Within the kitchen, baking is perhaps the most complex task. Exact measurements, temperatures to control, more precise techniques… But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a good dessert or sweet even if we have no idea how to cook, especially if we follow the advice of experts.
If we talk for example of Pancakeswe can tell you that the fluffiest ones are made with yogurt, and that to keep them warm, the ideal is to put them in the oven at 50ºC. In the case of cupcakes, there are tricks so that any fluffy cupcakes recipe always be what it promises: fluffy.
All ingredients at room temperature
The first thing is to have all the ingredients at the same temperature. The eggs, the butter, the fruits that we can add to them… It is a way of avoiding thermal contrasts when beating the ingredients and mixing them. If they do occur, the dough may be sheared, creating lumps or unpleasant textures.
Leave the ingredients out of the fridge for at least half an hour. Some, like butter, need a little more time to soften (a soft texture, like thick cream), and also take into account the temperature of your kitchen and even the utensils you are going to use. Glass and metal tend to be colder than silicone, for example, so you can soak it in hot water and dry it really well afterwards, or even pop it in the oven for a few minutes to lose its chill. If you want to avoid it, get a plastic bowl to mix the ingredients.
IBILI 726624 – Non-slip Base Pastry Bowl 24 Cm
Weigh and measure everything before you start
Great chefs do something called mise en placea very practical culinary technique that consists of prepare in advance each ingredient they use in the measures in which they need itsomething you can see for example with this Sacher cake by Jordi Cruz.
Weigh and measure all the ingredients of the recipe with a digital scaleIf possible, nothing to do things by eye. A bonus: read the recipe carefully before you start mixing and blending. It is important to understand well what we are going to do before doing it.
GPISEN Precision Digital Scale 5 kg/11 lbs, weigh Fruits, Grains, Meat or other Liquid Jewelry Scale, with LCD Display, Stainless Steel Platform, Tare Function-Batteries Included
The product is important in any recipe
It is not the same to eat a melon with ham with a serrano envelope that you buy in any supermarket, than to do it with an acorn-fed ham. In this case the same thing happens: if the ingredients are good, the taste improves.
Use fresh eggs, free-range if possible, a good olive oil and even a flour that is special for confectionery (the so-called loose flours, nothing biscuit flour), can make a difference in our recipe.
Take time to beat the dough
One of the keys to getting a fluffy texture in our cupcakes is the batter shake. It needs to be a lot and at a high speed to make it easier for the dough to rise and rise. Ideally, use a stick blender Y start by beating the eggs with the sugar until they whiten and thicken.
Russell Hobbs Desire Dough Mixer – Wire Mixer, 2 Beaters, 2 Dough Hooks, 5 Speeds, Turbo Function, Eject Button, Dishwasher Safe Accessories, Red – 24670-56
Once these two ingredients are mixed, We will add the rest of the liquids and finally, all the dry ingredients such as flour, yeast or cocoa powder if it has. If what we are making are muffins, it is recommended to beat again with the rod mixer when all the ingredients are together, to give it that extra air and gain fluffiness.
Let the dough rest
We already have it well mixed, whipped and homogeneous, and now it’s time to let it rest. Cover very well and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.. You could leave it overnight, so the effect would be further enhanced. I explain it to you, because it is only a matter of science as indicated in the book cooking: the cold rest helps to activate the chemical yeast and also makes it easier for a thermal shock to occur inside the oven that enhances the expansion of the dough.
Cocinology: The science of cooking
Use the right molds
Like each type of cake needs a specific molda dough like that of cupcakes too. If we only use the paper capsules, they will overflow up, so let’s add that expert trick that will make your cupcakes the prettiest in the neighborhood: a cupcake tray. In each hole we will put a cupcake paper and ready.
Amazon Basics Non-Slip Carbon Steel Cupcake Pans, Set of 2
Zenker Cupcake Capsules, Individual molds for cupcakes, muffins and madeleines in paper, Suitable for baking, Color White, ø 5cm, Pack of 100 pcs
Extra trick: use a pastry bag to pour the dough, or a measuring spoon so that they all have the same amount and are baked the same, always leaving the dough one finger from the edge of the mold.
Fackelmann Set of 20 disposable sleeves for cooking, pastry and churros, includes 3 decorative plastic nozzles with different shapes, 33x19cm, 1 pc.
Measuring Spoons,Sets of 8 Plastic Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups with Stainless Steel Handle for Measuring Liquids and Ingredients
Always preheat the oven
Unless the recipe indicates otherwise, when we talk about biscuit dough, muffins or cupcakes, it is essential that the oven is preheated before putting them in. We never put the dough in a cold oven. Ideally, it should be heated for 30 minutes (depending on your oven) and that there is nothing else inside that can stay with the heat, such as an extra tray.
Baking is key to fluffy cupcakes
We place the muffins in their molds at medium height and lower the temperature to 210ºC-200ºC, if possible keeping the air mode if our oven has it (thus baking is more homogeneous). Very important to prevent them from falling: do not open the door during baking. If we open before time, the space inside the oven will lose heat and bye-bye sponginess. Use the glass outside to control your cupcakes and open only at the end of the baking time.
Now all that remains is to unleash the tricks with a simple recipe like these Grandma’s muffins in a healthy versionor the classics cupcakes with chocolate chips. If you’re hungry and you’re red-handed, try making this super-simple giant cookie that we show you in the video. Easier impossible.
Note: some of the links in this article are affiliates and can bring a benefit to Trendencias.
Photos | straight to the palate, Diana Polekhina, Alina Karpenko, Aneta Voborilova, Yehor Milohrodskyi and Mila on Unsplash
In Trendencias | The 33 best Netflix series you can watch right now