wilton cupcake

Only 4.5 Steps Separate You from Cupcake Perfection
By Sharilyn Starling

One of the questions that is asked frequently on baking and decorating discussion forums is, "Can a home kitchen deliver bakery quality cupcakes?" People want to know if there is a way to achieve cupcake utopia without industrial ovens and $200 pans.

The answer is a resounding, "YES".

In this article, I'll share with you the baking secrets that professional bakers don't want you to know. They are so simple, they may almost seem like common sense, and that's the beauty of these methods. Anyone can make perfect cupcakes with almost no investment.

While these techniques may seem obvious, I have to admit that it took dozens of batches of trial and error to settle on these particular steps.

And while it is great to be able to write an article sharing these secrets with you, the biggest bonus I received from all of this is that now, I can make flawless cupcakes every time.

What Are the Secrets?

1. Use a shiny pan. Do not use dark pans that have non-stick coating.
2. Use cupcake liners. These offer easy removal and cleanup as well as keep the cupcake fresh longer.
3. Use a standard trigger ice cream scoop. This should fill your liners up two-thirds and three-quarters full. This will get the consistency in size everyone strives for.
4. Cook the cupcakes on the middle rack of your oven taking care not to over-bake them. Use the standard toothpick trick where you put a toothpick in the center of the cupcake. If it is done, no cake will be on the toothpick when you pull it out.
5. Really the 4.5 as this isn't really a step, it's more of another helpful hint. If you're sending the little one off to school or a loved one off to work, you can "lunch-box" proof your cupcakes. Tort (just a fancy word for slice in half) the cupcake to make a mini layer cake. Ice in between the layers then put the cupcake back together. Wrap in plastic, and viola, "lunch-box" proof cupcakes.

Like I said, nothing earth shattering, but following the above steps will allow you to make bakery quality cupcakes every time. My hope is that you will be able to enjoy great cupcakes without any of the frustration I went through trying to figure out how the bakeries do what they do.

Happy Baking.