How many times have you asked Google for cupcake baking tips? Let this time be the last time, and choose to follow these tips every time you make cupcakes.
Cupcakes look easy, right? Right. But how many times have you tried a cupcake recipe and they come out looking nothing like the image in the book or on the website you are trying to replicate? So many times. For so many years. This was me, don't let this be you. Use these 5 Tips to Baking the Perfect Cupcakes to help you be a better baker now, like right now.
I have baked a lot of cupcakes over the years and the cupcake baking tips below will help you bake perfect homemade cupcakes. Later on in this post, I share a basic cupcake recipe that is actually my favorite cupcake recipe! This recipe helps you ensure consistent results when you bake cupcakes.
Set the Oven Temperature Correctly
What does this even mean? Just follow the recipe and set your oven according to what the instructions say? Nope, this would be wrong, and this mistake is probably the reason why you are baking less than perfect cupcakes.
Setting your oven correctly means, knowing the true temperature of your oven not just setting the dial to 180C and assuming this is the actual oven's temperature. The only way you can trust your oven is to invest in an oven thermometer and use it every time you bake.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but most of your baking fails probably have to do with the temperature of your oven and not the mistakes you made on your kitchen counter! Yellow meringues? Oven. Domed cake tops? Oven. Flopped macaroons? Oven. Dry cupcakes? Oven. Burnt bottom cookies? Oven. Setting the oven correctly makes a huge difference in the outcome of all your bakes, not just cupcakes.
Getting the temperature of your oven right is the first step to becoming a better baker. Know the true temperature of your oven, and then adjust it according to the recipe's recommendations. This way you know you are truly following the recipe.
Don't Open the Oven Door
Along with setting the temperature of the oven correctly, there are some other rules to follow. First, don't open the oven door while the cupcakes are baking, and second place the muffin pan on the middle rack in the oven. As tempting as it is to check on how the cupcakes are baking it is never a good idea to open the door. Peek through the glass and only once you see the top of the cupcake has domed, after about 12 minutes then you can open the oven door.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
I really used to ignore this one, probably because I am a last-minute baker. But if you are looking to bake perfect cupcakes every time you need to consider this important step. For both the actual cupcake recipe and the frosting.
Which ingredients need to be at room temperature? Well, all the ingredients that you would take out of the fridge. The milk, or milk alternatives such as buttermilk, sour cream, etc. The eggs, if you keep your eggs in the fridge. The unsalted butter, if the recipe calls for it. And any other fresh ingredients that are not kept in your pantry cupboard.
The reason that the ingredients need to be at room temperature is so that they can emulsify properly when mixing. Ever followed a cake recipe and wondered why your batter looked split or runny? Well, you probably were using cold butter. Ever made cream cheese icing and wondered why it was both lumpy and runny? The butter and the cream cheese weren't at room temperature.
Butter is most definitely the most unforgiving ingredient when it comes to baking. Using cold butter whether in the batter or the frosting of a cupcake can be problematic.
Most recipes that use butter in the cupcake batter call for the butter and sugar to be creamed together and suggest 5 minutes. If your butter is straight from the fridge, it will take longer than 5 minutes. Something that you might not consider. Making fluffy pipeable frosting is nearly impossible when starting with cold butter, and if you are an inexperienced baker, you will find it hard to know when the buttercream is ready because it will take a long long time.
Set yourself up for success and make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.
Don't Overmix the Batter
Once you have added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients make sure you do not overmix the cupcake batter. The aim here is to mix the batter just enough so that the ingredients are well combined and there are no lumps with the least amount of turns of the mixer. Keep this in mind when baking cupcakes and rather stay near to the mixer, watching how the batter changes and stopping the mixer just as soon as it has combined.
Scrape Down the Sides of the Bowl
Before deciding to fill the cupcake papers with cupcake batter, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. You will notice that the batter against the sides of the bowl is not well mixed. doing this ensures that all the ingredients have combined properly but be sure to remix briefly to ensure there are no lumps in the batter.
Line the Cupcake Tray Carefully
You might think this is a given, but often when lining a cupcake tray with cupcake papers things can go very wrong. The cupcake papers can lose their shape either from not fitting properly into the cupcake pan or from being squashed in their packaging or from the baker (yes, that's you) not being careful when separating them.
If the cupcake cases are misshapen in the cupcake tray, don't expect perfectly shaped cupcakes. It just won't happen. And the basis of a perfect cupcake is a perfectly domed and shaped cupcake.
Don't Overfill the Cupcake Case with Batter
When I started baking, I thought, domed cupcakes meant more batter in the cupcake liners. I couldn't have been more wrong. More batter in the cupcake paper means really ugly-looking cupcakes. Think of flat cupcakes with that burnt lip that spread onto the cupcake tray? Or cupcakes that have sunken in the middle? Yes, those cupcakes. Not the kind of mistake you can cover up with icing. If the unfrosted cupcakes are an issue then decorating is not the problem.
You want the cupcake to bake up and not across and this happens when the cupcake is filled about ¾ of the way up the side of the cupcake paper. Try this tip and see what a difference it will make to the final look of your cupcake. Remember, too much batter can be the reason your cupcakes don't look as good as those of a professional baker.
Check if Your Cupcakes are Baked Properly
Before removing the cupcakes from the oven be sure to do the toothpick test to see if they are ready or not! As I have explained, all ovens bake differently and so you might need to adjust the bake time for your cupcakes. The best way to decide whether or not the cupcakes are ready to be removed from the oven is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cupcake if it comes out clean. Then the cupcakes are done baking.
Only Frost Cooled Cupcakes
Do not ever, I mean ever frost warm cupcakes (or cakes!) because you are looking for a disaster to happen. Perfect cupcakes don't have melted icing falling off them. And this is what will happen if you frost cupcakes when they are still warm.
Cupcakes cool really quickly if they are removed from the cupcake tray, so if you don't have time to wait for them to cool in the tray, remove them. When removing them while they are hot, please be careful, they will be soft so you could easily misshape or break them! Remove them from the cupcake pan and place them on a cooling rack until ready to frost.
Frost Cupcakes on the Day of Baking
If moist cupcakes are what you are after, do not let the cupcakes stand overnight without being frosted as this will dry out the cupcakes. And a dry cupcake is definitely no one's idea of the perfect cupcake. For moist and fluffy cupcakes either frost them after baking or store the cupcakes in an airtight container overnight and frost them the next day.
These are my 5 Tips to Baking Perfect Cupcakes, follow them and see how quickly your cupcake game will improve. But remember, the success of a cupcake also has to do with the recipe you have chosen so be sure to pick one from a baker you trust.
This recipe for No-Fail Vanilla Cupcakes is a basic cupcake recipe that I use for baking and frosting the perfect cupcake. It uses simple ingredients, which are often the best ingredients. These are whole eggs, sunflower oil, whole milk, white sugar, and self-raising flour (which can be substituted for all-purpose flour and baking powder). So, I hope you give this recipe a try, and if you do please let me know in the comments below if these tips helped you become a better baker.
Looking for other recipes for great cupcakes? Try out these recipes
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
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