How long do cupcakes take to cool?

You should let cupcakes cool at least 30 minutes (but preferably an hour or two) on a wire cooling rack on the counter, until they are no longer warm to the touch.

How can I cool cupcakes quickly?

Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack as soon as they're out of the oven. If you've made a dozen cupcakes or less, you can carefully pop the entire wire rack into the fridge or freezer for 10-20 minutes to cool them more quickly. We don't recommend using the fridge or freezer to quickly cool large batches of cupcakes, as too much heat can lower the temperature inside the refrigerator (and if that temperature lowers too much, it can cause food safety issues).

Why are my cupcakes dense?

This could have a bunch of different causes! Start by making sure you're measuring your ingredients by weight (with a kitchen scale) using a well-tested recipe that provides weight measurements (like ours do!) In our experience, 9/10 dense cupcakes are caused when a baker accidentally uses too much flour. Dense cupcakes can also occur when the batter is overmixed, when the oven door is opened too much during baking, when the oven temperature is off (we recommend using an oven thermometer to double-check oven temp for accuracy!) or when butter and sugar aren't creamed together properly.

How do I make my cupcakes flat on top?

If you prefer cupcakes with a flat top (instead of a tall, domed top), be sure to first follow all the best practices in this article ! The shape of your cupcake will also largely depend on the recipe you're using. That said, there are a few tweaks you can make that will help most cupcake recipes achieve a flatter top: First, use cake flour instead of all purpose (it will develop less gluten and help the cupcake rise more evenly). Next, avoid overfilling your cupcake liners: If a recipe came out too domed on top for your liking, try reducing the amount of batter in each liner the next time you bake it. Finally, you may want to experiment with the oven temperature: In many cases, reducing the temperature by 25°-50° Fahrenheit can slow the baking process down enough for a cupcake to develop a smoother, flatter top (adjusting the bake temperature usually requires a bit of trials-and-error, though, so make sure you give yourself a few test batches to experiment with!)

How do I store cupcakes?

When cupcakes have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container so they retain their moisture. We recommend using a large, fairly tall airtight storage bin . Most cupcakes will keep just fine on the counter for a few days (check the recipe you're using for any specific storage instructions!) but the texture is usually best if they're eaten within a day or two. After that, the cake will start to dry out a bit: If you want to keep cupcakes longer than a few days, we recommend freezing them. Cupcakes will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. To defrost, place frozen cupcakes on the counter, uncovered, and let them come back to room temp for a few hours. See more storage tips in our post on how to freeze cupcakes .

Why do my cupcakes have holes or tunnels in the middle?

This usually occurs when you overmix your cupcake batter (see tip #4 above!) and/or when you use ingredients straight from the fridge instead of letting them come to room temperature first (like eggs, milk, or butter). If you'd like less tunneling in your cupcakes, make sure to bring your eggs and milk to room temperature before making the batter (see tip #2 above), and mix your batter until everything is just combined.

Why did my cupcakes sink in the middle?

In our experience, cupcakes sink in the middle for a few different reasons. First, if cupcakes are taken out of the oven before they're done baking, the cupcake will collapse under its own weight and slowly sink into its own gooey center (to check for doneness, bake cupcakes until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean!) Cupcakes can also sink in the middle when there is too much fat or liquid , or too little gluten development (this is sometimes an issue with a specific recipe, but more often it's due to improperly measured ingredients - be sure to use a kitchen scale!) A too-hot oven can also cause cupcakes to sink in the middle: They rise too quickly and collapse under their own weight because the center takes too long to set (use an oven thermometer to double-check your oven temperature and adjust if necessary!) Cupcakes can also sink when your baking soda or baking powder are expired , so double-check those best-by dates!

Why do cupcake liners get greasy on the bottom?

Some cupcake liners act like a sponge and soak up some fat (like butter) as the cupcakes bake (some recipes may also just have more fat in them than necessary, or the dry ingredients may have been measured incorrectly, or the butter may have been too soft - all of which can cause grease to form at the base of each cupcake!) Mostly, we've found that this issue is easy to solve by just switching up the brand of cupcake liner you use. Different brands of cupcake liners will behave differently: We use and recommend Wilton Cupcake liners , and they don't typically feel greasy. If your cupcake liners are a bit greasy and it's bugging you, you can put a teaspoon or two of uncooked rice (plain white rice is fine!) in each cupcake hole before you put the liners in - the rice will absorb some of the fat and keep the liners drier. Discard or compost the rice after baking. Greaseproof baking cups are also a great solution if your cupcake liners feel too greasy!

Why do cupcakes stick to liners?

This is often an issue with the liners themselves (we recommend trying a few different brands until you find one you like - we love Wilton liners !) but we've noticed we also have issues with the liners sticking when we vary the kind of pan we use to bake cupcakes. A darker cupcake pan conducts more heat than a lighter metal pan, which can affect how quickly the sides of a cupcake cook (and lead to sticking). We find that liners stick less when we use a lighter-colored metal pan that's thick and conducts heat well (it shouldn't warp in the oven, and a good pan should be fairly heavy). If your oven runs hot, that can also contribute to the liners sticking to the cupcakes: Be sure to double-check your oven temperature with a thermometer and adjust as necessary! This is unfortunately a bit of a trial-and-error issue, and can depend a lot on the equipment you're using, but if you make the same recipe a few times with a few different variables (a different pan, different brand of liners, etc) you can usually zoom in on a simple fix! If sticking is an issue, you can also try using reusable silicone liners instead of paper liners (they peel right off and are dishwasher safe!)

How do I know when my cupcakes are fully cooked?

Stick a toothpick or a cake tester into the center of the tallest cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done! If it comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it, give the cupcakes another minute or two, then test again. If the cake tester comes out looking like you dipped it in wet batter, the cupcakes need at least another 5 minutes.

How do I bake cupcakes with a convection oven?

Our team hasn't tested cupcake recipes with a convection oven, so we unfortunately aren't much help with this one! Anecdotally, we've heard industry friends recommend AGAINST using a convection oven for cakes and cupcakes, as the air movement can affect their rise and texture (but again, we haven't tested this ourselves so can't say for sure!) If you want to bake cakes in a convection oven, we recommend Googling some convection oven tips first - and just know that it may take a few tries to get the hang of it!

10 Tips to Bake Perfect Cupcakes

Description

These easy tips will help you bake perfect cupcakes at home!

Ingredients

Use high quality ingredients. We especially love King Arthur Flour, King Arthur Cocoa Powders, and Nielsen-Massey vanilla extracts.

Bring ingredients to room temperature. Let eggs and milk warm up on the counter for 1 hour before you mix your batter for a taller, softer cupcake!

Use a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients by weight (in grams) is much more reliable than measuring by volume (with cups!) We recommend the Escali Kitchen Scale.

Don't overmix the batter. For best results, mix by hand (or use a stand mixer on the lowest setting), and mix until all ingredients are just combined. Don't turn the stand mixer on and walk away!

Check your oven temperature. We recommend investing in an oven thermometer to double-check your oven's accuracy.

Don't open the oven door during baking. Opening the door can cause temperature changes that affect the texture of your cupcakes!

Bake cupcakes in the center of your oven. Position your oven rack in the very center of your oven to help cupcakes bake evenly.

Use a scoop to fill cupcake liners. We love using a large cookie scoop for standard cupcakes! A scoop works best with thicker, fluffy cake batters.

Move cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. If you leave cupcakes in a hot pan, they can steam (which causes the liners to peel away). For best results, transfer them to a wire rack within a few minutes of taking them out of the oven!

Remember that great cupcakes take practice! Experiment with new recipes and ingredients until you find your perfect cupcake combo. Be patient!

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Instructions

Follow the tips and best practices in the article above for excellent homemade cupcakes!

Notes

Be sure to read the full article above for our best cupcake tips. Have another question? Leave a comment below and our team will be happy to help!

Keywords: cupcakes, cake, baking