Why do cupcakes peel away from the cases?

Choose quality cases

The quality of cupcake cases varies enormously.  Our favourites are found in store at Annabelle Jane Cake School.  If you need help choosing the best ones our friendly staff will happily assist.

Choose a good recipe

Recipes with a high liquid content are most likely to result in peeling cases.  Our favourite cupcake recipe is on our cupcake recipe card.  The card includes a selection of flavours and gluten free too.  

Make sure you soften the butter or cake margarine first - it should be so light and fluffy before you add the sugar.  Not softening your fat sufficiently before adding the other ingredients is one of the most common reasons for cupcake cases peeling. Having added the sugar you must cream until they are very light and fluffy.

Top tip – for even sized cupcakes use an ice-cream scoop.

Careful baking

Bake your cupcakes in a heavy duty muffin tin.  Make sure this is completely clean - you don't want grease affecting the baking of your cupcakes and being absorbed by the cases.  A sturdy tin will conduct the heat and also prevent the cases from splaying whilst in the oven. You need to learn your oven – oven temperatures can vary by up to 20° either side of what it says on the dial.  Invest in an oven thermometer or learn to adjust your oven in response to how your cakes bake.  If you bake your cupcakes at too low a temperature they will be dry and hard; if you bake your cupcakes at too high a temperature they will have a very pronounced peak.  You want to achieve an even rise.

If you undercook your cupcakes they will peel away from the cases, overcook them and they will also peel.  Perfectly cooked cupcakes should be a light golden brown, when you press gently with your finger they should spring back and if you listen carefully they should be quiet – if you hear them ‘singing’ they need another minute or two.

When you take them out of the oven set them down carefully and cover with a tea towel.  Do not remove them from the tin straight away.  If you do the shock of the sudden temperature drop can cause the cases to peel.  Leave them for about 20 mins so they are still slightly warm and then remove them and place on a cooling rack to cool completely – again covered with a tea towel.

Moisture is the main reason why cases peel - don't bake cupcakes in a steamy environment so you shouldn't have pans of bubbling water or kettles boiling.

Storage

Cupcakes should be baked as close to the event as possible – they should not be stored for periods of time.  NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER EVER store your cupcakes in a tin or Tupperware container.  Condensation forms and this excess moisture will cause the cupcakes to peel away from the cases.  I always top mine with sugar paste, poured fondant or frosting almost as soon as they are cool.  Make sure the topping covers the whole top of the cupcake.  This forms a complete seal keeping the cake fresh inside.  Place the decorated cupcakes in a cardboard cupcake box.

If you would like to learn more about cupcakes why not try one of our courses?