Today you feel like its ‘kinda-cupcake-day’ while you sit there imagining the anatomy of your favorite Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Cream Pie. The fluffy cake. The gooey, creamy texture. The tasty crunch of toasted pecans. The touch of bourbon frosting. The dainty baking cups. Then you finally give in. Just as you gather that little recipe book and all the needed ingredients together, you find out you have no cupcake pan. What will you do? Don’t fret! There is hope. There are simple ways on how to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan and make that cupcake dream of yours come true.
Now you know that baking cupcakes even without a cupcake pan are possible, but how? As long as you have those cupcake liners, it will help you how to make cupcakes without cupcake pan: stack them on top of one another to create stronger liners. No cupcake liners too? Read on, and you’ll find out how to improvise your available resources and still achieve a perfectly baked cupcake even when there is no cupcake pan available for use.
There are different methods used on how to bake cupcakes without a cupcake pan. Check these out below.
How to Make Cupcakes Without Cupcake Pans
Trays
If you want to make use of a tray, here is how to make cupcakes without cupcake pan by placing cupcake liners in a tray:
- Make a stable structure out of the cupcake liners by stacking at least 2 or 3 of them on top of one another. If you have foil liners, it is the best choice to use because of its strength. With foil liners, there is no need for stacking them. A single foil will do.
- Get your tray. Arrange the liners close together on it. Do not worry if the sides of each other touch together because that will add support to them while baking.
- Fill your cupcake liners with your desired choice of cupcake flavor. But remember DO NOT OVERFILL THE CUPCAKE LINERS. Your cupcake mix should be prepared according to its recipe instructions. A 2/3 or 3/4 amount of the filling is enough just as how you would fill a cupcake pan. Overfilling the liners will result in weak liners and cause some tip-overs and an extra mess to clean up later.
- Note:
- For that extra support, you may want to make use of the metal rings on mason lid jars. Just like the rings on the baking tray and each metal ring, place a cupcake liner.
- When using a tray, it is better to use ones that have what they call ‘lip,’ an opening on one side of the tray. This minimizes the mess should cupcakes spill out when baking.
- Proceed to bake your cupcake. Put the tray with the cupcakes on it into the oven. Bake according to the recommended time of its recipe. The oven must be preheated. Be careful in placing the tray with the cupcakes inside the oven to discourage the spilling of the cupcake batter. Watch out for the correct baking time to prevent toasting or burning the cupcakes. Setting a timer is always recommended.
Cupcake Liners
Here is another method of how to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan through using cupcake liners you have to create. Take note of these steps:
- In making your liners, make sure that you use oven-safe yet stiff materials. If you cannot find stiff materials, you still need to double or triple-stack the liners for strength when they sit in the pan with the filling on later.
Parchment Paper
Parchment paper is the fittest and most recommend material for this, but in the absence of it, you may use aluminum foil too. The stiffer the materials used, the more stabilized your baking of cupcakes will be.
- When using a parchment paper, cut a measured size of a square using a ruler. Measure it in 6 inches by 6 inches (15 cm x 15 cm) to make a square. Carefully cut out each measured square. Cut out enough numbers of these as you will need to double or triple- stack these liners for a strong foundation of your cupcake filling.
- Look for a cup with its base having the same size as the cupcake liner, though it doesn’t have to be very exact. The bottom diameter of more or less 2 inches (5 cm to 5.2 cm) will do.
- Place your cut out parchment paper on the center, over the cup’s bottom. To do this, turn your cup with the bottom facing up. Align the square-cut liner on the bottom of the cup while ensuring that all of the liner’s corners are equally spaced.
- Make a fold in each corner of the piece of liner. This will help you make a mold of the cup’s bottom. Make sure to have clean and well-defined folds when you are done.
Tips
When doing the folds in each corner of the liner, press the folds as close as possible to the cup. This secures the liner to the cup and makes it resistant to get out of the line of its new shape.
- Keep the liner over the bottom of the cup. With your fingers, press firmly yet carefully the liners along the circular edge of the cup. With this, you create a solid base.
- Remove your shaped liner from the cup. You may now start placing the liners on the pan in the same way you would place it with regular liners. Having them placed closely together or touching one another is okay, as this gives added support while baking.
- Double or triple-stack the liners for tougher support. Place your filling of choice and then finally proceed to bake it according to its recommended temperature and timing.
Perfect Cupcake Delight!
Cupcakes are one of the sweetest things there is. There is no excuse that one with that sweet tooth wouldn’t love it. That’s why knowing the ways on how to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan is just as important as any other baking skill to possess. Now go, enjoy and delight in these mini cakes that fit just rightly into your cupcake-craving mouth. Get more tips on baking cupcakes.