Lessons Learned From the Past: Part 1

Practice really does make perfect. I started baking about 2 and a half years ago now and recently I went back and looked at the photos I took of some of the first cupcakes I made. It really is amazing how different they look now. Armed with a little baking know-how, a Kitchen Aid mixer, and a piping set, I have been able to turn out some really good looking and tasting cupcakes.

I feel like I have really learned a lot since I started making cupcakes so I thought I would share a few of my tips.

Here are some old photos of mine and the lesson I learned from making them:

• For starters, the camera I was using was horrendous. I now use a Nikon D3100. You don't need a $550 camera but just knowing a little about exposure and focusing can make a big difference. (This tip is really only important if you are planning on posting photos for a blog, though.) And remember; natural lighting is always best!

Avoid Box Mixes When You Can

Black Forest Cupcakes circa 2010

Fill AFTER Baking

• I used a box mix for these. I HATE box mixes now. I can definitely taste a major difference between box and from scratch. The chocolate recipe I always use now is just as easy to make and much better tasting. 
• The reason the cupcakes have sunken down in the middle is because they were filled with cream and cherries. After being baked they swell up, then shrivel which causes them to sink down. It is much wiser to just take the time and fill them after they are baked. The cherries will also maintain a lot more of their flavor that way.

Don't Microwave Your Butter

Pumpkin Cupcakes circa 2010

• The flavor of these cakes were just fine and I do currently use this pumpkin recipe. However, the frosting was too runny. The reason being I was not taking the time to let by butter soften by just sitting out at room temperature. I was melting it slightly in the microwave. Microwaves don't cook evenly so part of the butter would turn to liquid while the rest would just soften. The extra liquid in the recipe makes it too runny. I did not have a piping set at the time, but if I did, it certainly could not have held its shaped after being piped.

Mountain Dew Cupcakes with Mountain Dew Buttercream circa 2010

Beware of Cake Recipes with Large Ratios of Liquid Ingredients
Be Patient When Making Butter Cream Frosting

• It has gotten to the point where I can read some recipes and know that it's no good. When a cake or frosting recipe calls for a lot of liquid, it is most likely to fail. With too much liquid in a cake, it will most likely sink and become really dense. When they sink, only half of the wrapper will be full and there is usually a dip in the middle. The texture isn't very pleasant either. It's more or less solid because all the liquid has made it too heavy.
• Butter cream is a fairly common frosting yet I find it to be one of the most difficult. For starters, I was microwaving the butter which was turning part of it to liquid and making the frosting very runny. With the extra liquid (Mountain Dew) in this recipe, the frosting was basically liquid. "Breaking the butter cream" is the term I like to use when the liquid in the recipe separates from the sugar resulting in an unpleasant looking and tasting texture. To avoid this, you need to be careful about the amount of liquid going into the recipe and take a good amount of time incorporating the sugar into the butter. A stand mixer comes in handy here because it can take 7-10 min.

I hope this may help some to learn from my mistakes!

To be continued!