One of the problems with cupcake baking can be unevenly baked cupcakes or as we say lopsided, wonky cupcakes. These can be very frustrating. Here are nine tips to make cupcakes rise evenly, help troubleshoot and figure out what could be the possible cause. These are also tips that can help make sure you bake a perfect cupcake every single time.
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Have you baked cupcakes only to take them out of the oven all lopsided, wonky or unevenly baked cupcakes? That's usually how we call them isn't is? Lopsided/wonky or uneven baked cupcakes? Well, those are usually the words people use when they message me.
Now I don't really have pictures of unevenly baked cupcakes; just because it never occurred to me to take pictures. But trust me I've had my fair share of these when I just started baking cupcakes. Of course, if you going to decorate them with buttercream or fondant then it's not an issue right? No one knows under the frosting what really happened.
10 Tips to prevent unevenly baked cupcakes
So, while this is a very frustrating issue most often the problem lies with the oven temperature, not the recipe. The best way to learn from this is to experiment with the solutions below.
Some causes and solutions
- Cupcakes rise too fast - High oven temperature – reduce temperature slightly.
- or cupcakes have cracks on the top – again means they are rising much too fast – the oven is too high. Lower temperature slightly.
- Cupcakes bak quicker then the time stated (in 15 minutes as compared to the stated 20 minutes )–usually because the oven is too high. Reduce temperature.
- Then there are cupcakes baked but raised on one side – uneven heating - means your oven fan needs to be switched off or oven temperature lowered by 25%.
- Cupcakes baked raised on one side and cracked – Using fan assisted oven and the oven temperature is too high – cupcakes will bake faster and dry out. Lower temperature significantly.
- All cakes are baking towards one side in your oven –oven tray or oven is not leveled.
- Fill cupcakes only ⅔ full so they have space to rise.
- Bake one cupcake tray at a time. If you have to bake two - have the oven fan on so it will distribute heat evenly but at a lower setting.
- Rotate the pan in between cooking this will help them rise evenly too.
- It’s better to have a cupcake take longer to bake than to have a wonky lopsided cupcake. Right?
You can find more Cupcake Recipes here or you can see my Recipe Index or Cake Tutorial Index for a whole list of recipes and tutorials.
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Chris
Hi Verna.
Hope you are enjoying your day.
I am very new to baking, and although my cupcakes taste really good they are always lopsided.
Having read your top tips including reducing the temperature by 25%, I am keen give them a try.
As a guide, if I reduce the temperature by 25% should I increase the cooking time by 25%
From 160c for 20mins to 120c for 25mins?
Thanks.
Chris.
Veena Azmanov
Chris, 160C is usually a good temperature to bake cakes and cupcakes unless you are using a fan-assisted oven or your oven needs calibration. 120C in a regular oven is actually very low for cupcakes.
I suggest you do a trial with a few cupcakes at 140C and don't reduce the cooking time. One other issue with lopsided cupcakes can be undertaking and overmixing too!
I suggest trying a one-bowl cupcake and not over-mix it.
Bake half at 140C at the directed time. Then make adjustments to the next batch accordingly.
All the best
Keanan
Thank you for all your Tip Thursday. They are priceless. I have learned so much from these.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Keanan. So happy you find my blog and all these tips useful. Thank you so much for coming back to leave this feedback. Have a wonderful day.
Sandy
I just had wonky cupcakes for the first time in my life, and I'm old. I checked my oven and the temp is correct, and it's convection and the fan is working. I did, however, use HOT water in the recipe. I saw some advice on the internet...I think that is why my chocolate cupcakes came out bad.
Veena Azmanov
Sorry to hear that Sandy... thanks for the hot water tip. Lol these things have nothing to do with young and old... happens to the best of us. I'm sure your cupcakes still tasted divine.
NAMRATA PATEL
My oven doesn't have two rods option every option is having a fan, except one option which has only lower rod. On which mode should I bake cupcakes,cakes and brownies?
Veena Azmanov
Here we use top and bottom rod for baking cakes, cupcakes, and brownies. But, I know that some of the Indian girls bake these with only the bottom rod because the ovens are quite small
maathu
Hi, Thanks for the tip thursday. As u have said my cupcake had a crack on top. I tried reducing the temp from 180c to 160 C and it was the same thing with the next batch as well. what could be the reason. ?