Thinking of baking some cupcakes for a party or a family celebration? Make them better, more yummy and prettier by keeping these pro baking tips in mind:
Text: Woman’s Day, Bauer / Additional Reporting: Sean Tan
If you want your cupcakes with a rounded dome, bake them at a higher temperature. If you are after a flatter top, bake them at a slightly lower temperature; they’ll still cook all the way through.
A well-baked cake should have a spongy, tight grain so it feels velvety in the mouth. Same goes for cupcakes, you want to try and achieve a moist texture. For a good bake, make sure to follow the recipe as closely as possible and stick strictly to recommended baking time.
Regular buttercream icing is made with butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Sure, it’s delicious but it can be difficult to decorate with. Try using a decorator’s buttercream instead, made with 60 per cent vegetable shortening (cooking margarine) and 40 per cent butter (rather than 100 per cent butter). Shortening helps icing hold its shape better and longer.
Just a pinch of salt can be a great addition to sweet baked goods but add it to the icing, not the cake itself. The salt will help balance the sweetness of the icing and make for a well-rounded cupcake.
Presentation is everything when it comes to cupcakes. Depending on your theme, you want to think about choosing the right icing colours and cupcake liners. Or, just go crazy with an assortment of different colours and icing decoration – it always works!