As of three years ago, I had never made non-box mix cupcakes. Sure, box mix cupcakes are okay. Like when you talk about them, you think “Ehhhhh.” And they’re definitely edible. But when have you ever thought, “Wow! That box mix cupcake was amazing!” Probably never.
The ingredient list on the back of a box mix includes niacin, thiamin mononitrate, and riboflavin. Do you know what that stuff is? Because I don’t.
What I’m trying to say is there’s a HUGE difference between box mix cupcakes and cupcakes where you take the time to measure out the ingredients yourself.
I understand that sometimes it can be intimidating trying to bake the perfect cupcake because you’re not sure if they’ll turn out and you don’t want to spend a bunch of time on something that turns out to be a gooey mess.
So I have compiled my check list for assuring your homemade cupcakes turn out perfect every single time! Trust me, you’ll never buy a box mix again!
- Measure
ingredients correctly
- I can’t
express enough how important it is to properly measure your ingredients! Baking
is an exact science. An extra half-cup of flour in the batter can mean the
difference between light and fluffy cupcakes and hard rocks. The best way to do
this is to measure your ingredients by weight. One of my favorite baking tools
ever is the EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale. I use it to measure everything. I try
to add weight (in grams) to each ingredient listed in my recipes, but when I
encounter a recipe where the weight isn’t listed, I used this ingredient weight chart to check.
ingredients to room temperature
- I know from
experience that when you’re ready to start baking you want to start
immediately, but about an hour before you start take your cold ingredients out
of the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature. This includes your
eggs, milk, butter, etc. Cold ingredients don’t mix as well with ingredients
that are already at room temperature like the flour, baking soda, and baking
powder.
overmix the batter
- You should
only mix your cupcake batter until “just combined.” That means you should stop
mixing as soon as you can no longer see the ingredient or ingredients you just
added to the batter. The scientific reasoning behind this is when you overmix
the batter, the gluten in the flour forms “elastic gluten strands” that make
the product more dense and chewier. Basically, you squash out all the air
bubbles and everything that makes a cupcake light and fluffy.
measure out the batter
- Make sure
there’s an equal amount of batter in each cupcake liner. This ensures evenly
baked cupcakes. I use a cookie scoop to portion out my batter.
overfill liners
- Fill your
cupcake liners 1/2 to 2/3 full. If you overfill the liners, the batter will
spill out of the top of the liner resulting in slightly deformed cupcakes.
Also, the cupcakes won’t bake evenly, the bake really quick on top, but the
center will remain gooey.
when they’re in the oven
- I know this
is easier said than don, but DO NO open the oven door and peek at the cupcakes
while they’re baking. Opening the door releases heat and it messes with the
baking time of the cupcakes.
cupcakes from pan
- Once you
take the cupcakes out of the over, do not wait long (like maybe a minute or two
at most) to remove the cupcakes from their cavities and place them on a cooling
rack. If you leave the cupcakes in the hot pan they will continue to bake and
your cupcakes will dry out.
Following these cupcake-baking rules will ensure consistency every time you bake a batch of cupcakes. Trust me, you’ll never want to use a box mix again!
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Makes about a dozen cupcakes
Ingredients
For the vanilla cupcakes
- 1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (208
grams) - 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (201 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1
stick) - 2 egg whites (you can use 1 egg instead,
but the batter will be a more yellow) - 1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt (60 grams) (you can use plain yogurt, regular
yogurt or sour cream instead) - 3/4 cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla buttercream frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted or salted butter, room
temperature - 3 – 4 cups powdered sugar (378 to 504 grams)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
For the cupcakes
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt
butter in the microwave. Set aside. - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
Set aside. - In a medium bowl, mix together flour,
baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. - Add sugar to the bowl of melted butter
and whisk together – mixture will be gritty. - Add egg whites, yogurt, milk, and
vanilla extract to bowl and whisk until combined. - Slowly add dry ingredients to bowl of
wet ingredients, and whisk until no lumps remain. The batter will be
thick. - Add batter to cupcake liners and bake
for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean.
For the frosting
- Beat softened butter on medium speed for
about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. - Add powdered sugar to bowl and beat on
medium speed until smooth. - Add heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract,
and salt to bowl and increase mixer to high speed and beat for 3 full
minutes. - Add more powdered sugar if frosting is
too thin or more heavy whipping cream if frosting is too thick. - Frost cooled cupcakes.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container
at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Cupcake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
