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