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Bake Better Cupcakes

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like a good cupcake. They’ve grown in popularity over the past few years, even though they’re not included in any of the popular healthy eating trends. To ensure that one makes the best cupcakes possible, here are a few tips that should always be followed regardless of what flavor cupcake being made.

We’ve put together some tips to help bake the best cupcakes possible, garnered largely from experiences in making plenty of not so good cupcakes. Hopefully, these tips will elevate your cupcakes into the better cupcake range.

Bake Better Cupcakes

Tips to Build Better Cupcakes

Don’t pack the flour.
When measuring flour, should be spooned into a measuring cup and then leveled off with a knife.

Try using cake flour.
Using cake flour instead of all purpose will yield a cupcake with a touch more tenderness.

Don’t overmix the batter.
Mix cupcake batter slowly and gently, stopping when everything is combined. This will help eliminate shrinkage of the cupcakes after baking.

Use the best ingredients possible.
For instance, use real vanilla and high quality chocolate instead of imitations.

Use parchment paper or foil cupcake liners.
These wrappers make the best cupcakes because ingredients like chocolate chips stick to the sides of regular paper liners. It’s no fun losing parts of a delicious cupcake to the wrapper. Foil & parchment are recommended, but if using paper liners or a non-stick pan then give a light spray of cooking oil before adding the batter so the cakes will come out with ease.

Check baking soda and baking powder for freshness.
If they are beyond their “best if used by” date the cupcakes will not rise properly. If questionable, then perform a quick test by adding a pinch of the white powder to a little vinegar. If there’s bubbles, then you’re good to go. Toss the vinegar when done.

Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
An ice cream scoop works well to fill the muffin cups evenly with cupcake mixture.

Test for proper doneness.
Overbaked tastes dry and underbaked won’t stand up to the decorations. Cupcakes will crack open while the center rises up and fills in any gaps. Test a cupcake for doneness by pressing your finger gently into the center – the indentation should spring right back up.

Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the pan before moving them to cooling racks.
Leaving cupcakes in the hot pan too long could dry them out, so just let them rest a few minutes before removing.

Pipe on the frosting.
Piping makes for a more professional presentation than spreading with a knife.

If you make cupcakes ahead of time, they can spend a day on the counter. Place the cooled cupcakes on a rimmed baking sheet and then wrap the whole pan tightly with plastic wrap. Keep the pan at room temperature.

For longer term storage, add another layer of aluminum foil to the pan just mentioned and then place the pan into the freezer. They’ll be good frozen for at least 3 months. Allow the entire pan to come to room temperature before unwrapping and frosting.

Bake Better Cupcakes

Additional Information

To find out how long cupcakes last, check our cupcake page.

There are lots of ways to use a muffin pan, besides making cupcakes. Check out our muffin pan ideas and more muffin pan ideas for two dozen unique ideas.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.