Step by step instructions on how to cook cupcakes

1. To begin, your oven should be preheated.

By preheating the oven before beginning to mix the batter, you allow it time to reach the appropriate degrees for the recipe. The read-outs of the temperature on the front panel are notoriously incorrect when it comes to baking. Using an oven thermometer is better if you want to outwit your oven.

2. Collect your ingredients.

Before you start to mix the batter, make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature. If your eggs are cold eggs are cold due to keeping them in the refrigerator, the combination will not combine as well as it should, and the batter may appear curdled. Neither will ice-cold butter. Get your ingredients ready ahead of time to warm up before you begin to avoid the major chill.

3. Prepare a cupcake pan by lining it with parchment paper.

Prepare your cupcake pan immediately so that it is ready to use when the batter is finished. Make the cupcakes easier to remove from the pan by using paper liners. Apply a little cooking spray or a thin layer of cooking oil to the pan for added nonstick protection. If your cupcakes rise over their liners, this will prevent the tops from adhering to the pan.

4. Combine the dry ingredients in a sifter and sift them together.

Sifting the dry ingredients removes lumps and allows the mixture to breathe. Because of how softly the cake batters are mixed, this is crucial, as a result, lumps aren’t whisked or hammered out.

5. Mix the butter and the sugar together.

In a large mixing basin, combine the room-temperature sugar and butter and beat or cream them together with an electric mixer until it becomes fluffy and light, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the corners of the bowl either once or twice to ensure you’ve gotten every last piece. As air is pounded into the butter, it should become considerably lighter in color and have a fluffy texture. You’ll need not more than 2 to 4 minutes for this process to be complete.

6. Crack one egg at a time into the mixture.

Breaking eggs into a different bowl before you add them one at a time to the butter is a smart idea To ensure that no eggshells end up in the batter, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. After each egg, thoroughly whisk the mixture.

7. Flavorings should be added at this point.

Liquid flavorings, such as vanilla essence, can be added after the eggs are beaten in. (At this stage, you can also add the lemon zest if you choose.)

8. Toss the butter, egg, and sugar mixture with the liquid and dry ingredients.

Gently fold in one-third of the flour mixture and half of the milk to the butter mixture. Add a little of the flour mixture, as well as the remaining milk and lemon juice, and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Add the remaining flour once that is blended. Scrape all the corners of the bowl and continue to whisk the batter until no more flour is visible. Over-mixing will result in dense cupcakes rather than light and fluffy ones.

9. Pour the batter into the muffin tins.

An ice cream scoop is the tool of choice for scooping cupcake batter. It evenly distributes the batter amongst the cups rapidly. As scoopers, you can use a spatula or a spoon.

10. Preheat oven to 350°F.

When the pan is completely full, immediately place them in a hot oven. The longer you leave the cake batter out, the less leavening power it has and the lower the rise of your cupcakes will be. Bake all of your cupcake trays at once if possible. About midway through the baking period, rotate the pans to ensure even heat distribution.

11. Make sure you have finished everything.

Close the oven for the majority of the baking time, but start checking for doneness 5 minutes before the recipe specifies. That would be when it is at 12 minutes. When you lightly touch the centers of the cupcakes with the tip of your finger, they should spring back. If this happens, check the cupcakes with a toothpick to see if they’re thoroughly baked. Using a toothpick, poke a hole in the middle of each cupcake and then pull it out after a little moment of holding it there. Keep on baking for a little more minutes longer if the toothpick comes out with any wet batter. They’re done if the toothpick comes out clean or if a few crumbs stick to the toothpick.

12. Let it cool down completely before frosting.

Place the baking pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, or when the cupcakes are cold enough to handle. The cupcakes should then be gently removed from the pan and placed directly on the cooling rack to completely cool off before icing and decorating.