I just don't get this whole bit of putting more icing in the middle and leaving bare cake around the edge of a cupcake. To me, it doesn't look as appealing, it would make the cake dry out quicker, and it's more awkward to eat. Does anyone know if the practice originally started with mass-produced cupcakes, or with designers who thought it looked better?

Granted, some say if you ice too close to the wrapper it's messy to eat. Okay, I can sort of agree there. A small margin or something might be acceptable. But it seems like if this trend of avoiding icing the edges continues, we're going to have icing blobs the size of a quarter in diameter - might as well just make muffins instead of cupcakes and skip the icing altogether!

Cuz it's pretty? I don't want a quarter sized dollop either, but when I think of a cupcake iced all the way to the wrapper, it just makes me think of home made style where it's slathered on with a butter knife. :D

So you're saying it's a "professional" vs. "amateur" look thing? If so, though, it must be still a switch from the old way, since I used to see bakery cupcakes iced to the edges and now they're more the "blob in the middle" style. I was thinking perhaps they were iced by machine instead of by hand. Then I see more "artisan" cupcakes iced that way too and I'm going "chicken or egg" - where did the trend originate?

To me, it doesn't add to the aesthetic appeal to have "naked cake" sticking out. Here's my brainstorm for a compromise:  Take a smaller tip (whether plain or patterned) and run a circle of icing right up near the edge but not touching the paper if the idea of the icing touching the paper doesn't seem right, then cover the rest more generously with icing using whatever piping technique suits.
 

I certainly bucked that trend, and had the same thought of it drying out, and just looking stupid! Since I used to use crisco (bleah) and now I use butter, my icing is really expensive, so I try to keep it economical too, but I always liked it to the edge, but I let a little cake peek out so that the icing doesn't touch each-other in the box.  

Nothing stupider looking than a 4" tall pile of icing a quarter in diameter with a fondant disc on top...

I must be pretty out of it, which is weird, since I make 75% of my income from cupcakes, lol.

I have never seen a cupcake for sale that had a 'blob' of icing in the middle and a wide ring around the outside of naked cake.

I always have a small ring, otherwise you can't take the liner off without getting frosting on your fingers, and they smear when boxed.

I would imagine a bakery selling tiny blobs of icing would be to save money though, not for 'style'.

AI'm with you op! A small margin looks good. A disembodied blob of icing in totally different proportions from the cupcake=ridiculous.

I found one! 

AThat looks stupid.

Maybe you should show us an example OP. I'm having a hard time finding the offending cupcakes that you speak of. 

not a fan...this looks cheaply made and like they were in a hurry....i like it a little fuller with a smaller ring around the edge as well.

You know how you've seen something a million times then when you go to find an example you can't locate one!?

Here's a link to an example:  http://media.beta.photobucket.com/user/ErieBAlcantara/media/FOODIE%20ME/SONJAsPEPPERMINTPATTY_zps07a54f6c.jpg.html?filters[term]=cupcake&filters[primary]=images&filters[featured_media]=1&sort=1&o=71

Here's a drawn version - http://i1.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens17688988module165276082photo_1358881592a-a-.png

For home bakers (or perhaps for pros, I don't know) I thinkthe wide margins are to make the cupcakes easier to deal with in the plastic packaging boxes.You can set them in the little sections of the boxes and ice your swirl right there, so if went over the edges, it would make it more difficult (messier) to remove from the tray.. I've done this often when I'm doing 300-400 cupcakes at once for an event,but I'm still kinda partial to the old swirl it all the way around with a kitchen knife technique.
 

Oh I like the look of that 1st one, I don't like too much icing on a cupcakes.
 

A

That's the same height of cupcakes swirls that usually go around the entire surface of the cupcake!

I tried to find the Buddy video but found this instead!

AI leave a little edge for easier packing as mentioned above... Here's an example of mine. [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/2969351/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

I think it depends on the cupcake, for a traditional vanilla or chocolate, I like a decent size swirl of icing, almost to the edge (need to leave a bit of room so your fingers don't get all sticky, the box doesn't become a mess, etc.). I also think the spreading with a knife look makes it less professional. I pipe all of my cupcakes that are buttercream. For ganache, I dip them so they come out smooth.

For certain flavors though, a large amount of icing just doesn't work. I've attached an example - this was a pumpkin pecan cupcake with a very rich maple cream cheese frosting. Any more frosting and it would have been way too heavy. A little dollop was the perfect amount.

I once heard that pizza was like s*x - there is no bad, just some is better than others.  I think this is also true for cuppies.  Never met one I didnt like. :)