Use these pointers with any muffin recipe for certified tastiness.
My friend Nik Pugmire is a talented professional baker who whips up muffins (as well as lofty laminated pastries and colorful macarons) for adoring fans each day at work. I, on the other hand, am an amateur baker with a passion for experimenting in the kitchen and sharing culinary love with friends and family.
I originally grew my passion for baking alongside my family. In addition to teaching me the art of snickerdoodle cookies, my mom treated our family to batches of muffins every few weeks when I was a kid. From her signature homemade bran muffins to the irresistible blueberry-streusel kind she’d bake from a boxed mix, I always knew it would be a good day (or week, depending on how fast they are gobbled up) when the aroma of muffins wafted through the house.
Now, I continue the tradition of monthly muffin sessions (if not more often) to snack on or bring as a host gift.
Tips
Wrap a selection of muffins with coffee or tea, and a few pieces of fruit so the host's morning breakfast is cared for.
3 Secrets to Bake Perfect Muffins Every Time
Through these frequent batches – and during my almost daily conversations with our brilliant Test Kitchen recipe developers – I’ve learned a thing or two about acing my creations. Regardless of which muffin recipe you start with, or if you start with a boxed mix, these muffin tricks will level up your next batch.
1. Mix by Hand
Pillowy and light is my mission with muffins. Overly fussed with muffin batter often results in dry and unevenly baked, studded with holes, according to experts at Quaker. The solution? Leave the stand and hand mixer tucked away so you can use your intuition and human touch to gently combine the ingredients into a thick and slightly lumpy batter – that’s the goal!
Unlike most cake recipes that call for creaming the butter and sugar together, muffin batter relies on the aptly-named “muffin mixing method.” Since muffins contain less fat and sugar than cakes or cupcakes, no creaming is required. To master the muffin mixing method (which can be used for muffins, pancakes, waffles, quick bread, and more), combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, then blend them.
After using a whisk to toss the dry ingredients together to allow them to evenly blend, I like to stir the muffin batter by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula. This way, it’s easy to control the consistency and stop when a few little lumps remain.
2. Bake in Alternating Cups
A muffin tin can be useful for turning out 12 party-ready appetizers in one go. But when you're using that tin for muffins, I prefer to stick to 6 at a time.
Staggering the cups and filling them in a 2-1-2-1 pattern (aka skipping a well between each that you fill) pays off in two ways. First, a smaller tin allows for better air circulation, which promotes even baking. There is also more space surrounding each muffin top, allowing room for the muffins to dome up and bloom into temptingly round muffin tops.
3. Flip Them Over ASAP
Once the muffins pass the toothpick test and are ready to be pulled from the oven, it can be tempting to leave them in the pan to cool completely. But doing so means that the residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the bottoms, plus, as they cool, condensation may build up and the pan-touching parts can get soggy.
Before adding the batter to the muffin tin, I ensure each well is generously greased so the muffins slide out easily. Post-bake, I allow the muffins to cool for 3 – 5 minutes in the pan, and then I remove them from the pan and flip them over to cool upside down on a wire rack or sheet of paper towels. Doing so helps prevent soggy bottoms and helps intensify the domed top, made possible by baking in alternating cups.
Once you have your perfectly-baked batch of muffins, all that’s left is storing them properly so they’ll stay moist and tasty for three days. Or try my final tip and flash freeze a few (then store them in an airtight bag in the freezer) so you can savor a bakery-quality muffin in a matter of minutes for months to come.
This article was written by Karla Walsh from Better Homes and Gardens and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
