Cupcake Fiasco Help!!! Too dense!

[Meredith_]

Hi there! I have been having issues with baking cupcakes lately. I am using a new oven so I don't know if that's the reason why these cupcakes are turning out to be a fiasco. I've tried a recipe with milk and buttermilk but both cupcakes came out VERY dense (consistency not close to a cake or muffin). I made a second batch and was conservative with mixing and the cupcakes still turned out dense. HELP!!!!

Thanks!

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Recipe and method, per favore?

Also, are you lining the cupcake tin, and if so, are you greasing the paper liners?

 

[betterthanabox]

Maybe some self rising flour would help.

 

[Zhizara]

Welcome to DC, Meredith. I'm not a baker, but if you post the recipe(s) you used, our bakers here can help you. There are lots of knowledgeable bakers at DC.

 

[LPBeier]

Meridith, if you post your recipe, I can help you. It might have to do with climate, ingredients, etc. I can also suggest an alternative recipe if we can't find the problem. My first query is what flavour they are. White, or vanilla, recipes tend to be more dry and dense because they rely on only egg whites and often shortening.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing if we can work this out.

 

[babetoo]

welcome to d.c.

 

[Aunt Bea]

How old is your baking powder?

 

[Meredith_]

Servings: Makes 1 dozen
Ingredients
2/3 cup fresh or frozen whole strawberries (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk , room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg , room temperature
2 large egg whites , room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree. Add a few more strawberries if necessary, or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

 

[Meredith_]

How old is your baking powder?

New. I just bought it cause I made a previous batch and thought that might have been the problem.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Are you using cupcake papers or pouring directly into the cupcake tin? In order for the cupcakes to rise properly, they need something to grip, so if using bare cupcake tin, you need to grease and flour (or sugar) the cups; grease so they don't stick to the pan, and flour or sugar for grip.

 

[Meredith_]

Are you using cupcake papers or pouring directly into the cupcake tin? In order for the cupcakes to rise properly, they need something to grip, so if using bare cupcake tin, you need to grease and flour (or sugar) the cups; grease so they don't stick to the pan, and flour or sugar for grip.

I used cupcake papers

 

[dcSaute]

Comcast dumped a longer reply - here's the short story:

the water content of the strawberry puree is a big variable - fresh will vary - frozen, depending on thawing/draining - could vary even more.

also the 1 tsp of baking powder strikes me as on the very scant side - self rising flour for example is 1-1/4 tsp per one cup

 

[bakechef]

I was thinking the same thing, there seems to be too little baking powder. Other than that, the recipe seems like it should work.

 

[jennyema]

Use cake flour.

 

[LPBeier]

Cake Flour and the amount of baking powder could help; however, this is my concern.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

The eggs are where you get your volume and light texture. Many recipes which ask for eggs and egg whites have you beat them first until very thick, light in colour and "fluffy" or frothy. The strawberries will weigh the batter down so only barely mixing in the eggs does not provide any lightness to the batter. I have a strawberry cupcake recipe I will see if I can dig out and compare it.

 

[auzzi]

1. puree will "dense" up the ccakes

2. use two whole eggs: the 2 egg whites don't provide enough structure of the batter with puree

3. add another teaspoon of baking powder: the batter with puree will need more than one teaspoon to leaven it ..

4. don't use cake flour - the lower gluten content will not provide enough structure for the batter with puree