flat cupcakes

oligeo

does anyone know the secret for baking your cupcakes so they come out with a flat top, so you can decorate them, I normally just resort to slicing the peak off, but would love to know the secret.

Many thanks
Sarah

shiningdove

I'm pretty sure that everyone just slices the peak off.
You can't really 'know' where the cake will rise to?

celyn90

Either don't add so much raising agent (replace a proportion of the self raising flour with plain or don't add so much baking powder - drastic trial and error!), make a small depression in top of the wet mix with a teaspoon before it goes in the oven (this is what I do for cupcakes where I need a firm base to ice on) or add a little bit of cold water (couple of tablespoons) to the cake mix so it is more sloppy than normal - then as the mixture rises it spreads rather than peaks and the resultant cake will be softer (this is what I do for cakes most of the time anyway when I don't need a firm base for fondant icing as the resultant cake will be softer and more fluffy).

You can also experiment with the oven temperature a little bit - if it isn't as hot the cake will rise and cook evenly rather than setting on the surface, rising and cracking through the harder top layer. This is largely oven/cake tin dependent though. cel x

Wardy

I thought it was just me:jGlad everyone else has the same problem

moosetastic

there is one little thing I do, once the cake mix is in the cases in the tin, gently tap the tin on your worktop, which knocks out a few air bubbles. it makes the cakes a little less "airy" but it does keep them pretty much level when they rise

oligeo

Huge thank yous to celyn90 and moosetastic. I shall try those tips out.