Sue McMahon - Cupcake Handbook: Your Guide to More Than 80 Recipes for Every Occasion

To my mother, Peggy McMahon, who has always encouraged me to make and decorate cakes from when I was very young. She has shared her love and enthusiasm of baking with me, and I hope that readers of this book will now enjoy sharing those skills. Published 2018IMM Lifestyle Books www.IMMLifestyleBooks.com IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed in the UK by Grantham Book Service, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 7XQ. In North America, IMM Lifestyle Books are distributed by Fox Chapel Publishing, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552, www.FoxChapelPublishing.com. 2018 by IMM Lifestyle Books Produced under license. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Print ISBN 978-1-5048-0092-1
eISBN 978-1-6076-5515-2 The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress. We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to . This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein.

Cupcakes are just about perfect for an afternoon treat or a stunning centerpiece at an elaborate weddingeverybody has his or her own mini cake, and no one argues over who gets the biggest slice! Besides their convenience, cupcakes are long lasting, too.

Baking the cupcakes in liners seals the sides, and if the tops are iced completely, then the cakes are totally sealed and will stay fresh until theyre ready for your occasion, big or small.

Position the oven shelf slightly below the center of the oven so the cakes sit in the center of the oven. It is possible to cook two trays of cupcakes at the same time if you double the recipe ingredients, but allow an extra 5 minutes cooking time and swap the position of the trays in the oven after 10 to 12 minutes so that both trays cook evenly. If the cupcakes are topped with a soft frosting, dont stack them directly on top of one another because the frosting will be ruined. Instead, use a tiered stand to display the cakes. You should have no trouble finding stands made specifically for holding regular-size cupcakes! Store cupcakes in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Unless they contain fresh cream, cupcakes shouldnt be refrigerated (except if the room is very warm), since chilling tends to dry them out. Keep the cakes out of bright sunlight to keep the frosting from melting.

Basic cupcakes may be made in advance and then frozenwithout the frosting. Use thicker cupcake liners, such as foil ones, since thinner liners will wrinkle during freezing and will peel away from the cupcakes. Allow the cupcakes to defrost thoroughly in a cool place for 4 to 6 hours before frosting. There are two basic items you need in order to make cupcakesmuffin/cupcake pans and cupcake linersbut they need to match up.

The liners must fit snugly inside the cups of the pan, and the pan must support the cupcakes during cooking so they hold their shape. Make sure the cupcake liners you use arent smaller than the cups in your pan or youll find that the sides of the liners will open during baking and youll be left with flat cupcakes. The recipes in this book are based on standard-size muffin/cupcake pans, but if your trays are larger, just make fewer cakes.

The best type of muffin/cupcake pans are metal ones, since metal conducts heat well, allowing the cupcakes to cook quickly and evenly. If you choose pans with a nonstick coating, they will be easier to clean if any of the cake mixture overflows during baking. Many of the nonstick pans are dishwasher safe.

Whichever type you choose, make sure the pan is spotlessly clean before using and dry thoroughly after use so that it doesnt rust. Ceramic pans and silicone molds are also available, but cupcakes will take slightly longer to cook in these since the materials dont conduct heat as well as metal. All the cupcakes in this book are baked in paper liners; if you use silicone molds, then liners arent required because the cakes will come easily out of the molds, with smooth sides and hardly any crumbs. Alternatively, you can buy disposable individual cupcake liners that come with a second outer liner of aluminum foil. This allows you to make as many cupcakes as you want (adjusting your recipe accordingly).

Choose good-quality cupcake liners because cheaper, thinner liners can wrinkle during baking. Choose good-quality cupcake liners because cheaper, thinner liners can wrinkle during baking.

Also, if the liners are made from thin paper, any designs printed on them wont show up well when the cupcakes are baked.

While the rest of the world measures ingredients by weight, the United States measures by volume. For baking, especially, that can be a problem, since the actual amount of flour or sugar you measure in a cup can change depending on how dense you tamp it or how vigorously you scoop it. Therefore, if you want your cupcakes to come out reliably beautiful and delicious every time, the only truly accurate way to measure ingredients is by using a scale. But make sure you stick to one set of measuresmetric or imperialand avoid mixing the two.