When is a cupcake not a cupcake?

It has come to my attention that many people claim to make cupcakes. I can't walk into a well-known food hall or local bakery without a pretty pastel coloured cake winking at me with its' cheeky "come eat me" icing.
Let me tell you, I have eaten many cupcakes in my life but I'm afraid I've never come across what I would describe as a genuine cupcake in the UK.

The humble cupcake started out as a small cake which was baked in a 'cup' which was any sort of tin, tray etc and they measured the quantities needed for the cake by 'cups' a la American recipes. Since then the cakes and quantities have grown and cupcakes come in many different shapes and sizes as well as colours and flavours. Yum!

However, since they were popularised (many claim through Sex and the City) the cupcake has been crucified and is no longer, in my opinion, a cupcake.

If you want a cupcake head to Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker St, New York. This is the bakery where Carrie and Miranda sat outside and shared cupcakes. This is the bakery which creates wonderful cupcakes, so good they have their own cupcake cookbooks! This is the benchmark for cupcakes.

There are many other great cupcake companies out there - many deliver using mail order so you can have cupcakes to your hearts delight but I stress, I am yet to try a good honest UK cupcake.

The reason for this post was I purchased a couple of cupcakes from a local bakery. I knew from their icing that they were probably not cupcakes...on eating them my suspicions were confirmed...they were fairy cakes disguised as cupcakes. Should I report the bakery to Trading Standards for false advertising? Would they care? Well, if they had tried a proper cupcake they would!