Orange and Cardamom Muffin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist muffins? ›

Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt: Sour cream helps keep the muffins extra moist. If needed, you can use plain yogurt instead. Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten these muffins. I used to use some brown sugar and some white granulated sugar, but brown sugar weighed the muffins down.

The number one rule for successful muffins is: Don't over-mix the batter. Use a rubber spatula to quickly fold (gently stir) the liquid ingredients into the dry ones.

Instead of filling every cavity, like most recipes tell you to, use every other cavity. At the bakery, we'd generously spray the pans with Pam, add fat plops of batter, and be rewarded with super-domed muffins.

Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods. Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake's flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture.

Recently I discovered that if I use sour cream in place of milk in a muffin recipe, I get a super moist, fluffy muffin! The switch is very easy. If a recipe calls for 3/4 cup of milk, I simply use 3/4 cup of sour cream instead. Occasionally, I need to add a bit more sour cream to moisten the muffin batter.

Rest the Muffin Batter

Make the batter, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the batter rest at room temperature for about 1 hour. If you're short on time, just 30 minutes can make a difference. When you rest the muffin batter, the flour has time to absorb more of the wet ingredients.

Cake Flour: The flour with the lowest protein content (5 to 8 percent). The relative lack of gluten-forming proteins makes cake flour ideal for tender baked goods, such as cakes (of course), but also biscuits, muffins and scones.

Ideal Muffin Cooking Temperature

That being said, the standard oven temperature for baking desserts like quick breads and muffins is commonly set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting your oven to this temperature will almost always produce a well-cooked muffin recipe.

Overmixing is a common problem with muffins. First combine dry ingredients, mixing well. Then combine liquid ingredients, mixing well. Finally combine dry and wet ingredients, by hand, using only 15 to 20 light strokes.

Should muffin batter be thick or runny? ›

Depending on what ingredients you're using, the batter will range from runny (like thin cake batter) to very thick (like drop-cookie dough). As a general rule, the thinner the batter, the lighter the muffins will be when baked. But don't be afraid to bake thick, gloppy batter.

Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein. As Fine Cooking explains, when the protein in eggs combines with the protein in flour, they produce the overall structure of the baked good.

The best way to fill them is 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full depending on your recipe. The best way is to play around with it a little bit to see what works best. Once you have it nailed down you should be good to go! Look at the picture below for a reference of what it looks like in the cupcake pan.

There's no question that the standard oven temperature of 350°F gets the job done for baking up muffins and quick breads.

The right amount of butter or oil, or a combination of both, is important to get a moist muffin. This fat is essential for producing a beautifully moist muffin with a tender crumb - so don't reduce the amount stated in the recipe.

First, prick the muffin tops all over with a toothpick. Next, pour your liquid of choice (e.g., milk or fruit juice) into a bowl, dip a pastry brush into it, and brush the tops of the muffins. The liquid will seep into the muffin's interior, soaking the crumb and softening the muffins, turning them as good as new.

Overbaking or underbaking the muffins.

Take the muffins out of the oven too soon and they're sticky and uncooked at the center. Bake them a few minutes too long, and those once-moist and fluffy muffins run the risk of turning dry.

According to O. Corriher, the way to get a perfectly puffed up dome on your muffins is to increase your oven heat. She says that 400° should do it, no matter what the recipe says. The higher baking temperature means that the the outside edges of the muffin will set while the middle is still liquidy.