It's easy to bake cupcakes (thanks to our Test Kitchen's guidance), but we can't pass up any excuse to update our baking game and learn more tricks for how to make cupcakes moist and delicious. Sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne—the expert bakers and owners of Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, D.C.— gave us the scoop on their artfully crafted cupcakes. Read on for some delicious pro tips on how to make cupcakes moist, fluffy, and super tasty every time.
Cupcake Tip 1: Work with the Best Ingredients
When your teeth sink into a cupcake, your taste buds should register nothing but bliss. If you want to know the secret of how to make cupcakes moist and perfect, splurge on top-tier ingredients, say the sisters. Exceptional flavors are essential in something as small as a cupcake, so make those 3 to 4 bites count. "We use Plugra butter, Madagascar bourbon vanilla, and Valrhona cocoa, and they make a huge difference in taste," says LaMontagne.
Cupcake Tip 2: Never Overbake a Cupcake
"We always recommend erring on the side of under-baking," says Kallinis. "If you overbake a cupcake, there's no way to save it. And it won't be moist on the inside." Georgetown Cupcake's team of bakers even set two timers to ensure the cakes make it out of the oven on time. Check your oven's heat with an oven thermometer to determine its actual temperature for even better results. LaMontagne says you're doing it right when your cupcakes look slightly sunken rather than peaked. Test them with a toothpick if you're unsure.
Cupcake Tip 3: Mix Batter with a Light Hand
If there's one thing we've learned as bakers on how to make cupcakes moist and perfect, it's to simply be more gentle, says LaMontagne. "Baking fluffy, moist cupcakes is all about creating air bubbles in your batter that expand in the oven," she says. "If you overmix your batter, you collapse those bubbles and end up with a brick-like cake." Always mix at a low speed to avoid this, stopping just as all ingredients blend.
Cupcake Tip 4: Let All Ingredients Come to Room Temperature
All ingredients incorporate into batter much more easily if they're at similar temperatures, says Kallinis. Sure, it requires a bit more planning to set out eggs, butter, and other refrigerated ingredients 15 to 20 minutes before you set to work—but for a perfect cupcake, it's worth it. (As far as baking tips go, this one ranks among the easiest!)
Cupcake Tip 5: Freeze Your Creations
If you're baking ahead, the key to ensuring you have perfect cupcakes for your gathering is freezing them. "If you've baked them to eat right away, we recommend storing cupcakes at room temperature," says LaMontagne. "But if they're for tomorrow, freezing them will retain their moisture much better than leaving them on a countertop overnight."
Try Out Your Cupcake Baking Skills
- Now that you know how to make cupcakes moist and delicious, put your skills to the test by trying out a new cupcake recipe.
- Mocha Filled Bananas Foster Cupcakes
- Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes
- Animal Birthday Cupcakes
Celebrate summer with Beach Party Cupcakes, or make these Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes for Halloween or Thanksgiving. If you have a cake recipe you love, here's how to convert it for cupcakes.
You can also practice your piping skills with these cupcake decorating tips.