, and more. Sweet, creamy, and indulgent, cake is always a festive choice.
When You’re Trying to Impress: There’s just nothing that impresses quite like a towering, perfectly piped cake. Whether you’re looking for the right dessert to celebrate an accomplishment, a dinner party or holiday meal, or pretty much any other occasion, cake will deliver every time.
When You Just Need Frosting: Sometimes you just want a dessert that’s finished with rich, creamy buttercream, decadent ganache, or slightly tart cream cheese frosting. Cake is the clear answer.
So, Muffin vs Cake: Which is Better?
Ultimately, there’s not really one that’s “better” than the other, there’s just one that might be better for the occasion than the other. If you’re going casual, portable, and just a smidge healthy? You want a muffin. If you’re celebrating, looking to impress, or looking for a sweet treat to end your day? It’s cake all the way.
FAQs
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We’re definitely Team Cake for Breakfast, but muffins are usually a better choice to start your day.
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Generally speaking, muffins are going to be healthier than cake, but that also depends on the recipe you choose. Pick something more wholesome, and you can be pretty confident that your muffins will be healthier than the cake you would’ve made. That being said, it really does come down to the recipe and ingredients
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Not really. You can make the muffin batter in one cake pan, but you definitely wouldn’t want to do a layer cake made from muffin batter. The textures just aren’t the same and aren’t meant to be.
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If you're working with cake layers for layer cakes that you haven't assembled yet, wrap them in plastic wrap, then transfer to a fridge or freezer. With an assembled, frosted cake, wrap with plastic wrap if possible or store in an airtight container and place in the fridge. With cupcakes or muffins, store in an airtight container. If you have a buttercream frosting, cream cheese filling, or something similar, you'll want to pop them in the fridge. Otherwise, you can store them at room temperature. Just make sure that they're in an airtight container so that they don't dry out and are readily available when your next sweet craving hits.
Whether you love a muffin for breakfast or could eat a slice of cake every single day (guilty), understanding the real difference between muffin vs cake helps you pick the right recipe for the right event every time (and just might also answer some of your burning questions about what really makes them so different).
