My blog is currently between baking and gym stories, which is so called my life. Though I've been posting quite a lot of my baking, but I've so far not included any recipes because 1) I'm lazy to type them, especially the instructions; 2) I've got TeaRoom coming up, so the recipes are "trade secrets". I really do seek your kind understanding. However, whenever I try out recipes on-line, I'll be sure to provide the links.
Anyways, I've got a very recent comment from Al's, whom I don't think I know (Do I know you Al's? No right, okay), asking something relating to baking. I didn't post my reply there because, erm... it was a combat post lah...
Coming back to why are your muffins (which I suppose is what I like to call cupcakes; called fairy cakes in UK) sinking - I'd say normally it's because of the oven temperature or perhaps baking time. If the oven is not hot enough, or the baking time is too short, the cupcakes might sink. So far, my cupcakes seldom sink (TOUCH WOOD!!!), even if I use my rich moist chocolate cake recipe for cupcakes, they turn out alright, not high and fluffy, but still alright. Like these...
But, what I did was increased the temperature (compared to what I will use for the cake). Having said that, at one point, I had loads of my cakes sinking, I still don't know why. Perhaps sometimes, it got to do with the mood of The Baker.
If you want to know more, check out the Basic and Troubleshooting by Chockylit for some really useful tips. In fact, if you are really into baking cupcakes, her blog is ALL about fantastic cupcake recipes. She is currently posting entries of frosting, really generous of her. Be sure to visit her k guys.
By the way, bake cupcakes at 180C. For large cupcakes, 20 - 25 minutes, medium for about 20 minutes, mini ones, I still do 20 minutes or about 18 minutes when the oven got too hot. So, depending on your recipe sometimes also (just use self-raising flour lah, no need to be concerned with the amount of baking powder), but generally, the cake will not sink.
Actually, I don't really like the cakes to be overly fluffy with the dome shape, it's rather difficult when doing the icing piping and it becomes like this...
Perhaps this still look quite alright except that the flowers look like they are about to fall off, but if I use the weave nozzle, the pattern will turn out to be a bit uneven and haywire, like so...
The best is a rather flat but not sunken surface...
But of course if you are baking muffins, without the decoration, I would also think it should be as fluffy and "volcano" as possible. Happy baking!
1 comment:
Good advice!
Post a Comment