Table Manners....

[wdwmom0f3]

Everyone knows the proper way to eat a cupcake is to pinch off the bottom half and put it on top of the frosting half. Voila, cupcake sandwich and frosting with every bite. Um duh!

Like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS89A__3dT0

I have done that! I also don't eat them with a fork at home, but if I am out in public I eat them with a fork. I use a fork especially when I eat the cupcakes at Disney because of the three inch pile of icing on top. It makes it easier to avoid all of that icing.

 

[jrmasm]

I've never heard of this but I am intrigued...and willing to give it a try!

Despite what anyone else on this thread says the way I described is the correct way to eat a cupcake. It is a techique that has been passed down from generation to generation on my mother's side of the family. I come from a long line of bakers.

The end.

 

[KristaTX]

Now tempted to walk by one of the cupcake shops and photograph the people sitting eating cupcakes off plates, with silverware.

Doughnuts I also break off bite-sized pieces. Even like, alone at home. What else would one do?! Sit with a big doughnut hanging out of your maw? You're freaking me out.

I'll grant you the cupcake thing to some degree, and the big cookie thing, and even admit that I can see the outdated reasons for the bread thing, and can see people doing it either way.

My guess is it's probably about half and half with cupcakes. People might use a fork and plate if available, but usually not having to mess up dishes is part of the reason for cupcakes. I've eaten them both ways. But like others have said, I'm not really that big on cupcakes. But I did eat my Ding Dong (see "Ding Dongs" thread) last night with my mouth and not a fork and plate.

However, I dare you to go into a donut shop, sit around for an hour, and then come back with an honest answer for us and say that you didn't see anyone eating a donut by biting it. You don't leave it "hanging out of your maw", but I have never seen anyone pick at their donut . Maybe someone with braces. Or using a fork, maybe, but only on very rare occasion. You've given yourself away now. You're just being silly and purposely trying to fuel the arguing with that donut comment. "What else would one do?. . .You're freaking me out."

What about bagels? Do you tear off little pieces of them, too?

 

[Jennasis]

 

[herdtoDisney]

Well...when I got the famous chocolate peanut butter cupcake from Starring Rolls, I sat down at a table and ate it with a fork and knife-it was huge and I don't think I could have taken a clean bite out of it!

But, smaller homemade cupcakes, like for a kid's birthday party-those I'd just eat by hand. I wouldn't expect a bunch of 8 yo's to use a fork for that kind.

Sheesh, now I want a cupcake, a chocolate-apricot one in fact, from a bakery downtown.

 

[SaraJayne]

I know what challah bread is, but it is not eaten around here. We have a miniscule Jewish population, so challah bread is not an everyday staple here, like it seems to be for cornflake.

 

[cristit14]

Now, I want a cupcake

 

[Toad_Passenger]

PKids have been eating them for years and now all of the sudden they are "in Vogue". Just goes to show that anything marketed the right way will be a success.

You mean like "fashion" rules, and rules for eating bread?

All you need is few people with pseudo-credentials to tell others how they should be doing something, and suddenly it's gospel.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I know what challah bread is, but it is not eaten around here. We have a miniscule Jewish population, so challah bread is not an everyday staple here, like it seems to be for cornflake.

I'm not Jewish, but I love challah bread. I make my own at home, and we use it for French Toast. So, in the end it gets sliced (not torn), dipped in egg, and then covered with butter and syrup.

 

[jrmasm]

 

[herdtoDisney]

I've seen challah bread sliced for french toast, but never for a bread basket-I've only seen it served in loaves, and you like rip off a chunk.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Well...when I got the famous chocolate peanut butter cupcake from Starring Rolls, I sat down at a table and ate it with a fork and knife-it was huge and I don't think I could have taken a clean bite out of it!

But, smaller homemade cupcakes, like for a kid's birthday party-those I'd just eat by hand. I wouldn't expect a bunch of 8 yo's to use a fork for that kind.

Sheesh, now I want a cupcake, a chocolate-apricot one in fact, from a bakery downtown.

We had the same issue. Every cupcake can not be eaten without a fork. You would have frosting all over your nose. BTW, we did not finish these.

 

[suzannen]

Well...when I got the famous chocolate peanut butter cupcake from Starring Rolls, I sat down at a table and ate it with a fork and knife-it was huge and I don't think I could have taken a clean bite out of it!

But, smaller homemade cupcakes, like for a kid's birthday party-those I'd just eat by hand. I wouldn't expect a bunch of 8 yo's to use a fork for that kind.

Sheesh, now I want a cupcake, a chocolate-apricot one in fact, from a bakery downtown.

This is the whole issue - it used to be that all cupcakes were fairly small and many homemade ones still are and can easily be eaten while holding them. Then they started making those gigantic cupcakes - how else could they charge so much money for one - and it became impossible to just bite into one without making a huge mess with crumbs and frosting. Thus, folks have started using plates and knives and forks.

Oh, and we were at Cafe Boulud last night (one of Daniel Boulud's restaurants) and I mentioned this thread to my DH & DD, so we watched the closest tables around us and everyone we could see was eating their bread the "proper etiquette" way tearing it into small pieces (as we always do), so it's certainly not antiquated or forgotten here in the better restaurants of NYC.

 

[wvjules]

We had the same issue. Every cupcake can not be eaten without a fork. You would have frosting all over your nose. BTW, we did not finish these.

Those kind of cupcakes kind of have to be eaten with a fork. But a regular cupcake made at home or from the bakery at the market (lol) can be eaten without cuterly. That's the whole point of a cupcake, at least I thought so.

 

[EMom]

Those kind of cupcakes kind of have to be eaten with a fork. But a regular cupcake made at home or from the bakery at the market (lol) can be eaten without cuterly. That's the whole point of a cupcake, at least I thought so.

Yes, some cupcakes are so gigantic that utensils are needed. But most often, you just hold it and take bites. We DO have the upscale cupcake places here and although the cupcakes are a bit larger than standard cupcakes, they are not HUGE. And people most often use no utensils.

I worked at a bakery when I was younger and so did my sister and I promise you, we rarely saw doughnuts being eaten with utensils. You hold it and take bites. With some of the larger (than a doughnut, that is) creations, some people will opt for utensils.

On the bread debate......I tear off small pieces and butter them individually.

 

[Heidict]

Everyone knows the proper way to eat a cupcake is to pinch off the bottom half and put it on top of the frosting half. Voila, cupcake sandwich and frosting with every bite. Um duh!

Someone made and brought in cupcakes today at work. Go figure. Having never eaten a cupcake "your" way, I decided to give it a try. LOVE IT!! So much easier.

Now I can see using a fork on those humongous cupcakes they make now a days and have had to use one myself when I bought one last summer, but a knife? Really? How tough are your cupcakes that you need a knife to saw through them?

And the donut thing is cracking me up. I can see the reason behind the whole butter thing. I don't do it, but I can understand it. The whole fork and cupcake think also, but a donut? There is all kinds of crazy in this world. I can just imagine the amount of odd looks someone would get doing that in public. Do you need a knife for that also, or just a fork?

As a New Yorker how do you eat bagels and cream cheese? How about a muffin?

 

[leebee]

At least we seem to be moving off the bread debate!

If they are big cupcakes, or overly-frosted cupcakes, I eat them with a knife and fork. If they are kiddy-sized or we are "on the go" I eat them as-is. I've never cut them horizontally, stacked them, and eaten them as a cupcake sandwich!

Let's see... unless I am driving the car, I break cookies and doughnuts and brownies into individual pieces. I might bite a lemon bar because they are so sticky; breaking them would make more mess. I am challenged by filled bars (like date or raspberry filling between two layers of pastry) because they squoosh out regardless of how you try to eat them.

(and yes, I break/butter the bread. Don't remember learning it, it's just the way we've always done it.)

 

[kimmar067]

Now, I want a cupcake

...OMG, last night I ate a red velvet cupcake! I broke off pices and buttered it with cream cheese frosting...

cuz'. I. have. MANNERS.

 

[kimmar067]

Gluttony would be if you're buttering each and every bite of everyone else's bread in addition to your own

...and that's wrong??

 

[Toad_Passenger]

...OMG, last night I ate a red velvet cupcake! I broke off pices and buttered it with cream cheese frosting...

cuz'. I. have. MANNERS.

Careful you're going to start the next trend in the Cupcake craze. Serve them uniced, and then everyone has to follow proper bread buttering technique in order to ice and eat their cupcake.