Page 20 - Cupcakes

MIXING BOWLS: Just use what you have, whether they are stainless steel,

plastic, glass, or ceramic. Should you need to purchase mixing bowls, buy
stainless steel. And check prices, because discount stores and restaurant supply
stores are often less expensive. I love stainless steel bowls because they don’t
trap flavors the way plastic does, are lightweight when compared to glass, won’t
chip, can take hot and cold mixtures, and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. I
have an assortment of these bowls, from small to large, and they nest beautifully
together in a large kitchen drawer.

ELECTRIC MIXER: You’ll need an electric mixer to prepare cupcake batter
and frostings, but please, don’t overmix these recipes. The times suggested will
pull the ingredients together and incorporate air, without making the cake tough,
which can happen if you overbeat. I like a small seven-speed hand mixer for this
task. For most muffin recipes, simply use a wooden spoon.

SCOOPS: The ice cream scoop has changed my cupcake baking forever. I used
to measure out ⅓ cup in a dry measuring cup, then with a small plastic spatula
try to scrape the batter into the cupcake pan. I wound up with more batter on me
and the spatula than in the pan. Now, using a large ice cream scoop (that holds
about ⅓ cup) with a springaction lever that sweeps across and removes the
batter, I can scoop the batter straight from the bowl into the pan. And with a
slightly smaller scoop, one a little larger than a melon ball scoop, I can scoop the
1½ to 2 tablespoons needed for a miniature muffin pan. Experiment with the ice
cream scoop you already own. Pay attention to how full the pans need to be for
the particular recipe. I specify not only how much batter should go into the pan
but also how full the cup should appear.

Do the Cupcake Math

How many cupcakes will a recipe make? How long will they need to
bake?

Regular: Batter from an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix yields 20 to 24 of

the 2½-inch cupcakes. They need to bake for 18 to 25 minutes.

Mini-cupcakes: Batter from an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix yields 36 of
the 2-inch cupcakes. They need to bake for 13 to 18 minutes.