 | Lori Horton is the owner of Celebrations by Lori in Pittsburg, Ks. With over 15 years experience in the bakery business, Lori opened Celebrations in 2000. She is always out front with the most unique ideas in cake and cookie decorating for all occasions. Celebrations is also on top of the industries' latest trends and products with the area's largest selection of baking and cake decorating supplies. Open Monday - Saturday, Celebrations can be reached at 620-231-5700 or at www.celebrationsbylori.com |
Candy, Chocolate & Sweets
2012-04-20 15:25:33
How to avoid flat cupcakes
Q: I love to bake cupcakes, but have noticed that they sometimes bake out a bit flat on top. I can usually hide this with some icing, but would love to be able to bake those lovely, rounded cupcakes I see at the bakery.
A: Don’t feel like a failure, this is a very common complaint. The solution is generally very simple, but there are a few different possibilities and fixes! First, make sure not to over or under mix the batter. Lots of people tend to hurry up the process and don’t mix long enough or mix at too high a speed and incorporate too much air into the process. If your recipe says 1 minute on low speed and then 2 more minutes on medium speed, then set a timer and follow those directions. You wouldn’t change the measurements of ingredients, but mixing times and speeds are just as important. Use a timer to ensure precision, it’s too easy to get distracted and lose track. Next be sure to bake with good quality pans and use paper liners for easy clean up and handling. There are lots of cute printed papers available or solid colors to match any occasion, so have fun and match them up to your decoration! Lastly, try lowering your oven temperature to 325 and bake the cupcakes a few minutes longer. This will allow the batter to rise slower and generally give you that pretty little rounded top you are looking for. Use a little less batter in each cup about ½ to 2/3 full. Of course this will vary a bit depending on the recipe or flavor since different flavors rise to different levels. As with any cakes, try not to open your oven door during the baking process or jiggle the pan as this can cause the cupcakes to fall in the center. Cupcake baking does take a little experimentation to perfect your recipe and techniques, but what a great project to take on! Have fun and Merry Cupcaking!
