Looking to put a new spin on an old classic? Learn How to Convert a Cake into Cupcakes in this easy to follow, step-by-step guide! With GBC’s tips and tricks, you can always bake the right dessert for the occasion!!
I’m gonna keep things simple here. Cupcakes and cakes are pretty much the same dang thing! Both recipes include similar ingredients and utilize the same baking method, making it crazy easy to convert your favorite cake recipe into a batch of shareable cupcakes.
The only true difference between cakes and cupcakes is that they use different pans and require different baking times. With a few simple changes, you can give an old recipe a new fun twist!
A traditional cake 3-layer cake recipe will produce 24-30 cupcakes. A single layer cake will make about 12-15 cupcakes. So, you’ll need to prepare accordingly by making sure you have 1-2 muffin tins and a couple dozen paper liners on hand. You won’t need to change oven temperature but you will need to reduce the time spent in the oven.
Below, we’ll be breaking down the whole process of how you can convert a cake to cupcakes and sharing some tips along the way. Let’s get to it!
Prepare the batter exactly as you would for your cake. You don’t need to change a thing about the batter; cupcakes are, after all, little cakes.
STEP 2: Prepare the Batter
Prepare the cake batter as instructed. No need to make any conversions or substitutions unless you’re looking to add toppings of your own. For example, you could add chocolate chips to a yellow cake or swirl raspberry jam into a chocolate one.
You could use a boxed cake mix but I find that homemade is best. Be sure to start with room temperature ingredients!
STEP 4: Fill the Cupcake Liners
I like to use a cookie scoop to spoon my batter into the liners. It keeps me from going overboard and even keeps things a little tidier. Approximately ¼ cup of batter will go into each cup, meaning they’ll be anywhere from ½-¾ full.
If you’d like your cupcakes to have flatter tops, shoot for halfway full. More batter will create a more domed top. You could bake a few testers at different heights to see what you like!
Depending on how full the cups are, you’ll end up with different amounts of cupcakes.
How Cupcakes Differ from Cake | Cupcake Baking
FAQ
What is the difference between cake and cupcake?
Is there a difference between cake batter and muffin batter?
Do muffins and cupcake use the same batter?
What is the difference between cake batter and Cupcake batter?
Both batters typically contain flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. However, the ratios of these ingredients vary between cake and cupcake batters. Cake batters tend to have more flour and sugar than cupcake batters. I’ve heard arguments that cupcakes are just mini-cakes while others have said they are their own unique entities.
What is cupcake batter?
Most cupcake batter is really just regular cake batter cooked in smaller amounts. Although there are sometimes different instructions for how to do fancy tricks like filled cupcakes, the actual batter itself is usually the same batter as used for the various other cakes like plain yellow sponge cake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, etc.
What is the difference between cake and cupcake baking?
With that being said, the main differences between cake and cupcake baking is the baking time and batter volume. Cakes and cupcakes are incredibly similar when it comes to baking. It is possible to follow a cake recipe to make cupcakes, even down to the amount of baking powder you need. The result will always be a delicious, fluffy, baked dessert.
Why is cake batter thicker than Cupcake batter?
Cupcake batter and cake batter are extremely similar in consistency because they use the same ingredients. However, because of the different ratios of ingredients cake batter is thicker than cupcake batter depending on the type of cake that you are making. This is mostly caused by the extra dry ingredients that are used in the batter.