Cupcakes are one of the best sweets for bringing to a party or offering guests because not only are they tasty, but they're cute, fun to decorate and personalize, and are conveniently pre-sized in individual servings. And although baking a cupcake is easy enough in principle, baking a
perfect cupcake takes a bit of attention to detail.
- Use your favorite cake recipe A standard 2-layer cake recipe should make 24 average-sized cupcakes
- Use the highest quality ingredients, including fresh eggs and butter instead of margarine
- Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing
- Mix thoroughly but don't overmix Over-mixing can cause your cupcakes to taste chewy and flat
- Fill the cups 2/3 of the way -- less and they can burn or dry out, more and they might spill, drip, or not cook thoroughly
- After filling the cups let them rest for 2-5 minutes to let the batter settle evenly
- Know your oven If your oven cooks hotter at the back be sure to rotate the cupcake pan halfway through cooking
- Test for doneness after the minimum cooking time to prevent overcooking. A toothpick should come out clean when stuck in the middle.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt and look sloppy (and the decorations might even slide off)
- Serve and enjoy cupcakes the same day they are made for optimum richness, moistness, and flavor.
