Many people don't have the time or patience to make cupcakes from scratch. A trick to fix it? Use a cake mix: the flavor is the same, but preparation times are substantially reduced. This article shows you how to make cupcakes using canned cake mixes. It also offers tips for decorating the sweets and making them even tastier.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Mix the Ingredients and Bake the Cupcakes
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
If you are going to use a dark or non-stick pan, reduce the temperature to 160 ° C.
Step 2. Follow the instructions on the preparation package
Preparations usually require adding wet ingredients such as water, oil and eggs. As you blend them, scoop the mixture from the sides of the bowl with a whisk or spatula. This way you can get a homogeneous batter. For this purpose it is also advisable to mix it in a circular direction, proceeding from the bottom upwards.
The amount of water, oil and eggs to use depends on the brand of the preparation. If you have thrown away the box, try looking for the instructions on the company's website, as they are often posted online. In general, you need more or less 1 cup (250 ml) of water, ½ cup (120 ml) of oil and 2 or 3 eggs
Step 3. Choose and prepare a cupcake pan
The batter can be poured directly into the compartments of the pan. Alternatively, you can line them with baking cups first. While not necessary, baking cups help clean up faster and improve the aesthetics of cupcakes. You can use a regular, mini, or large sized baking sheet.
If you want to pour the batter directly into the compartments, first you need to grease them by passing them a paper towel soaked in vegetable oil
Step 4. Fill the tray compartments about 2/3 or ¾ full
Since it rises during cooking, the batter shouldn't overflow. For quick and easy distribution in the compartments, use a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
- A box of preparation is enough to make 24 or 30 normal-sized cupcakes. If you want to make mini sweets, with this quantity you will get more. If you want to make larger cakes, you will get less with this amount.
- Cover the leftovers with batter and store them in the fridge. Once the first pan is taken out of the oven, let it cool for 15 minutes, then fill it again with the rest of the batter. The second batch may take an additional 1 or 2 minutes to cook.
Step 5. Calculate cooking times considering the size of the pan
Check if the cupcakes are ready after the minimum cooking time has elapsed. If necessary, let them cook longer. If you have a convection oven, check them after 8 minutes. To see if they are ready, stick a toothpick in the center of a candy: if it comes out clean, then you can take them out of the oven. Also, cooked cupcakes tend to "bounce" when you try to touch them on the surface.
- Full-sized cupcakes take 15 to 20 minutes to cook;
- The mini cupcakes 10 or 15 minutes;
- Large cupcakes 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 6. Remove the cupcakes and let them cool
To start, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan. Then, remove them and move them to a flat surface to complete the process. They typically cool completely in about an hour.
Part 2 of 3: Icing and Decoration
Step 1. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cold
If they aren't, the icing will melt and run off the treats.
Step 2. For quick and easy decoration, use ready-to-use icing
Once the package has been opened, stir it for a few seconds with a fork or whisk. This will soften it and make it fluffier. Then, dip the top of each cupcake into the frosting. Twist it slightly as you lift it up.
- If you want to color the glaze, add a few drops of liquid food coloring and mix for a few seconds with a fork or whisk.
- To make more elaborate cupcakes, dip them in a bowl filled with chopped nuts, colored sugar, or rainbow sprinkles.
- Play with the matches. Try using chocolate icing on white cupcakes and cream icing on chocolate cupcakes.
Step 3. If you want to make particularly mouth-watering cupcakes, make a homemade buttercream frosting
Beat 3 cups (380g) of powdered sugar and 75g of softened butter with a food processor until smooth. Incorporate 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla essence and 1 tablespoon of milk. Keep stirring until you get a smooth glaze. If it is too thick, add more milk. If it's too liquid, add some powdered sugar.
- If you want to make colored buttercream, add a few drops of food coloring.
- You can spread the buttercream with a spatula or squeeze it with a pastry bag.
Step 4. To make lighter cupcakes, make the icing using powdered sugar and water
Sift 300 g of powdered sugar into a bowl. Stir in 2 or 3 tablespoons of boiling water until you get a thick and homogeneous consistency. Pour the mixture over the cupcakes and let it thicken. Here are some variations:
- To make colored glaze, add 2 or 3 drops of liquid food coloring.
- To make a flavored glaze, replace the water with 2 to 3 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice.
- To add chocolate notes, mix the icing sugar with 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder before adding the water.
- To color the cupcakes, add some rainbow sprinkles or a maraschino cherry.
Step 5. Try using a cocoa and hazelnut spread
Buy a pack of cream and spread about 1 teaspoon of it on each cupcake. It is excellent for sweets made with sponge cake mixes.
Step 6. Add gaskets
Icing is great for enhancing the aesthetics of cupcakes, but it's the toppings that add that extra pop of color. Here are some ideas to start experimenting:
- A maraschino cherry is a perfect garnish for a white frosting.
- Rainbow sprinkles or balls and colored sugar are perfect for wavy-shaped buttercream icings.
- Sugar or candy blossoms allow you to add subtle notes to cupcakes, perfect for springtime or a little girl's birthday.
- Crushed walnuts are great for chocolate glaze.
Step 7. To choose the icing color and decorations, be inspired by a holiday, season, or upcoming event
- If St. Patrick's Day is approaching, try making some green icing. You can also use a white one and decorate it with green sugar sprinkles.
- If you're making cupcakes for a baby shower, use pink icing for a girl and a light blue for a boy.
- If spring is coming, try using a white icing and sugar blossoms. If it's winter, you could use blue icing and sugar snowflakes.
Step 8. Match the baking cups to the color of the cupcakes, the holiday or event for which you prepare them
- If you want to prepare them for Valentine's Day, look for cups with heart decorations. You can also use pink or red baking cups.
- If you're making them for Halloween, try using baking cups inspired by this holiday. Alternatively, go for orange or black.
- If you are planning to prepare them for a birthday party, look for baking cups that have prints such as "Happy Birthday", balloons or streamers. You can also choose them by considering the color palette of the party.
- If it's spring, try using flower-patterned baking cups. In winter, you might choose the ones with snowflakes instead.
Part 3 of 3: Adding Variations
Step 1. Experiment with different preparations
There are other varieties besides the Margherita or chocolate cake mix. Here are some alternatives:
- The red velvet cake goes perfectly with the cream cheese frosting.
- The sponge cake mix goes well with chocolate glaze.
- The harlequin cake mix contains the classic Margherita cake ingredients and a sachet of rainbow sprinkles.
Step 2. Try adding food coloring to a Margherita cake mix
Mix the dye with the batter before pouring it into the compartments of the pan. Dose it according to the degree of intensity you want to achieve. You can use gel, paste, or liquid dye, but keep in mind that the latter creates a less intense result.
Try choosing the color inspired by a holiday. For example, in February you can make red or pink cupcakes in honor of Valentine's Day. In March you can make them green in honor of St. Patrick's Day
Step 3. Use rainbow sprinkles to add a pop of color to Margherita or sponge cake mixes
Once the batter is made, add about 60g of rainbow sprinkles and mix again. Transfer the batter to the compartments of the pan. Remember that sprinkles may slightly change the color of the cupcakes.
If you want, you can also use larger quantities of rainbow sprinkles
Step 4. If you want to serve marbled cupcakes, mix a Margherita cake mix and a cocoa cake mix
Prepare the batters separately. Pour one at a time into the tray compartment, filling it 2/3 or ¾ full. Quickly mix them 1 or 2 times with a toothpick, then bake.
Step 5. For fluffy, moist cupcakes, add a packet of instant pudding
Make sure it tastes the same as the cake mix. For example, if you're using a vanilla cake mix, opt for instant vanilla pudding. If you're using a lemon mix, choose instant lemon pudding. Add it to the mix before incorporating the wet ingredients.
If you've chosen instant cocoa pudding, try adding some instant coffee as well, which helps intensify the flavor of the chocolate
Step 6. For fluffier cupcakes, add another egg and mix the batter longer
Calculate one egg more than the quantity indicated by the package and mix it with the wet ingredients. Once you have finished mixing the batter for the recommended amount of time, continue mixing it for another 3 minutes.
Advice
- Once the cupcakes are taken out of the oven, insert a toothpick in the center of the cupcake, then take it out. If it has batter residue, the cupcakes are still not ready. If it comes out clean, then I am.
- Buy a specific moist cake mix. This information is shown on most of the boxes.
- If the batter is excessively runny, add some flour.
- Try making 1 or 2 test cupcakes using different amounts of flour. This way you can actually figure out how much you need before making larger quantities of cupcakes.
- Some cake mixes indicate the cooking times for the cupcakes on the box itself. In this case, refer to the instructions on the package.
Warnings
- Do not eat raw cake mixes.
- Do not open the oven door while baking, unless you need to check if the cupcakes are ready. Repeatedly opening the oven could compromise cooking.
- Do not leave the oven light on, as it could cause uneven cooking.
