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Cupcake Research- Tips for bakers!

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 Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

Everything you need to know when it comes to baking cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake the perfect cupcakes.

Over the last several years I’ve baked a LOT of cupcakes and I am not ashamed of going through the checkout line with 30 boxes of cake mix. You will find quite a few cake mix recipes or “doctored” cake mix recipes on my blog because I think that everyone deserves to be a successful baker and that is the first step. If you’re looking for something more homemade, definitely try my homemade moist vanilla cake recipe.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

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In this post I explore the difference between different types of cupcake pans including dark nonstick versus light nonstick, mini versus regular versus jumbo cupcake pans and the tools to achieve the best results. If you’re looking for the perfect frosting, don’t worry, I got you covered there to. Are you looking for decorating tips? I’ve got some of those as well.

What’s the difference between ⅔ full and ¾ full? What does ⅔ full even mean? Let’s talk about it. These are my personal preference and opinions that I’ve learned from all the baking I do, but please keep in mind that everyone’s tools and equipment will vary, especially ovens. I know that my oven is about 15 degrees off, so I use an oven thermometer and offset my oven temperature accordingly.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

The more and more baking I do, I learn that size, baking time and measuring batter is especially important. First lets talk about pans. In this post, I refer to two types of pans. I use a Wilton dark non-stick pan and an Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick-12-Cup aluminum pan. Both are non-stick but the surfaces vary.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

If you enjoy baking as much as I do, I am sure you have a variety on pans in your house. Cookie sheets and cupcake pans are similar in that a dark non-stick pans are great because they are easy to clean, but it doesn’t always enhance the food.

Dark non-stick pans will produce a crispy surface on any area it cooks against. Whether it is the bottom of a cookie or cupcake and even the edges of your cupcake, they will bake up darker and slightly crispier than an aluminum pan. Through my different trials, I did find that the dark non-stick pans will generally result in a better rise when it comes to the cupcakes.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

My normal go-to cupcake pan is my Wilton Recipe-Right nonstick pan. Even though the cupcakes do not rise as high, it prevents the cupcakes from getting too dark around the edges or the bottom. As long as the batter is well mixed and evenly measured, it tends to produce very consistent results.

So let’s start with your standard size cupcake pan. For this test, I use a large cookie scoop, which is 3 tablespoons worth of batter. This will fill your liners 2/3 full, and this results in the highest yield of cupcakes, about 22-24 cupcakes based on your standard 15.4oz cake mix. In my oven, these bake 14-16 minutes depending on the recipe.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

If you looking for slightly larger cupcakes, then you will want to fill them ¾ full, which equates to ¼ cup of batter. I love the way these cupcakes look because they rise over top of the liner and they are nice and full. However, because you’re using so much more batter in each cupcake, this produces a lower yield, around 16-18 cupcakes. Since there is more batter in these cupcakes, you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly. In my oven this is 15-18 minutes depending on the recipe.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

I also conducted tests using the same pans but eliminating the cupcake liners. I am a fan of using the liners, because I think it helps insulate the batter a bit more, which means the cupcake bake more evenly. It also prevents to edges from getting too dark.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

If I am baking in bulk, I usually buy bulk white liners. However, when I am looking for fun and colorful cupcake liners, I buy them from Sweets and Treats. Their greaseproof cupcake liners stay bright and colorful, even after baking because they are GREASEPROOF. That is the secret my friends. If you don’t believe me, you can check out my cupcake section to see if yourself. I think these liners work best if they are filled 2/3 full.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

If you are going to be baking without the liners, I insist that you must spray your pan or generously grease with Crisco. Even though these are nonstick pans, I find that they release a whole lot easier with the use of some extra grease.

Next we can talk about mini cupcake pans. I love a good mini cupcake, but I always felt like the mini cupcakes you find in the bakeries are so much bigger than you get at home. Then FINALLY I found my dream mini cupcake pans from Caphalon. These are deeper than the traditional mini pans you’ll find in the store and the sides are more vertical, which means a skinner and taller cupcake.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

If you have a standard mini muffin pan, then it is best to use a mini cookie scoop, which is about 2 teaspoons. Since I use my Caphalon pan, then I use a medium scoop, which is 1.5 tablespoons. This is also the most common cookie scoop size.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

Finally there is jumbo cupcake pans. My dad used to make muffins in a jumbo pan; like seriously, he never made regular size muffins. However, I don’t think these are best for cupcakes, they are more like mini cakes!

For the jumbo cupcake pans, I conducted 2 tests using 1/3 cup of batter and ½ cup of batter. I found the best results were using ½ cup of batter. However, the baking time is significantly increased when you’re baking jumbo. When I was baking the jumbo cupcake without a liner, I found that they were very misshaped.

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

I know this is a lot of information for to take in, but I also know that there are plenty of, “what does it mean to fill my cupcake liners 2/3 full?”. This is the most common instruction called out in most recipes. My hope is that this will help you guide you to becoming a successful baker. And remember, baking takes practice too!

Tip and Tricks for making perfect cupcakes. This is your go-to guide for how to bake cupcakes including pan sizes and how full to fill each liner.

There are more frequent questions I get asked including cupcake liners. Almost all of my cupcake liners from Shop Sweet Treats, which are GREASEPROOF liners. This means that the color won’t fade after you bake your cupcakes. Isn’t that the most frustrating thing when you buy those cute liners at the store and then they are ruined after you bake in them? Not these ones! I also like to buy white cupcake liners in bulk but I usually buy those at cake decorating stores. One thing I always buy online are cupcake boxes (just don’t forget to order the liners).

If you have any more question, please let me know by leaving me a comment below! Happy baking friends!

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If you love no-bake recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, No-Bake Treats!

 

You might also like:

How to Decorate the Perfect Cupcake

A vintage baking tray with 6 decorated cupcakes with teal frosting

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream

A small jar of piped vanilla buttercream with a full piping bag sitting next to it

The Best Chocolate Frosting

A gorgeous chocolate cupcake topped with a fluffy chocolate frosting

 

 

Leave a Comment

131 Responses
  1. Christine

    I made Lemon cupcakes today, and used the ‘rice’ method to keep the liners from folding in! It worked, but my cupcakes had folds on the tops of the cupcakes, and when I removed them from the pan, each one had a serious indentation on the bottom underside of the cupcakes! The rice was even and flat! What could have caused this to go wrong as this was a tip and trick I read to help protect the liners, and evenly baked cupcakes! I’m a tad frustrated because I now have to make and bake another batch!

  2. Julie Nguyen

    Hello! Thank you so much for all of the great information!!! I have a question regarding what size cupcake most home bakers bake and sell. The cupcake trays at the grocery stores are for standard cupcakes, but do bakeries bake jumbo sized cupcakes? I feel like I should be upgrading to jumbo cupcakes since I see the bakers on Instagram with such large/non-standard sized cupcakes! I got my tray and liners from the grocery store. Thank you so much in advance!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Julie- I don’t sell anything, so I am not familiar with what home bakers sell. Sometimes you can use a standard size pan and just fill it 3/4 instead of 2/3 and the cupcakes will be taller.

      1. Aurelia Burhama

        Do you use STANDARD liners or JUMBO liners when using the 1/4 cup BATTER filling?

        I notice when i over fill my liners, they dont dome like yours, they end up looking like mushrooms with the sides hanging outside the liner😫😫😫

      2. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
        Beyond Frosting

        Hi Aurelia, I use standard size, but this is also showing it with a cake mix. Some recipes are not meant to be made with 1/4 cup of batter

      3. Jenn

        Mine too!! I want a nice hearty cupcake, but not ones that flow over the sides they don’t flow over evenly it never looks neat 🙁

  3. Brittany Nobre

    Hi, thank you for sharing all the tips and tweaks you’ve learned along the way. I was wondering if you’d be able to help me figure out why the top of my cupcakes become hard. The rest of the cake is soft and fluffy but there seems to be a shell that forms on the top! I’m looking to have the soft and fluffy cupcake top that you get from a bakery. How do I get there?

    Thank you!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Brittany, unfortunately I can’t be of much help, because this seems unique to the recipe or perhaps your oven, have you tried baking your cupcakes on a different shelf? Does this happen with EVERY recipe you use or just one?

  4. Sharon

    Hi I really enjoyed your sharing on cup cakes. May I know why my sponge cup cakes sink in the center? They still taste yummy but sink when cool.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Sharon, it really could be a number of things. You might be over filling you liners, or pulling them too early from the oven, they may need another minute or two of baking. Your leveling agent might not be good anymore.

  5. Vanessa

    When using the jumbo cupcake pan , and using a liner, if I am using a 1/2 cup of batter, how long should I be baking them for? Thanks!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Sorry I can’t say for certain, it’s not a standard size I use. I always recommend starting with 15 minutes and then adding minutes as needed.

  6. Janet

    Hi you mention that the baking time for jumbo cupcakes is significantly increased but you don’t mention how long to bake them. Any general guidelines? Thank you!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Janet- At this point I can’t recall, it’s been awhile. What I usually do is set a time for 15 minutes, look at my cupcakes and then continue baking in 2-3 minute increments as needed and I watch them closely. Sometimes all you need is another 30-60 seconds towards the end.

  7. Erika Green

    These really are some amazing tips, very helpful and informative. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.

      1. RT

        Hello Julianne
        Trying to make the mini cupcakes in a dark nonstick pan without a liner. How do you prevent them from browning on the sides. Your look so white! Mine keep coming out crispy on the edges. Any suggestions?

        Thanks!

      2. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
        Beyond Frosting

        Hi there! Honestly any dark, nonstick pan will make the outsides of your cupcakes darker if you’re not using a liner.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Rica, do you mean the link to the cupcake liners isn’t working or they don’t have your color available? I have not found any other greaseproof liners that I like as much, meaning ones that hold their color. I usually buy bulk white liners from Amazon because I do a lot of recipe testing.

  8. Misty

    Hi! I was wondering if you have found a good tulip liner for the jumbo cupcakes? I have looked ALL OVER and the ones advertised as ‘jumbo’ are just taller but not wider. I am looking for ones to fill the Wilton jumbo tin (6 muffins/cupcakes to a tin). They’re 2 1/2″ at the base and 3 1/2″ at the top opening.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Misty, I have not used them personally but webstaurant store makes liners for bakeries and such, you might check them out.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      This pan is deeper and wider than standard mini cupcake pans. I had to double check the dimensions on Amazon, It’s 1.25″ H. The diameter at the base of the cup is 1.5 inches. These are the recommended liners on Amazon.

  9. Tiffani

    Hi,
    I have 2 questions:
    1. I baked cupcakes in both regular size and mini.. both from the same batter. The shape and taste were perfect, however, the mini cupcake liners pulled away from the cupcake on almost all of them, making the presentation look crummy. The regular size cupcake liners did not pull away at all. Any idea why that happened.
    2. I’ve been trying different cake mixes. Duncan Hines has the best flavor, but when they cool down, the top gets wrinkly looking. Any help on that?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Mary, it’s hard to say without seeing you pan, do a test batch with 2-3 cupcakes. Start at 5 minutes and then check out on every minute or two after that.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Jenny, it could be a number of things. You batter mix be over or under mixed but the most common reason would be that they aren’t actually baked all the way through in the middle, so they sink just a little bit. Sometimes and extra 30-60 seconds makes all the difference. If you use a large cookie scoop for your batter, you will have a more consistent bake time for all the cupcakes.

  10. Christina K.

    When my father was a kid, he remembers going to a German bakery that had cupcakes that looked like muffins. They had the large crown and were “jumbo” in size. I’ve been playing around with the cake recipes to get the cake portion right for him to taste, but now that I have the recipe right I can’t get the crown top — or even get it to rise right. I attempted the large tin, with six to a pan using the 400/350 approach to get the dome, but instead they sunk in the middle and had no crown to speak of. Before I invest $50 in a special restaurant large crown muffin tin – are there any tips, tricks, or hints that I can try I’m ready to keep trying.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Sounds like you may need to fill you pan a little bit more? And probably more baking powder. You might also be taking them out a minute or two early if they are sinking in the middle, it sounds like it’s not quite cooked enough

      1. Christina K

        The pans were definitely full! I’ll try adjusting the bake temp/time and a bit more baking powder.

      2. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
        Beyond Frosting

        Let us know how it goes! Maybe try reducing the batter then a little bit in each one, even 1 tablespoon less and see if that helps. When I am testing something like this, I bake 2-3 at a time and play around with the temp and baking time until I find what works. Sounds like you’ve done a lot of that already!

  11. Mel

    When making 24 cupcakes, does it matter how many pans you use to break that # up? And when you do use multiple pans, do you bake them all at once?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Personally I never back more than 2 trays at a time, and I only use the middle rack of my oven. I never put another tray above or below, this way the cupcakes are baking evenly

  12. Tonya Potter

    What cupcake liners do you use with the mini cupcake pan you like? I’m looking to make the size of mini cupcakes you find in the bakeries.

  13. K

    These are great tips! Looking at your pictures, I notice that your cupcakes aren’t browned at all on top. How do you achieve that? When I bake white or yellow cupcakes they are always so golden brown on top even though I don’t overcook or anything. Yours are such a nice uniform color! Is there a secret to this? ?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi there, have you tried repositioning the rack in your oven? Maybe it’s too close to the top of the oven?

  14. Rebecca

    I recently nakedness cupcakes and they became “soggy” in the bottom of the liner just after about 3 days. I used a boxed cake mix that required oil. Could this have been the reason?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Becca, I don’t think that would have been the issue as most box recipes do call for oil. Although I am not sure what would have caused that to happen.

  15. Kim

    Your white cupcakes look AWSOME i have tried 3 or 4 different recipes for them and none of them have come out worth eating. What am i doin wrong ??? I am using the same pan you have Is there any help i can get from you ? Thx

  16. Janet

    Both the cupcake pans you use look dark to me. I like Nordicware natural aluminum cupcake pans. They are very light, very sturdy, and since I use liners I don’t worry about them not being non-stick. They are also seamless, which is terrific. I am excited about the greaseproof liners – I hate when the cute liners are messed up!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Thanks for your comments Janet! I am definitely interested in the Nordic natural aluminum pans, I’ll have to check them out. I’ve heard great things about the seamless bakeware.

  17. Juile

    Used many of these tips, but wanted to order the boxes and they were going to be outrageous to ship! Bummer.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Oh no Julie! You might try Amazon or if you just need a couple, sometimes I run into a Michaels store as well.

  18. Claudia

    hello I wanted to ask if u have baked ur cupcakes in the bakeincups cups? If so what r ur measurements for the amount of batter to add so it rises?

  19. Tammy King

    I have a problem when baking cupcakes where the paper liners are always greasy and I have heard you can put some dry rice in the bottom of your cupcake pan before putting the liners in and that helps. Does it or do you have a better solution? I have the foil lined ones too but would like to buy the paper ones and use them. Thanks for you time.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Tammy, I’ve never heard of the rice trick! Definitely wiping the cupcake pan down with dry paper towels can help just because you may have leftover grease from a previous batch. The baking liners I use are grease free liners, and they are quite a bit thicker than the liners you might find in the store. I also don’t like the foil liners myself. You might also try getting a higher quality baking liner online as opposed to the ones you find in the store.

  20. Erica

    I use a doctored boxed cake mix for everything but being at high altitude it doesn’t say to make any changes but I am NOT getting the nice dome on my Cupcakes!!! They use to when I lived in Ohio but not since moving back to Colorado. They start to then “spill over” the sides and I have to cut them once they are frozen! Any suggestions?!?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Erica, I don’t have a lot of experience with high altitude baking myself, but I know when my mother lived in Colorado she said her banana bread was never the same. Are you reducing your oven temperature? I have heard that if you reduce by 25 degrees and bake for a longer period of time, that can help.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Nicole. The same rules apply for any cupcake weather you use a prepared mix or a recipe from scratch. Happy baking!

  21. cathy

    Thanks so much for all your helpful information. I’m gonna take a lot of notes! Have you ever tried a 24 cupcake pan? Chicago Metallic makes it and it is very well worth the investment. Just make sure that it will fit in your oven. Thanks again!

  22. Meg

    Hi! Sometimes my cupcake liners come apart from the cupcake when cooled, why does this happen and how do we prevent it?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hey Meg! Thanks for stoping by! Okay so most of the time I think it’s because the cupcake has too much moisture. Unfortunately most cupcake liners are not of great quality. Some are meant to be stored in a more traditional bakers box as opposed to an airtight container. The airtight container keeps the moisture levels high which causes the liners to separate from the cake. Most importantly you want to invest in some high quality cupcake liners.

  23. Nonnie

    Thanks for testing the amount of batter for different pans/sizes. Do you ever add fillings such as chocolate chips or blueberries prior to baking?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Noonie, yes I do! I usually coat them with flour first so they don’t sink. This will increase the yield of the batter, so it might be a little more full

  24. Carolyn

    Hi there. I was wondering if you have had any problems with cupcake liners separating from the cupcake once the cupcakes are baked. I have had particular problems with vanilla cupcakes. Someone told me to flour the liners before baking. Do you have any other solutions?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Carolyn, I haven’t heard of flouring the liners, that’s very interesting! I might have to try it. In my experience when the liners separate from the cupcake it could be because the cake is too moist. Other times I’ve seen them separate in airtight containers once stored overnight. I think this happens again because of the moisture. Some suppliers of cupcake liners suggest to store them in bakery boxes which are night air tight to prevent them from separating. Are you always using the same brand of liners? Have you tried the recipe using different cupcake liners?

  25. Tanya

    This is awesome! Baking, I think, is one of the most difficult things to do in the kitchen. These tips are great. What do you think about the silicone baking cups? Yes? No?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Tanya, personally I am not a fan because they are difficult to clean and I serve my cupcakes to other people so it doesn’t make sense to use the silicone baking cups.

  26. Dola

    So I was actually about to go out and get new cupcake pans because I thought mine’s was too small not realizing I just wasn’t putting enough batter. Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to explain this. I really appreciate it!

  27. Shannon

    Thank you for all this info. Would have loved to have seen an experiment in the difference between paper liners and aluminium. Any thoughts on that?

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Shari, I still bake them at 350 degrees. The baking time depending on your pan. Sometime it can be as little as 6 minutes. I also do a time test with 4 cupcakes first before I bake a whole batch.

  28. stefanie

    Thanks for walking us through how you experimented. I’m hoping to start competing in the State Fair and will definately start thinking about all these different factors! Very interesting.

  29. ColleenB.~Texas

    You are such a sweet heart for doing all the research on cupcake baking for us. Was most helpful in sooooo many ways. Learned something new, so Thank You
    Now, if at all possible could you / would you add a ‘print’ button so that a person could print out your step by step research tips Please?

  30. Norma Vasquez

    That was a good read. The science to making even size cupcakes is measuring the same quantity of batter in each cup, NOW I know! Thank you so much for the article.

  31. Frances Pulley

    Now I know why I over bake my cupcakes! It’s the dark pans! I found your tips so helpful and I wrote it all down on a recipe card. Thanks a million. From: Fran.

  32. Cathy Haase

    Why do my cupcake line separate from the cupcake? After maybe 30 minutes or so they start doing it. Help please

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Cathy, usually this happens if the cupcake has too much moisture. Is the recipe from scratch? I also might try a different brand of liners.

  33. Jovi

    Ah! I just love love love love love love LOVE your blog! I’m a beginning baker – right now I’m barely 16 and still using cake box mixtures *blechh* as training wheels until I have enough time and resources, and kitchen space, to make my own recipes. I love your helpful tips and advice, but do you have anything specific you can teach me about baking yummy cupcakes and such? Maybe some advice you would have given yourself when you first started. I really want to become a pastry chef someday, maybe own my own cake shop, and you are one of the online baker blogs I truly trust. Everything you have said so far as helped me soooo much!

    Okay, sorry for the long speech! Have a nice cupcake-filled day!

  34. Shannon - Sweets & Treats

    SO glad i came across this. Looking into info for using our BakeBright liners and new tests that need to be done since they hold more batter because the liners are taller and they also need to bake longer. Underbaking can lead to peeling away on any cupcakes but especially on this, premium quality liners. There are so many factors!!!! Great post!

  35. Heather

    Just a question about filling cupcake liners with batter, would the same filling measurements be the same if using mudcake batter as this batter doesn’t rise as much as a standard vanilla sponge cupcake recipe?
    Don’t wat to overfill or infill? Can u recommend a measurement filling guide plz.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Heather, I’m sorry I am not familiar with that cake batter you are referencing. I will say that if I have a cake that doesn’t rise much, I fill the liner with more batter and the baking times need to be adjusted.

  36. Temmy

    Thanks for the insight, its really helpful
    Pls I need a standard recipe for a cupcake, I bake for commercial purpose. Thanks

  37. lily

    what size cupcake pan did you use for the jumbo cupcake? 4″ top diameter? any suggestions for pans?
    I’m always wondering what size the professional bakeries use since my homemade cupcakes are standard sized and smaller. thanks.

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Lily, the jumbo muffin pan is your standard size. 2 x 9 x 13 inches. I do find that I can use a regular size muffin pan, and get deeper dish cupcake liner, that will allow you to put more batter in your cupcake and thus you will be able to get a bigger cupcake. Try a 1.75″ deep liner. Traditional liner are only 1.25″ deep

  38. Sheila Damodaran

    Really enjoyed this page. Thank you.

    For one to get twenty-four cupcakes from 6 cups of batter, which sizes of the liners do you use? Standarad or jumbo?

  39. Sharon

    Unless I skipped a sentence, why do you think cupcakes all come out different even if u measure batter, use the same pans & they’re in the oven the same amount of time? I too am starting a business and don’t know what to do. Thanks for the info.

    Sharon

  40. Elise

    Please share your thoughts on baking vs. convection baking. My new oven has both settings and recommends baking cakes with the regular oven setting. I thought all professional bakeries used convection ovens?

    I have read on other blogs to make taller cupcakes bake at 425 for 10 minutes then lower the temp. to 350 for 8 minutes. This did not work for me! Thank you for sharing your experiences!

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Elisa, I don’t use a convection oven, so unfortunately I don’t have a lot of answers for you! When I bake muffins I bake them for 5 minutes at 425 degrees and then lower the temperature. However, the muffins have 4 tsp of baking powder in them which helps them rise nice and tall. Most cupcake recipes do not have nearly that amount of baking powder in them, which is why they won’t rise as high.

  41. Elise

    Thank you for sharing your experiments! I have tried this myself because I have been reading about making cupcakes and muffins rise by starting the baking temp. at 425 for 10 min. then lowering to 350 for 10. I did not have much success and wanted to know how places like GiGi’s cupcakes were able to make tall cupcakes!

    What are your thoughts on baking and convection baking. My new oven has both and the manual does not recommend convection for baking cakes??? I thought all professional bakeries used convection!

    I just joined you blog today so maybe you have covered these topics previously:)

    Thanks for sharing!
    Elise

    1. BakerMom

      I use the USA pans and they are fantastic! I don’t submerge them in water though to keep rust away. But they clean up so easily! Love them!

  42. Debbie

    I am an avid baker and I came across a cupcake baking comparison one time, where they lowered the baking temperature to 325. They found that the cupcakes rose higher and filled out the liner more evenly. I just had to experiment with this myself! I have to say….. I was sold!! Now…. no matter what the temperature calls for on a cupcake recipe…. I always bake them at 325 and I am never disappointed! 🙂

  43. Angie

    Thanks for posing this 😉 it was very helpful. Ive had a client request my cupcakes be bigger for their likes.. and I want to try a jumbo muffin pan. although I am curious as to where you found the jumbo baking liners?

    THANKS!
    Angie

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Angie! I actually got them at Walmart, but Wilton makes them so you should be able to find them at a craft store like Jo Anne Fabrics or Michaels!

      1. Sherrie

        Von’s/Safeway also carries the jumbo cupcake pan liners. Wanted to try the jumbo cupcakes for a friend’s birthday but was unsure of the baking time. Thank you for the help and great article.

  44. Beth

    I’m about to make some cupcakes with liners in a dark, non-stick cupcake pan. (standard size) Because I’m using liners, will they turn out as dark as if I wasn’t using the liners? I made muffins the other day and they were dark like the cupcakes you have pictured. I hope they don’t come out as dark because I’m using liners – these cupcakes are for my baby’s 1st birthday. 🙂

    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Beth- sorry for the delay I am traveling! Your cupcakes should be fine with the liner but the bottoms might get a little darker than they would in a non-stick pan. Happy birthday to your daughter!

  45. Delores Lewis

    These look delicious! After months of constructing my own baking within my home, I finally decided to take the plunge and open up my own bakery. I found a quaint space to give it more of a down home feeling. The space isn’t fully furnished yet, I’m still in the process of ordering my oven, counters, tables, and a few bakery display cases. I was very inspired by food bloggers such as yourself which always give me wonderful tips and recipes that I can incorporate into my own food. Of course I have to add my flair as well! Thanks!

  46. Valerie

    I just said to my husband last night that I wish I had more time to experiment with my baking. I am in the beginning stages of starting a baking business while working full time, running a household and taking care of our new baby. This was very helpful. And I agree Wilton has the best supplies. Thanks doing the experiments for me!!

  47. Anonymous

    super useful post! was wondering if my wilton dark non-stick cupcake pans were not a good thing. your post shows they are very good pans. thank you for testing and writing about it.

    1. beyondfrosting

      Hi there! I think it totally depends on how you want to cook. I prefer to bake with my dark non-stick pans because I think it helps my cupcakes rise taller. But when I am baking without liners, I prefer a lighter pan. I am a fan of the Wilton products!

  48. partygurlTahirah

    Thankz…I found This Very Helpful.I Have To Make 120 Cupcakes For My Moms Remarriage In September (jumbo Size) Any Advise On Freezing Them If I Wanted To Make Them In Advance?

    1. beyondfrosting

      Hi Tahirah, Thanks for stopping by. When I used to work at the bakery, we would put the cakes in a bakery box and wrap them twice with heavy duty saran wrap. However, my best advice would be to try it with a test batch and see how it effect the cupcake after freezing. Make sure your cupcake are completely cooled before freezing. Good luck with the wedding!

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