cupcake baking tip!

Did you know you can alter the size and shape of your cupcakes by the temperature of your oven?

When I made cupcakes on Sunday I decided to try a little baking experiment. I wanted to know if oven temperature could really alter the height of a cupcake. For my test I used my favorite scratch recipe for chocolate cupcakes which makes approximately 24. 

For the first batch I set my oven on regular bake and preheated it to 350 degrees. I filled  the liners approximately about 2/3's full and baked the cupcakes for 22 minutes. 

The result ~ flat cupcakes. 

For the next batch I set my oven on convection and preheated it to 375 degrees. I filled the liners about 3/4's full this time, baked for 7 minutes, then turned down the oven to 325 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes. 

The result ~ taller cupcakes with round, dome shaped tops. 

A regular oven can also be used to get the tall, domed shaped cupcake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the cupcakes are in the oven reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. 

I am amazed at what a difference it made.

Happy Baking!