The '1-2-3-4' recipe is the universal foundation for the modern cupcake.

The '1-2-3-4' cake is a direct descendant of the traditional English pound cake, which used a pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. During the 19th century, American bakers transitioned from weighing ingredients to using volume measurements like cups. This shift was popularized by Eliza Leslie in her 1828 cookbook 'Seventy-five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats.'The chemistry of this ratio is precise. The three cups of flour provide the gluten structure, while the four eggs act as the primary leavening agent and emulsifier. The one cup of butter and two cups of sugar interfere with gluten development to ensure the cake remains tender rather than bread-like. This specific balance prevents the cake from collapsing under its own weight during the baking process.In the early 1900s, companies like the Winston-Salem-based 'Hostess' brand began mass-producing cupcakes using variations of this formula. Food scientists note that the '1-2-3-4' method remains the gold standard for testing oven calibration and flour quality in professional test kitchens. Today, most modern cupcake recipes are simply calibrated adjustments to this original 19th-century ratio.