The first mention of the cupcake can be traced as far back as 1796 , when a recipe notation of `` a cake to be baked in small cups '' was written in `` American Cookery '' by Amelia Simmons .
Cupcakes can be traced as far back as 1796 . A recipe for `` a cake to be baked in small cups '' was written in `` American Cookery '' by Amelia Simmons .