Introducing an article made by Little Bertha Cakes based in Australia. This article lays out some helpful tips to make your cupcake baking experience happy, fun, and of course perfect! You can check them out at Little Bertha: Here is the article below: Enjoy!
How to make the perfect cupcake
There are so many recipes for cupcakes out there! But there are some key things to consider to make the perfect cupcake. First, Fill your cupcake wells 1/2 to 2/3 full. Any more and your cupcakes will overflow and loose shape. If you use less than 1/2 a well of batter, then you will get wimpy cupcakes and will have to use extra frosting to make them look larger. Next, you will have to choose the right cupcake pan. Good cupcake pans are shiny and a little heavy and will cook 6 to 12 cupcakes at a time. Make sure you have 2 pans available because then you won't have to cool a pan before you finish baking your cupcakes. Two 12 well cupcake pans should be enough for one batch of cupcakes or make a half batch if you only have one tray. Use paper or foil wrappers or spray the individual wells with a nonstick spray to make it easy to remove your cupcakes. If you are using the new silicone pans, wrappers or nonstick spray work fine in these also. Don't overmix your batter. This makes cupcakes chewy rather than fluffy and moist. Be sure to follow the directions in your cupcake recipe. If your recipe calls for a hand mixing, hand mixer or a stand mixer, you will need to adjust your mixing time accordingly.
It is also a good idea to bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing your cupcake batter. This way the ingredients will mix evenly, if you mix cold items into your batter, you risk having a lumpy batter which might cause you to overmix! Bake your cupcakes at the proper temperature. Preheat your oven to the correct temperature BEFORE you put your cupcakes in the oven. An oven thermometer is also a good idea to make sure your oven is set to the right temperature. You can use your favorite cake batter to make cupcakes or try something new like these varieties from Little Bertha. Batter for an 8 inch layer cake usually makes 20-24 cupcakes, just make sure you have mixed the batter well, and only fill the cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, and check for if they're done using a toothpick or skewer. You should always check your cupcakes after the minimum cooking time. If the cupcakes aren't finished cooking after the minimum time, then place them back in the oven for some additional cooking time. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the most delicious cupcake, they are best eaten the same day they are made. Undecorated cupcakes can be frozen up to 3 months but they will loose some of that freshness that often makes cupcakes so good. When your ready to decorate, try something new like two tone cupcakes and enjoy your pretty new creations.
