Cupcake Liners – Does it matter which you choose?

I was recently teaching a class on how to cook/bake with alcohol. One of the recipes was for Raspberry Spiked Cupcakes. When I had tested the recipe in my home kitchen, I used regular paper cupcake liners. In the teaching kitchen, there were only foil liners available. The cupcakes were wonderful but did seem to bake a bit differently. Although the reason was probably the oven, I wondered if the type of liners made a difference. I decided to do some research and that is the focus of this Cooking Tip.

The first question to be asked is if you even need cupcake liners. No, you don’t need to use them but there are certainly a lot of advantages to cupcake liners.

• They add a decorative touch to your cupcakes. One caveat – light colored cupcakes show off the liner best. Dark (such as chocolate) cupcakes tend to bleed through the liner, making it less attractive. You could try using two liners rather than one to end up with a prettier liner.
• They make for easier cleanup.
• Cupcakes that have been baked in a liner stay fresher and moister for longer.
• Liners protect your cupcake batter from being in direct contact with the hot pan, thus there is less risk of burning.
• They result in more evenly and uniformly shaped cupcakes.

There are different types of cupcake liners with the main three being paper, foil and silicone.

Paper liners

These are the ones that you see most frequently and will cost the least. If you want patterns, you will want to pick paper liners as you can find colors/patterns to fit almost any occasion.

Look for good quality ones as inferior liners are more likely to stick to your cupcake. Also, if you can, choose liners that say they are nonstick. Unfortunately, not all brands will state this.

Foil liners

Foil liners are packed with a paper liner in between to prevent them sticking together. You should remove that paper liner. According to Reynolds, that paper liner is the same as their pastel liners. Therefore, you can set it aside and use it when you want to use paper liners. I did not investigate other companies and so, do not know if the paper liners are the same for other brands.

The foil liners are meant to be baked without a cupcake pan. Rather, just put them on a baking sheet. They might spread a bit, though. So, if you want perfectly shaped and sized cupcakes, you may want to place them in the cupcake pan.

I wondered if the foil affected the baking process but my research showed this was not the case.

Silicone cupcake cups

These are not only reusable but can also stand on their own rather than needing a cupcake pan. Silicone is very nonstick as well as being very heat tolerant. They are also dishwasher safe.

Some feel that cupcakes baked in silicone, though, do not spread or rise as well, resulting in smaller cupcakes.

Some people complain that cupcake liners stick to the cupcakes. Here are some of the probable reasons for this.

• Insufficient cooling. Allow them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes but then remove them and finish cooling on a rack.
• Quality – the cheaper the liners, the more likely they will stick. So, try to buy better quality ones and look for ones that state they are nonstick.
• The recipe – some cupcakes stick more than others. Those that are higher in sugar, lower in fat and/or very delicate in texture might stick more.
• Not spraying the liners. Most manufacturers will state that you do not need to spray the liners. However, most cupcake bakers like the added insurance of a spray. Just be sure you only give a quick light spritz as to not make it too greasy.
• Moisture – one cupcake expert recommends putting a baking pan filled with water on the bottom rack as she says the added moisture helps to prevent the liner sticking to the cupcake.
  

This same chef has a trick for cupcakes that are being stubborn and not allowing you to get the liners off neatly. She places them upside down on a microwave-safe plate, covers them with a damp paper towel and microwaves them for 15 seconds.

The liners are only one aspect of wonderful cupcakes. See this prior Tip on a discussion of cupcakes versus muffins. And, if you live at altitude, review this Tip on adjustments you may need to make to ensure a successful result.

Happy Baking!