From cup + cake.

• IPA: /ˈkʌpkeɪk/

cupcake (plural cupcakes)

1. A small cake baked in a usually paper container shaped like a cup, often with icing on top.
2. (slang) An attractive young woman.
3. (slang) A weak or effeminate man.
4. (informal) Term of endearment.

• (small cake) fairy cake, queen cake, butterfly cake
• (effeminate man) cockney, pansy, sissy; see also Thesaurus:effeminate man
• (attractive young woman) babe, fox, stunner; see also Thesaurus:beautiful woman
• (term of endearment) cabbage, heartmate, sweetie; see also Thesaurus:sweetheart

• German: Cupcake, Tassenkuchen
• Portuguese: cupcake, bolinho
• Russian: кекс
• Spanish: (Spain) magdalena, (Venezuela) ponqué, (Mexico) panqué, (Peru) quequito, pastel de taza

• Russian: красо́тка

cupcake (cupcakes, present participle cupcaking; simple past and past participle cupcaked)

1. (intransitive, slang) To flirt; to talk or act amorously or intimately.
   • 2011, Deontra Woods, Blood, Sweat and Tears, page 102:

     I watched Brian as he drove off down the street. I turned and went back inside the studio and found Len at my desk. “I saw you and Brian cupcaking out there.”

   • 2013, Michelle Robinson, Right Before My Eyes II, page 100:

     But I figured Najah was cupcaking with Johan, Chelsea was eating something that didn't match while Greg rubbed her feet, and Kalena wasn't in a space to talk or listen.

   • 2014, Zaneeya S., Overcoming My Past, page 170:

     She said, “You're always Cupcaking.” I replied, “I'm not cupcaking. I'm enjoying my conversation so hush.” David and I would stay on the phone all night and talk. It was normal for us.

   • 2018, Carlos Bayne, Napkin Nights: The Crunk Chronicles:

     Let's review the tale of the tape: My best friend is being held hostage, I boosted his ride and mobile, then cupcaked with a heater-packing widow-maker.

2. (transitive, slang, rare) To flirt with; to talk or act amorously or intimately to.
3. (transitive) To mash a cupcake at; to cover with cupcake.
4. (transitive, slang) To handle easily and successfully.
5. (ambitransitive) To cover or be abundant with cake-like decorations such as frills.
6. (transitive, informal, rare) To feed cupcakes.
7. (intransitive, informal) With out: to saturate by cupcakes.
8. (intransitive, informal) To make cupcakes.