First Time Cupcaker

Baking By supershifter Updated 11 Apr 2012 , 9:34pm by aggiechef

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supershifter Posted 30 Mar 2012 , 8:36pm
post #1 of 12

First time on this site, and first time cupcake maker. My first question is: I have a bake sale tomorrow early. Can I make chocolate(box) cupcakes tonite, cover and ice in morning? Do I put in fridge or leave on counter? Would buttercreme or creme cheese frosting be best, as bake sale will be outside? Hoping you all will help me so I won't look too foolish.

11 replies
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Dayti Posted 30 Mar 2012 , 9:26pm
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Yes, you can bake them tonight and decorate in the morning. You could also decorate tonight if you have time. Put them in a cardboard box or cover with plastic wrap. Don't put them in a plastic airtight container because sometimes this contributes to the wrappers peeling off icon_wink.gif They don't need refridgerating. As for the frosting, use whichever you prefer. Good luck!

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CWR41 Posted 30 Mar 2012 , 9:34pm
post #3 of 12
Quote:
Originally Posted by supershifter

Would buttercreme or creme cheese frosting be best, as bake sale will be outside?




Buttercream would be the better choice, especially for an outdoor event, as cream cheese requires refrigeration.

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supershifter Posted 1 Apr 2012 , 2:01am
post #4 of 12

Thanks for the help. I had a problem with the cupcakes, they smelled like they were burning and I didn't leave in as long as recipe called for. The papers (Wilton) was scorched, the cupcakes wasn't burned but was dry. Will try again but make the cake from scratch. Does anyone know what the problem could have been? My oven was on 350.

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denetteb Posted 1 Apr 2012 , 2:28am
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Have you ever checked your oven temp with a separate oven thermometer? Maybe it is running hot. I bake all my cakes and cuppies at 325. But if you had them in less than the time suggested it seems like your oven might be running hot.

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rockinbobbin Posted 6 Apr 2012 , 7:55pm
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hi Supershifter.....I am pretty new to most of this, too. Everyone here is so helpful. Just keep trying and you'll learn so much!
good luck.

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Cakery2012 Posted 6 Apr 2012 , 9:37pm
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I preheat my oven to 350 and then turn to 325 after I put cakes in the oven , For CUPCAKES just preheat and bake at 325. When you START to smell them while baking they are almost done. check to see if they are done. Use a toothpick and see if comes out clean. If your cakes are pull away from the pan they are done .

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Vexys Posted 8 Apr 2012 , 2:03pm
post #8 of 12

Agree on checking your oven with a thermometer just to make sure it's not running hot. One of mine runs 15 degrees colder then indicated on the knob and the other is dead on. Also I bake at 325 like a few other posters have mentioned. I start at 300 for cakes and then go up to 325 but for cupcakes I just go 325.

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writersblock15 Posted 9 Apr 2012 , 12:34am
post #9 of 12

Hi Supershifter,
I rarely use boxed cake mix for cupcakes because the outside overbakes and the inside isn't done enough.

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scp1127 Posted 9 Apr 2012 , 7:13am
post #10 of 12

You may have had hot spots in your oven in addition to the temp being wrong. If you can determine a correct temp with an independent thermometer, you may need to rotate your pans on different shelves and turn them back to front. Also, if you have some on the top row, they will bake faster. And if some are too close to the bottom element, they could get scorched.

We all have to learn the little oddities of our ovens. I have five and they are all different.

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Bellatrixx Posted 11 Apr 2012 , 9:22pm
post #11 of 12

I preheat my oven to 400 and when i put the cupcakes in, i turn it down to 325 icon_smile.gif

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aggiechef Posted 11 Apr 2012 , 9:34pm
post #12 of 12

I generally preheat my oven to 375 for at least 15 to 20 minutes, and then turn it down to 325 as soon as I put the cupcakes in. I've been doing lots of cupcakes lately and have found that to work the best for me, no matter what oven I'm using. I also use box mixes for most of my cupakes and haven't ever had a problem with them.
I agree with all of the posters who said to check the temp of your oven, though. From what you describe it sounds like something is a little off.
Keep working on it, and you'll get your own system down. Cupcakes are so fun and allow for a variety of flavors at a single event.

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