If you’ve ever wondered why we use cupcake liners and when to use them, look no further. I’ve included everything you need to know about paper cups in this article, from the types of different paper cups available to why we use them in the first place.
You should always grease or line your cake pan before pouring in the batter and inserting a paper liner into the bottom of it to prevent sticking.
Some people also like to grease their paper liners with a bit of butter, margarine, spray cooking oil, or a mixture of liquid fat and flour.
This will make removing your cake pan much easier, as well as keeping any crumbs off the sides of your oven racks while baking (minor cleanup!).
There are four different types of cupcake liners: greaseproof paper, non-stick baking liners, old-fashioned cupcake liners, and decorative cupcake wrappers.
Types of Cupcake Liners
There are generally two types of cupcake liners – those explicitly marketed for cupcakes and those made for muffins.
While the names might make it sound like there is a big difference between them, they are both made of paper and can be used interchangeably.
The main difference is that cupcake liners marketed specifically for cupcakes tend to be slightly smaller in size, making them perfect for those tiny cupcakes we all love.
Liners come in various styles and materials, as shown in the image below. The most common liner types are as follows:
White Paper Baking Cups
White paper baking cups are a slightly more expensive option, but they are my favorite for a few reasons.
First of all, the color never bleeds, even when I use colorful icing or natural dye to color the batter.
Second, the cups always come out clean – no sticking and no greasy residue.
Third of all, they have a natural “fluting” that gives your cupcakes an excellent shape (especially if you pipe the frosting on top).
You can usually find white paper baking cups at specialty stores or online.
Get More How to Thicken Tomato Soup (9 Easy Ways)
Decorative Paper Baking Cups
People often think that paper baking cups are cheaper and more cost-effective than silicone baking cups.
However, paper baking cups don’t hold cake ingredients and tend to break or soften with heat better than silicone baking cups.
They also need to be soaked in water before using, making the batter runny and affecting cupcake dimensions.
Check Out How to Thicken Milk (And Why You Might Want To)
Foil Cupcake Liners
Foil cupcake liners are a great option if you want your cupcakes to have a bit of shine or if you’re looking for a liner that will hold its shape well.
They’re also a good choice if you’re looking for a liner that’s a bit stronger than the standard white liners. Foil liners can be purchased in colored or silver foil.
They’re more potent than the standard white liners, so expect to pay a little more for these. They also hold their shape well, so you can fill the liner and place them on a cookie sheet to bake if you run out of cupcake baking tins.
Get Out How to Thicken Evaporated Milk
Flower Petal Shaped Liners
Flower petal-shaped cupcake liners are a unique and attractive way to dress up your cupcakes.
They come in various colors, including pink, yellow, and blue, and can be used for special occasions like Easter or a baby shower.
Check Out How to Tell When Your Banana Bread Is Done
Glassine Baking Cups
Glassine baking cups are a great way to make sure your baked goods come out in one piece. They’re also resistant to both air and water, so they provide an easy release and look great too.
Get More How to Store Used Tea Bags (Plus Uses for Them)
Solid Board Baking Cups
The Solid Board Baking Cups are perfect for freezer-to-oven applications.
These cups are 100% recycled content that provides a robust barrier to resist moisture and grease. They’re also an alternative to foil, paper, or glassine cups.
Eclair Cups
Eclair Cups are perfect for displaying pastries or other items. They come in two sizes; 4 1/2″ and 5 1/2″.
Eclair cups are durable plastic and make it easy to display pastries in unsanitary conditions neatly.
These cupcake liners also offer stability which is great for when you need to stack items that may be top-heavy or at risk of sliding off the edge.
Paper Fluted Holders
Burger cups, also known as paper fluted holders, are a type of food container used to serve food.
The container is made from paper and is designed so that it can hold food without making contact with the food.
This prevents the food from contacting any contaminants and keeps it sanitary.
The cup is also fluted, which means it has ridges on the sides. This allows the cup to hold more food and makes it easier to eat.
How to Use Cupcake Liners
There are a few different ways to use cupcake liners, and each method has its own set of pros and cons. Here are the three most common ways to use them:
Provide Easy Cleanup
Most people use cupcake liners to make their baking easier. When you bake with liners, you can easily remove the baked good from the liner, making them easy to clean up.
You can bake with or without liners at your preference, but using them does make it easier to give each person a clean serving.
Keep in the Moisture
When you bake with cupcake liners, you can keep the moisture in, making them stay fresh for a more extended period. The liner traps the steam from the baking process, which helps keep the water in.
If you are not a fan of liners or running low on them, you can also spray your muffin tin with cooking spray. This will help create a barrier between the container and the baked good and will do the same job as using a liner.
Help Cupcakes Keep Their Shape
By lining your cupcakes with a liner, you can ensure that they will not lose their shape while baking and come out looking like muffins.
Cupcake liners also simplify the serving process, and clean-up is less of an issue.
Cupcake liners trap in the moisture and keep it in, which means that your cupcakes will stay fresher for longer and won’t dry out.
If you don’t have liners or run out, spraying your pan with cooking spray does the same thing!
Keep Cupcakes and Muffins from Burning
Cupcakes are delicious but can be a hassle to bake. The best way to prevent this is by using cupcake liners, especially if your recipe calls for dark, nonstick pans.
Liners will help you avoid burnt edges on your batter. Keep cupcakes and muffins from burning with the simple addition of these liners, which are also great for other non-bake desserts like ice cream cups!
Keep Your Non-Stick Pans Looking New
One way that you can keep your non-stick pans looking new is by using cupcake liners. Cupcake liners are a thin, paper cup that you put your batter in to cook.
The thickness of the paper makes it easy for the batter to slide off and not stick to the pan.
To use them, just grab a liner and fold it in half so that the clean edge pops out of the crease of the liner.
Fold up and down and then unfold and lift into position on your baking sheet.
You’ll need to grease your baking sheets with butter or cooking spray instead of oil, so the heated pan has something to adhere to after you remove it from the oven.
To Grease Cupcake Liners or Not
Greasing cupcake liners is unnecessary, but there are times when an extra line of defense will help.
Greasing the liner ensures that a cupcake will slide off a liner easily and lessens the likelihood that an egg-white rich batter will stick to the paper.
The most important thing about greasing a liner is to use baking spray instead of solid fats like butter or shortening. Grease from these fats can leave behind specks of fat on a food, which can spoil your cake’s appearance and texture.
Greasing cupcake liners can be a big help when it comes to getting your cupcake out of the pan quickly.
This is especially true when you are using a batter that contains beaten egg whites since they are pretty delicate.
If you don’t grease the liner, there is a much greater chance for your cupcakes to stick in the pan and for the cake to crack while you try to release it.
Conclusion
Cupcake liners can be an absolute convenience in the kitchen for all types of baking.
They help to keep your cupcakes from sticking to the pan, they make it easier to get them out, and they also prevent burning on edges when you bake with dark non-stick pans.
=>It’s essential that you use cooking spray instead of butter or shortening so that there is no chance of leaving behind specks of fat on your food which could spoil its appearance and texture.