Are your cupcakes as flat as a pancake? Or spilling out of their
cases? There are a million and one things that can go wrong when baking
cupcakes; the latest trend in home baking. Baking the perfect cupcake is
not an impossible task, but nor is it an easy one. In fact, baking the
'perfect' cupcake is an ideology that does not really exist. I mean,
what is 'perfection' right? But there are a few fundamental rules that
you need to abide by in order to end up with a cupcake sponge that looks
as good as it tastes, so we have compiled our top five tips to ensure
your cupcakes cook as beautifully as can be, for all to enjoy!
1. Scales are your friend
Yes, it's true - the scales are indeed your friend. Well, in the kitchen at least. Measure out all of your ingredients before you begin mixing your cupcake batter and never try and 'make up' missing ingredients.
Experimenting with flavours is great! Experimenting with bicarbonate of soda as a replacement for baking powder, is not.
2. An over-beaten batter is a bad batter
When you over-beat your cupcake mix, your cupcakes will either be as hard as rocks or simply not rise in the middle, and there is absolutely nothing you can do with a cupcake that didn't rise!
3. Right temperature, right time
If your recipe calls for an oven temperature of 220 degrees, then make sure it is heated to 220 degrees! If the oven is too hot, the cupcakes can 'spike' in the middle and rise faster than they can cook. If the oven is too cool, then quite simply, the cakes won't cook. But always, ALWAYS, take your cakes out of the oven at the exact right time. Even if you think they look a little underdone, the cake will still 'cook' for a little while as they cool when they come out of the oven, so trust the recipe, and take those beauties out!
4. Cool cool cool!
As soon as your cupcakes are removed from the oven, scoop them out of their pans and lay them onto a cooling rack to cool from every angle. This is very important, as the pans stay can stay hot for some time after being removed from the oven and this can lead to one of two cupcake catastrophes; over-cooked cakes, or peeling cupcake cases. When the cupcakes are left in their pans after being removed from the oven, the heat from the pan continues to cook the cake. The heat from within each cupcake once removed from the pan is enough to 'finish' cooking the cupcake to perfection. Plus, moisture can build up between the cupcake and the cupcake case when they are left in the pan, causing case-peel. Not a good look!
5. Eat one warm
Okay, not strictly a tip for the perfect cupcake, but certainly one for the perfect treat! So when you set your cupcakes aside to cool, take the time to enjoy one at it's absolute prime; fresh and warm straight from the oven. Bliss!
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_L_Howells
1. Scales are your friend
Yes, it's true - the scales are indeed your friend. Well, in the kitchen at least. Measure out all of your ingredients before you begin mixing your cupcake batter and never try and 'make up' missing ingredients.
Experimenting with flavours is great! Experimenting with bicarbonate of soda as a replacement for baking powder, is not.
2. An over-beaten batter is a bad batter
When you over-beat your cupcake mix, your cupcakes will either be as hard as rocks or simply not rise in the middle, and there is absolutely nothing you can do with a cupcake that didn't rise!
3. Right temperature, right time
If your recipe calls for an oven temperature of 220 degrees, then make sure it is heated to 220 degrees! If the oven is too hot, the cupcakes can 'spike' in the middle and rise faster than they can cook. If the oven is too cool, then quite simply, the cakes won't cook. But always, ALWAYS, take your cakes out of the oven at the exact right time. Even if you think they look a little underdone, the cake will still 'cook' for a little while as they cool when they come out of the oven, so trust the recipe, and take those beauties out!
4. Cool cool cool!
As soon as your cupcakes are removed from the oven, scoop them out of their pans and lay them onto a cooling rack to cool from every angle. This is very important, as the pans stay can stay hot for some time after being removed from the oven and this can lead to one of two cupcake catastrophes; over-cooked cakes, or peeling cupcake cases. When the cupcakes are left in their pans after being removed from the oven, the heat from the pan continues to cook the cake. The heat from within each cupcake once removed from the pan is enough to 'finish' cooking the cupcake to perfection. Plus, moisture can build up between the cupcake and the cupcake case when they are left in the pan, causing case-peel. Not a good look!
5. Eat one warm
Okay, not strictly a tip for the perfect cupcake, but certainly one for the perfect treat! So when you set your cupcakes aside to cool, take the time to enjoy one at it's absolute prime; fresh and warm straight from the oven. Bliss!
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