From ScrippsNews:
Q: Why do my cupcakes come out flat on top or slightly sunken in on top? Is it my muffin pan, oven temperature or mixing that causes this to happen? I'd love to be able to bake nicely rounded top cupcakes. -- JT Kageyama, Elk Grove, Calif.
A: There are three main reasons why your cupcakes might deflate: over-mixed batter, too much baking powder or soda, or overfilled cups.
Over-mixing the batter leads to increased gluten production, ending up with a tight, dense final product. Unless gluten is desirable (like in some breads), it's generally best to fold the ingredients with a light hand, usually until they just come together.
Baking powder and baking soda, when used judiciously, result in small pockets of air evenly distributed through the dough. These pockets are a result of the carbon-dioxide-producing reaction with acidic ingredients in the dough. If there is too much baking soda or powder, the bubbles of carbon dioxide expand too greatly and break, causing collapse.
Overfilled cups mean that, when the cupcake rises, it won't have anywhere to go -- it will level itself out. This is easy to avoid; just fill your cupcake cups no more than three-quarters full, so the batter can rise sufficiently.
Q: Why do my cupcakes come out flat on top or slightly sunken in on top? Is it my muffin pan, oven temperature or mixing that causes this to happen? I'd love to be able to bake nicely rounded top cupcakes. -- JT Kageyama, Elk Grove, Calif.
A: There are three main reasons why your cupcakes might deflate: over-mixed batter, too much baking powder or soda, or overfilled cups.
Over-mixing the batter leads to increased gluten production, ending up with a tight, dense final product. Unless gluten is desirable (like in some breads), it's generally best to fold the ingredients with a light hand, usually until they just come together.
Baking powder and baking soda, when used judiciously, result in small pockets of air evenly distributed through the dough. These pockets are a result of the carbon-dioxide-producing reaction with acidic ingredients in the dough. If there is too much baking soda or powder, the bubbles of carbon dioxide expand too greatly and break, causing collapse.
Overfilled cups mean that, when the cupcake rises, it won't have anywhere to go -- it will level itself out. This is easy to avoid; just fill your cupcake cups no more than three-quarters full, so the batter can rise sufficiently.
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