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Home » Cupcakes » Cupcakes 101

Cupcakes 101

Published September 29, 2019 Last Modified October 12, 2019 By GreedyEats

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There is no fun eating a pretty cupcake that is dry as a bone and tastes all like cardboard! Today we are focusing on cupcakes 101 and learn how to make perfect cupcakes every time.

Find all my Cupcakes Recipes in one place!

Easy pumpkin cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting

Pictured above are my favorite pumpkin cupcakes. Supremely moist and unbelievably fluffy!

I am so excited to share with you my best cupcake baking tips! These tips will help you perfect your next batch of cupcakes! Line those liners coz you won't be able to resist baking cupcakes a minute more after reading this post!

cupcakes 101: Room temperature ingredients

Now I can't stress this enough. This one step can make or break your cupcakes. If a recipe calls for room temperature ingredients, plan accordingly.

Don't even think that using one cold ingredient won't change much in the recipe!

There is so much science behind using room temp ingredients for baking. You see , when the ingredients are slightly warmer, they mix so much better with each other.

Ever noticed how room temp butter mixes super quickly with sugar. Same holds true for eggs, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, milk, extracts and whatever you mix in the batter.

cupcakes 101: Perfect measurements for cupcakes

Don't over measure, don't under measure! This is the most important step of baking. I mean if instead of measuring precisely you decide to estimate, you are not starting it right!

Even the slightest of over or under measuring can make your cupcakes dense or sunken!

I'd suggest get a weighing scale. It takes out all the guess work.

cupcakes 101: Substitutions

Homemade muffin mix for Banana blueberry muffin recipe with fresh blueberries.

There are so many times when we try substituting the recipe ingredients with what we have on hands! Substituting flours, reducing sugar, subbing baking soda for baking powder!

All of this results in different textured bakes than what you expect them to be. Follow the recipe to the T for best results.

cupcakes 101: Mixing the batter


Meringue made with egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.

  • If a recipe states to cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes, don't skimp on this time!
  • Follow directions to beat in the egg just as the recipe states.
  • Fold try into wet ingredients only till the flour disappears or else you are headed towards an uneaten and dense cupcake pile!

Filling the liners: Don't under fill, don't over fill

Over filling the cupcakes can cause your cupcakes to spread way too far! And be ready to hide your cupcakes in a massive pile of frosting, if you under fill the batter!

This also answers the most frequently asked question-How to make cupcakes rise perfectly.

If a recipe doesn't state how much to fill your liners, fill them around ⅔ full. ¾ to the max!

How many cupcakes to bake in a batch

Easy pumpkin cupcakes recipe

I'd suggest to bake just one batch at a time keeping pan in center of your oven. This step ensures an even bake!

If you still decide to bake in large batches, don't keep pans too close to the wall elements of your oven. Turn pans half way through to ensure even browning in this case!

cupcakes 101: Doneness test

Find best cupcake baking tips and tricks on greedyeats.com to make perfect cupcakes.

Pictured are my homemade Pistachio Cupcakes from scratch!

There are two ways to check doneness!

Inserting a tooth pick in the center of your cupcakes and if it comes out clean they are done.
Sometimes cupcake that was inserted with tooth pick sinks, to avoid this

  1. Press the center of cupcakes with your finger, if they bounce back, cupcakes are done.

cupcakes 101: Where to cool cupcakes

Learn how to make perfect cupcakes that are fluffy, moist and soft.

  • Always take the cupcakes out of pans a few minutes after they are done baking. Heat from the cupcakes build too much moisture in the pan turning the cupcakes soggy.
  • If you are in a rush to cool those cuppies, stick them in the freezer for around 30 minutes (5 minutes after taking them outta oven). They are then ready to be frosted, yay!

How to store cupcakes?

Perfect your next batch of cupcakes with my cupcakes 101 that covers all the tips to make best cupcakes!

  • Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored on room temp, covered tightly for 1-2 days.
  • Same goes for frosted cupcakes. After a day or two I recommend them storing in the refrigerator. Let them come to room temp before serving.
  • Unfrosted cupcakes can also be frozen for about 2-3 months. Thaw on counter top for several hours and frost then.

More Cupcakes baking tips for ya!

How to make perfect cupcakes

  • Fill the liners only ⅔ full
  • Bake one tray at a time
  • If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pan half way through

I am sharing my best cupcakes baking tips. You are guaranteed a better batch the next time you bake.

These are summer favorite Strawberry Cupcakes with real Strawberry frosting!

Why have my cupcakes peaked?

  • This happens if your oven temp is a little hotter than it states.
  • In this case outer edges bake quickly and batter in the center peaks as it continues to bake!
  • Always use an oven thermometer if you aren't sure.

Why do my cupcakes rise and then fall?

  • Over beating the batter, which beats in too much air in batter and cupcakes collapse when that air escapes during/after baking!
  • Using more than stated amount of leaveners
  • High oven temperature

How long do cupcakes need to cool before frosting?

I'd say an hour minimum. If you are in a rush stick your cupcakes in the freezer for about 20 minutes and you are ready to frost them.

I have a collection of best cupcakes baking tips for you. Your cupcakes will never be sunken, dense, not risen or dried any more.

Readers' favorite and super moist Chocolate Cupcakes! ⇑

How do you keep cupcakes moist?

  • I usually let the cupcakes cool down and store them in an air tight container (up to a day) if not frosting immediately
  • Keep the frosted cupcakes covered at all times
  • Oil as opposed to butter, brown sugar instead of regular, sour cream and yogurt are some of the excellent moist cupcake makers

Why are my cupcakes sticky after cooling?

  • If your cupcakes are getting sticky on top after cooling, it means you stored them in air tight containers before they were completely cooled.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool down COMPLETELY on wire rack before transferring them to containers

Learn how to make moist cupcakes that rise well and are fluffy and light at the same time.

So did you find my cupcakes 101 guide helpful? Let me know in the comments below.

Follow me on Pinterest for recipe updates from Greedy Eats!

« Pistachio Cupcakes
Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sally M Sperry

    December 29, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    When you say to line pan with four liners, do you mean to put the batter into four layers of cupcake cups? Like four little paper cupcake things?

    Reply
    • GreedyEats

      December 30, 2020 at 11:39 pm

      Oh no. I meant fill one cupcake liner up to two-third or three-fourth with cupcake batter. Hope it helps!

      Reply
  2. Farah

    October 09, 2019 at 1:55 am

    Such a great informative guide! Thanks for all the helpful information can't wait to put it to good use!

    Reply
  3. Gunjan

    October 06, 2019 at 6:10 pm

    Beautiful and tempting cupcakes. They well decorated and nicely clicked. It’s absolutely worth drooling

    Reply
  4. Mikayla

    October 06, 2019 at 3:05 am

    This has so much helpful information! I'm about to bake a TON of cupcakes for my sons first birthday so I pinned this for later so I can reread it. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Geoffrey at Spoonabilities

    October 05, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    I love all your 101 class tips. They are very helpful even for experienced cupcake bakers. Love all your different photos too. Best thing about cupcakes is you can have more than one, and each is a different flavor!

    Reply
  6. Laura

    October 05, 2019 at 9:48 am

    So many great tips! I'm going to pull this page up before I bake my next batch!

    Reply
  7. Danielle

    October 05, 2019 at 7:43 am

    I am so happy I've stumbled upon your post! Those cuppcake baking tips are so useful! Can't wait to recreate a cupcake like yours - it is so cute!

    Reply
  8. Stine Mari

    October 05, 2019 at 1:16 am

    I love this post. Super helpful and easy to read. I always swear by using a kitchen scale!

    Reply
  9. Anne Lawton

    October 04, 2019 at 6:14 pm

    I haven't made cupcakes in a long time! After reading this post, I want to make some cupcakes! Thanks for all of the tips you share in this post

    Reply
  10. Erika

    October 03, 2019 at 11:02 am

    What a great post about cupcakes and so many great tips. The chocolate cupcake topped with all that chocolate frosting is calling my name!

    Reply
  11. Jenni LeBaron

    October 02, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    These are such great tips, especially the first. It's so important to start with room temperature ingredients when baking!

    Reply
  12. Candice

    October 02, 2019 at 12:03 pm

    Exactly what I needed to read today as I get into cupcake season. So many helpful tips... and especially the one about letting them cool COMPLETELY on the drying rack. Will be tough to wait, but can't wait to try this!

    Reply
  13. Jacqui Debono

    October 02, 2019 at 9:00 am

    So many good tips here - I think I am guilty of a few of these! Gorgeous photos too!

    Reply
  14. Debbie

    October 01, 2019 at 11:57 pm

    So Many great cupcake tips in one place. One thing I always do is bake one pan at a time ..I agree it bakes so much better and evenly. Also..room temperature ..so good you touched on this. I think this needs to be shared with all young cooks , your tips are good for all baking.

    Reply
  15. Laura | Wandercooks

    October 01, 2019 at 11:29 pm

    Love this so much! I'm just starting to experiment with using pumpkin in sweet dishes so this cupcake recipe is just what I didn't realise I was looking for! Such a helpful guide, and I appreciated the reminder to be precise when it comes to baking tee hee. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Erica Schwarz

    October 01, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    Well this is quite the cupcake post, and now i really want a cupcake! only problem is which kind to make first.

    Reply
  17. Jere Cassidy

    October 01, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    Those cupcakes are all perfect. I will take one of those pumpkin cupcakes. You are so right room temperature is so important.

    Reply

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About Neha

I'm Neha, baker, recipe developer, photographer and writer at Greedyeats.com I aim to create kitchen tested and quality recipes, accompanied by helpful process clicks and lots of tips & tricks along the way. I truly hope my recipes give you confidence to bake and cook from scratch! Read More…

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