Secret for Moist Cupcakes

After you bake and frost them the night before, keep them in the (cold) oven over night so that they dont dry out on the counter. Even if they are covered they do, so keeping them in the oven keeps them cool and moist.

Add a few tablespoons of plain applesauce, that's a trick I learned when my friend was a baker at Sprinkles cupcakes in Scottsdale Az...

Make the pound cake recipe on the side of the box. If it is not on the side, you can look it up on the website. Basically, there are more eggs, and you add a box of instant pudding. Very easy!

My aunt has her own cake business, and she swears by putting sour cream into the cake batter. I think about 1 tbsp. Her cakes are always the best!

If you're using a box cake, and it says bake cupcakes for 18-23 minutes, I take mine out very early, around maybe 15-16 minutes. That prevents drying out. I too use milk whenever is says water. And with white cake, I always use about 1/4 cup of sour cream. It makes it more moist and dense. (And no, you won't taste the sour cream at all).

I have taken run of the mill cake mixes and by adding a pkg of the instant pudding mix ( just dry and a complimentary flavor to your cake mix chocolate for chocolate vanilla for white etc) and one cup of sour cream then make cake mix as it calls for on side of box makes it incredible!!! So moist, so dense and yummy!!!

If you use a box add milk instead of water

I agree - nothing is worse than dry cupcakes! I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that I am happy to share with you: pumpkin puree (100% pure pumpkin puree in a can) makes it moist (just throw some into your batter - try 1/2 a cup - if that's not good, try a little more). You can also try ricotta cheese - that tastes awesome in baking recipes and also gives it a lot of moistness (also try a 1/2 cup)! Applesauce should work, too. Good luck!

<grin> I love the different answers. Here's my secret. (Semi-pro)

Corn Oil & toothpicks

I bake (to decorate), and I substitute corn oil whether it's a scratch recipe, or a box mix. The corn oil keeps a cake (uncovered!) moist for about 2 days, and covered for about a week. It also adds a depth and richness of flavor that is *seriously* lacking from veggie or canola oil.

When you're baking set the timer for the *lowest* setting (aka if it says 14-18 minutes... check at 14). Insert toothpick. It should come out wet or with crumbs your first test. If not, then you have a hot oven, and you need to adjust your time downward. Test again in a minute or three. The moment the toothpick comes out clean, pull the cupcakes.

Sour cream will make a nice moist crumb. Applesauce will make them kinda gummy and a little unpleasant.

Don't over cook them. That is one of the main reasons I find that makes them so dry. Also, don't over beat the mix.

Extra egg yolks.. That is the secret.

Use applesauce instead of oil.

Best cupcakes I have ever made/tasted: use a box of red velvet cake mix and stir in a bag of semisweet chocolate chips. Ice the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

my aunt, who has done wedding cakes and birthday cakes for 40 years (or so), always adds a glob of mayo to her mixes. She uses duncan hines boxed mixes, takes a standard large spoon from any silverware set and just puts one heaping spoonful per box into the mix. Always super moist and totally yummy ... this is plain standard mayonaise ... NOT miracle whip or anything like that.

Betty Crocker cake mixes are by far the best.

I always had to add extra water to Pillsbury for some reason.

Make them the day before, frost and cover. They'll be fine.

As long as you don't overcook them, they won't be dry. Also, go stay away from light cake. Chocolate is always more moist, especially with cup cakes.

Hi,

Yes to the spoon of Mayo, Yes to the corn oil, Yes to the extra egg! We do all three of these. The only other thing I have to add is to Sack Them! When you take the cupcakes out of the oven let them cool slightly then put them in a zip lock baggie while warm and store them there until you ice them. They will stay moist and dense. Happy Cupcake Making!

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throw in a half packet of instant pudding, vanilla usually, or you can use a flavor that's complementary to the flavor of cake. And whatever the instructions are for how many minutes you should bake them, use the lowest number and take them out the very second the timer goes off. Even if they don't look "done" they will be and will continue to bake as they cool. Just keep them in the tins still while they are cooling on top of the stove.

Ok this is gonna sound so gross....
I use Mayo.
I get a box of devils food cake mix and mini chocolate chips.
When I make the mix, I make it according to the box and I add one or two big spoonfulls of mayo and mix in some mini chips.
I promise you, you can't taste the mayo and it makes your cupcakes extra moist, after all it's mostly eggs and oil. =)

Well you have a ton of suggestions.

I used box cake mix. Normally the extra moist ones that say there is pudding added. If not, I add a box of instant pudding.

Additional egg

Greek yogurt instead of the oil. About half a individual container of plain Greek yogurt = about 1/2 cup yogurt.

Makes them moist. Takes the fat out of the recipe. Tastes great!!!

*** I personally do not like applesauce in my cakes. I know people say they can't taste it or notice the texture, but I do. That's why I started experimenting with the yogurt. :-)

Never use a generic brand. Scratch recipes tend to be dry..horrrible concept, but true. Add this to a box:
1 C. sugar
1 C. flour
1 C. sour cream
1 1/4 C. Liquid coffee creamer - plain or flavored
3/4 C. egg whites
1/3 C. veg oil
1 sm pkg instant pudding - coordinate with other flavors
1 tsp vanilla - clear if making a white cake
Mix on med speed for 2 mins. (Time it!) Bake 350 for about 20 mins. Test for doneness. Tip: refrigerate overnight (don't freeze) They will be the moistest cupcakes you have ever eaten. And for God's sake don't make your icing with all shortening. At the most use a 2:1 ratio of butter to shortening. The only sin worse than that is to use that goop from a can. Really...it's a special occasion. Make them good! You can morph this basic recipe into any flavor you want - even add mini chips or nuts. Be creative. Eat cake...often.

pudding and sour cream help

After the cupcakes cool, put them in ziplock bags and put them in the freezer for at least 24 hours. You can take them out of the freezer (leave them in ziplock bags) a couple hours before you need them so they can defrost. Moist, delicious cupcakes every time. (Note that a cake will take longer to defrost.)

The secret is to NOT OVER BAKE! Take out of oven and test a good 5-10 earlier than stated. Learn to know your oven and that way every cupcake, brownie, cake, quick bread will be a winner!

Instant pudding or mayonnaise.