CAPTIVATING CUPCAKES
Everything you need to know to make gorgeous cupcakes FROM Erin McDowell November 2, 2015 SIGN UP FOR Our free email newsletters ENTER EMAIL 10 things you need to know today Today's best articles Today's top cartoons The good news newsletter The week's best photojournalism Daily business briefing
Cupcakes may not be at the height of dessert trendiness anymore (read: now you have to wait in long lines for other treats), but they will always be beloved. They're nostalgic, miniature, and can be made to suit any tastes and styles. It's best to just accept it: They're adorable, and that makes them nearly irresistible. But unlike puff pastry, pâte à choux, or pie dough, I rarely get questions about how to nail a perfect cupcake recipe, step by step. Instead, I get flooded with questions about how to make cupcakes look a certain way. (Bobbi Lin and James Ransom/Courtesy FOOD52.com) This is not to say that there aren't some guidelines for mixing, scooping, and baking a perfect cupcake (read on!), but there are even more tips for how to make these tiny cakes extra special — and that's what I'll tackle today. Here's what you need to know: (Bobbi Lin and James Ransom/Courtesy FOOD52.com) 1. Preparing your pan. I love those adorable cupcake wrappers, too — you know, the ones they make now in every possible shape, color, pattern, and so on? Yup — cute as can be. If you want that wrapper to stay adorable, don't grease your pan. The batter is already fatty and may leech a little grease into the absorbent paper wrappers, so if you grease the pan, you're just starting that absorption from the get go. If anything, grease just the top of the cupcake pan before you place the liners in — this prevents any sticking from the cupcake surface after it's risen over the edge of the liner. If you're really worried about the liner, you can try to use two — though this only works if you're able to keep them together (meaning that you put both liners in the pan together, rather than putting one liner in the pan, then separating another liner and putting it on top).
I also really enjoy the thicker, higher quality free-standing cupcake forms, which rarely absorb grease or moisture (and you don't need a cupcake pan at all). If you're a liner-hater (or just don't have any), you can also grease and flour a cupcake pan like you would a larger cake pan, and the cupcakes will come out after baking, no problem. (Bobbi Lin and James Ransom/Courtesy FOOD52.com) 2. Ingredients. You can make cupcakes out of nearly any cake recipe, which means that there are an infinite amount of ingredients we could talk about here. Instead, it's better to think about the result that you want. Do you want a dense, moist cake or a light, fluffy one? Turn to your favorite tried-and-true cake recipes for inspiration. It may take a little finagling to figure out how many cupcakes a cake recipe will yield and how long you'll need to bake them, but you'll be rewarded with miniature versions of your favorite cake flavors (and isn't that what cupcakes are really all about)? There are a lot of great cupcake recipes out there too — and for the purposes of this article, I've provided a basic vanilla cupcake and a basic chocolate cupcake recipe, which are great jumping off points! The only other ingredient caveat is to remember to scale your recipes carefully — especially when you're working with recipes that only make 12 cupcakes. It's not that many ingredients and the volume is low, so it's important to make sure you aren't over or short. Proper scaling is always important in baking, but it can make a big difference in recipes where amounts are small to begin with.
Subscribe to our FREE newsletter Your e-mail address Subscribe Chevler creates British themed cupcakes to celebrate Royal Wedding By Jenny Eagle 16-Feb-2018 - Last updated on 16-Feb-2018 at 09:53 GMT 1 The Britannia Collection. Pic: Chevler The Britannia Collection. Pic: Chevler Chevler, which manufactures baking cases and muffin wraps, has launched a range of products to bake British themed muffins in anticipation of the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Britannia Collection is a specially-designed range of baking cases based on a red, white and blue theme with some incorporating the Union Flag. “Royal wedding fever is beginning to build and the eyes of the world will be on St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19,” said Mike Wescomb, sales and marketing director, Chevler. “The British public will want to be seen doing all they can to be involved in the celebrations and we are helping cupcake and muffin bakers present tasty treats in a fun and appealing way.” The cases are available in 51mm x 38mm size in quantities as low as 360 giving every size of business the opportunity to participate in the excitement. “All Chevler printing and converting is carried out in-house. We do not rely on stock shipped from abroad or depend on outside printers and converters. And we only use water-based, odorless food safe inks. This means that the Britannia Collection is a truly British manufactured product,” added Wescomb. CELEBRATE THE ROYAL WEDDING WITH CHEVLER (2) Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2018 - William Reed Business Media Ltd - All Rights Reserved - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions RELATED TOPICS: Processing & Packaging, Cakes & Pastries, Packaging & Packing Materials, Containers