Temperature for Twelve Cupcakes

Asked by Mayaa. Answered on 6th July 2014

Full question

I would like to halve the Red Velvet Cupcake recipe. Does the temperature and time you keep the cupcakes for in the oven remain the same if I'm making 12 cupcakes? What are the changes?

Our answer

Nigella's recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes (from Kitchen and on the Nigella website) makes 24 cupcakes, but it is fairly easy to halve the recipe and only make 12 cupcakes. When you are baking cupakes it is generally the size of the cake that matters for baking times and temperatures, rather than the number of cupcakes.

For 12 cupcakes the oven temperature and baking time are exactly the same as for 24 cupcakes. As one cupcake or muffin pan usually holds 12 cakes then it is also a convenient number for a standard pan. If you are baking less cupcakes than the pan is made for then arrange the cupcake cases in the outside holes of the pan first, then use the centre if you need to. Some people also find that half filling any empty/unused cups in the pan with water before baking helps the cupcakes to bake more evenly.