Recipes rarely tell you how many cupcakes they make, and the answer changes with the size of the cups. This calculator converts any amount of batter into mini, standard or jumbo cupcakes and plans the baking.
Batter per cupcake
Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds full, so they rise into a dome without overflowing:
| Size | Batter per cupcake | Baking at 350 °F |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | about 1 tablespoon | 10 to 12 minutes |
| Standard | about 3 tablespoons (scant ¼ cup) | 18 to 20 minutes |
| Jumbo | about ½ cup | 25 to 30 minutes |
A standard box cake mix makes about 4 to 5 cups of batter, which is why boxes promise 24 cupcakes. A recipe for a 9 × 13 in cake gives about 6 cups, or 30 to 32 standard cupcakes.
The calculation
cupcakes = batter ÷ batter per cupcake
With 4.5 cups at 3 tablespoons (3/16 cup) each: 4.5 ÷ 0.1875 = 24 cupcakes, two 12-cup pans. If you have only one pan, bake in batches; keep the waiting batter at room temperature and bake it within about 30 minutes.
Tips for even cupcakes
- Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion the batter evenly; a 3 tablespoon scoop is a #20 size.
- Bake on the middle rack and rotate the pans halfway through.
- Check doneness with a toothpick in the center: it should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Fill any empty cups in the pan with a little water so the pan heats evenly.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then on a rack before frosting.
Converting a cake recipe
Most butter or oil cake batters work as cupcakes. Dense batters, like pound cake, take a few minutes longer; very thin batters may sink in the middle if the liners are too full. Lower the oven temperature by 25 °F for jumbo cupcakes so the edges do not overbake before the center sets.
Frosting
Plan about 1 tablespoon of frosting for a mini cupcake, 2 to 3 for a standard one with a simple swirl, and up to ¼ cup for a tall piped swirl. The frosting calculator gives totals.