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frindmi
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 04, 2006
Posts: 305
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Nov 29
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 Posted:
Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:33 pm |
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So here is the thing. I'm using a cake recipe and making it into cupcakes. I'm baking them at 325 F and the tops come out cracked. The cupcake tastes good and it will be covered with icing and fondant so I'm not worried about presentation but I was wondering if anybody knows why that is...Is my oven too hot? Did I overmix the batter? Is there anything I can do to prevent it or are cupcakes like that? Like I said, they taste great but being a little bit of a perfectionist myself  I wanted to know if there is something I can do to prevent that from happening.
Thank you.
Inma
Ps: My house smells so good!!!! (chocolate bourbon coffee cupcakes) |
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traci
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: May 07, 2005
Posts: 2239
Location: Houston,Texas
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:35 pm |
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You might try lowering you oven temp. I am not really sure...I usually do not have that problem.  |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:11 pm |
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Might well just be the nature of that recipe, it may be a really rich recipe and this would be normal with it. Usually cupcakes are baked at 350F, not sure if the cake recipe bakes at 325F and that is why you have your temperature at that, but...
Sometimes cake cracks because it rises too quickly, sometimes because it cannot support itself on the sides of the pans when it rises because we tend to grease our pans. Not sure if you used paper liners or greased the pan but with a quick rising recipe, this could also be a factor. Alcohol can increase a recipe's ability to rise due to yeast action too.
Hugs Squirrelly |
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frindmi
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 04, 2006
Posts: 305
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Nov 29
Gallery Supporter Member
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:40 pm |
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Thanks, Squirrelly.
I baked it at 325F because the original recipe called for 275 F but I thought it might be a little too low (when I bake it in the cake form I also bake it at 325). I'm making more cupcakes on Tuesday with my after school Spanish class and it's a different recipe (no alcohol for the kiddos) so I'll bake it at 350 and see if the top cracks. These cupcakes I made were for a baby shower. I'll post a pic tomorrow. They look really cute, I think.
Inma
Ps: By the way, Squirrelly, I love your new Avatar.... really cute. |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:50 pm |
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| frindmi wrote: | Thanks, Squirrelly.
I baked it at 325F because the original recipe called for 275 F but I thought it might be a little too low (when I bake it in the cake form I also bake it at 325). I'm making more cupcakes on Tuesday with my after school Spanish class and it's a different recipe (no alcohol for the kiddos) so I'll bake it at 350 and see if the top cracks. These cupcakes I made were for a baby shower. I'll post a pic tomorrow. They look really cute, I think.
Inma
Ps: By the way, Squirrelly, I love your new Avatar.... really cute. |
Hi Inma, thanks, Lisa made it for me.
Well, I would have to say that other than for a fruit cake like a Christmas fruit cake, I have never actually heard of a recipe that would cook at so low a temperature - 275F. Not that it isn't possible, I just haven't ever seen one. The normal temperature for most cakes is 325F to 350F with the odd one at 375F. Is it possible that the temperature you were told is incorrect?
Hugs Squirrelly |
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kmcguire
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 30, 2005
Posts: 83
Location: Southern Illinois
Birthday: May 21
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:12 pm |
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275 sounds reasonable for cupcakes.....I have seen several recipes for cupcakes that called for it. cupcakes are usually taller than most cakes and time for expansion prior to the outside crusting has to occur or the top will crack. My grandmother used to bake cupcakes in a waterbath....like you would do a souffle (not sure of the spelling). This was because her oven was old and not really acurate.
Ken |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:28 pm |
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| kmcguire wrote: | 275 sounds reasonable for cupcakes.....I have seen several recipes for cupcakes that called for it. cupcakes are usually taller than most cakes and time for expansion prior to the outside crusting has to occur or the top will crack. My grandmother used to bake cupcakes in a waterbath....like you would do a souffle (not sure of the spelling). This was because her oven was old and not really acurate.
Ken |
Interesting Ken because I don't have a single one for under 325F with most being 350F.
I have found that if you allow the cupcakes some rising time on the counter before placing them in the oven, you get good even results. This isn't something I would do with cake batters but the proofing does pay off when people are trying to avoid crowning for decorated cupcakes.
Hugs Squirrelly |
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kmcguire
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 30, 2005
Posts: 83
Location: Southern Illinois
Birthday: May 21
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Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:55 pm |
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Mymistake.......I went to my recipies......most were 375......I was thinking 275. Sorry. Thanks for pointing that out. My mistake for the day
Ken |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:02 am |
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| kmcguire wrote: | Mymistake.......I went to my recipies......most were 375......I was thinking 275. Sorry. Thanks for pointing that out. My mistake for the day
Ken |
Oh heck kid we all make mistakes and believe me you are more than entitled to kiddo! I was thinking the same thing, a lot of muffins cook much higher, some as high as 425F. But then muffins are a bit more dense and different consistency. I just thought that maybe with all of the recent cupcake books that are out there, I was out-of-date, haha! Ok, I am out-of date, but I meant with cupcake books, haha!
Oh yeah and if you only make one mistake a day kiddo, well you are ahead of most of us, haha!
Get some sleep kiddo!
Hugs SQuirrelly |
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frindmi
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 04, 2006
Posts: 305
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Nov 29
Gallery Supporter Member
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:39 am |
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I know, it does sound way too low. The recipe is Collete Peter's. I found it in the Food Network website and the reason I have never baked it at 275 F is that the only review the recipe had said that after having baked it at the recommended temperature for the recommended time the cake wasn't done so they went ahead and baked it some more at 325 F. I thought that maybe it was a misprint but I have Collete's Cakes to Dream On and this recipe happens to be there too (with a few minor changes) and she also recommends baking at 275 F.
I included a few pictures of the cupcakes. It is my take on the Wilton baby cupcakes idea.
Inma
Ps: Now I'm looking forward to making those cupcakes on Tuesday and try the tips you guys suggested. |
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ge978
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Aug 15, 2005
Posts: 1962
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 8:48 am |
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Frindmi: those cupcakes are so adorable!!! Is it possible that Collette's recipe is for a convection oven? I bake everything in my convection oven between 275 & 300 and bake in my home oven at 325 |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:12 am |
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Those are just adorable, so sweet! Lovely job on them. Are you baking them in the foil cups? Just wondering if that plays a role in the temperature.
I have a convection oven and just am never as pleased with the baking when I run things on convection and use all of the racks. But you are right, normally you bake 25 degrees lower than normal temperatures haha, which is still lower than normal for these. I don't have the book so I don't quite understand what would be different in the ingredients to make the cake be baked so low. It is a mystery!
Hugs Squirrelly |
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frindmi
Frequent Member
Joined: Jan 04, 2006
Posts: 305
Location: Seattle
Birthday: Nov 29
Gallery Supporter Member
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 4:08 pm |
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Yes, I baked them in foil cups. Now that I think about it, I read somewhere about foil cups affecting in some way how the cupcake rises. I also read that the cupcake top must be flat (is that true??).
It also makes sense that Colette might have been talking about a convection ove. Mine is not.
Thanks for your nice comments. I enlisted my room mate's help to assemble the little cupcakes (lots of hair to color and blankets to put on... still lots of fun!  )
Inma |
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SquirrellyCakes
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Joined: Oct 03, 2004
Posts: 4504
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Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:11 pm |
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| frindmi wrote: | Yes, I baked them in foil cups. Now that I think about it, I read somewhere about foil cups affecting in some way how the cupcake rises. I also read that the cupcake top must be flat (is that true??).
It also makes sense that Colette might have been talking about a convection ove. Mine is not.
Thanks for your nice comments. I enlisted my room mate's help to assemble the little cupcakes (lots of hair to color and blankets to put on... still lots of fun! )
Inma |
I asked about the foil cups because they are very shiny and attract the heat so might just have made the cupcakes rise a bit faster and not quite cook the same way that muffin tins would. I find this a challenge making tarts in them too because they do cook faster.
Well people are going with the flat cupcake top because it is easier to decorate but actually, your cupcakes should have a rounded crown unless you are deliberately setting out not to get this rounded top. In fact at one time it was considered the sign of a good cake or cupcake, to have a raised crown. It is just as decorators that we want to avoid this.
Hugs Squirrelly |
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eleets_treats
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 28, 2005
Posts: 35
Location: australia
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Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:34 am |
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im in australia and not sure about farenheit degrees but i bake all my cupcakes at 170 degrees celcius. if a cake or cupcakes are baked in an oven that is too hot, it causes the cake or cupcakes to rise and crack in the centre. this is called "oven bloom" this is why muffins are baked at 220 degrees celcius so they get the peak on top. |
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