The Must Have Tip For Perfectly Domed Cupcakes
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Perfect cupcakes are not just about the recipe but also the technique! So here is a quick tip for you on how to get more of a domed cupcake look!
I love making cupcakes. Eating them. Then again who doesn’t?
I have a lot of tips up my sleeve for baking the perfect cupcake..but my #1 tip to perfectly domed cupcakes like you see at the bakery?
My Must Have Cupcake Tip: Bake at an initial high heat.
If your cupcakes are coming out flat, instead of domed, there could be MANY reasons why from overmixing, to overcreaming the butter and sugar, or leavening agents that aren’t fresh and giving you a good rise. One thing you can try is to bake for the first five minutes at a higher temperature then lower back down to the temperature called for in the recipe.
Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 400 F for the first five minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350F for the remainder of the baking time.
That first initial blast of heat will cause the tops of the cupcakes to puff up. By lowering the temperature you can then bake the cupcakes fully without burning them or having the batter explode out of the top of the pans.
And that’s it! That’s how I always ensure my cupcakes come out perfectly domed…
Check out my 15 Cupcakes Tips Post For more! 15 Tips For Perfect Cupcakes
Please note: Below is my easy vanilla cupcake recipe and I bake these cupcakes at 350oF the whole time – and they still come out perfectly! But if you’re having issues try the tip above!
More Cupcake 101 Posts To Check Out…
Easy Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 ยฝ cup (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter melted, slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 egg white room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ cup (120 mL) whole milk room temperature
For the buttercream
- 1 ยผ cups (283 g, 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 2 ยฝ cups (283 g) confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- pinch salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Prep oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until evenly combined. Set aside. 1 ยฝ cup (180 g) all purpose flour 1 ยฝ teaspoons baking powder ยผ teaspoon salt
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and egg white until incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla. 8 tablespoons (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 egg white 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Alternate dry ingredients and milk. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredient mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. I do this in 3 additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Stir just until the last of the flour has been mixed in. Do not overmix. ยฝ cup (120 mL) whole milk
- Bake. Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer but the time will take longer to cream) cream the butter until light and fluffy about 1 to 2 minutes. 1 ยผ cups (283 g, 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- Add powdered sugar. Add the powdered (confectioners sugar) a half cup at a time with the mixer off. Mix on low speed until incorporated.ย 2 ยฝ cups (283 g) confectioners sugar
- Add remaining ingredients. Add in your heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract, and mix on medium to high speed for 7-8 minutes until light and creamy. Once cupcakes are cooled, fill the piping bag and pipe the frosting on top. If not using immediately, store in a container in the refrigerator until ready to use, mix again until light and fluffy. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pinch salt
Video
Notes
- Make Ahead: These cupcakes can be made ahead 2 days in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature.ย The frosting can also be made 7 days in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you have leftover cupcakes they also keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days.ย
- Freezing: You can also freeze these cupcakes, without filling, for up to 2-3 months. Then just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then fill and frost as normal!
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Baking Tips:
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly by scooping the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and then level off with a knife.
- Make sure your large eggs are room temperature. Place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them in your recipe
- Double check that your baking powder is still fresh. Because this recipe uses melted butter there is no creaming step to incorporate air, so you need to make sure the baking powder is fresh so your cupcakes rise properly. To check the freshness, add a teaspoon of baking powder to some hot water. If it bubbles, it’s still fresh. If it doesn’t throw it out.ย
- Use an oven thermometer to make sure that your oven is heated correctly.
Can you half this recipe?
Yes you can!
Could you add how to make these chocolate?
Hi Tina, you could use the same tip on my chocolate cupcake recipe! Enjoy!
Came here for the suggestion of recipe, rambling off topic about your trip killed my desire to even read.
Thank you Juleia, for the feedback. This was an older post that I have now gone back and updated.
I wish I could thumbs down their negativity. This is your blog I would love to read about your trip.
aw thank you for the support Emilia. that means a lot!
I’ve since removed that content but thank you! It was all about my trip to Galway that I did for an educational program. I travelled all over Ireland and it was fantastic!
What a horribly unhappy person Juleia must be that they felt compelled to leave such a nasty comment on someone else’s blog and in an attempt to tell another person what they can say in their own writing! Bless your heart. You have no right to do that.
You do you Heather and stay true to yourself. Don’t apologize and don’t ever let anyone ever tell you what you should or should not talk about on your own blog. It’s a blog and frankly I know how hard bloggers work on their recipes and their content. It’s so easy to just swipe past content a reader might not care about that there is no justifiable reason for someone to feel compelled to leave a comment and be blatantly rude all while hiding behind a keypad.
Thank you Mary for the kind words and the support – it truly does mean a lot!! Not everyone gets the hard work that goes into each and every single recipe and post so I truly appreciate it.