PIES AND TACOS
You opened the oven door too early: Opening the oven door too early can let cold air in. The cold air can cause the cupcakes to contract or collapse. How to fix: don’t open the oven door in the first 10 or 12 minutes of baking.
Expired leavening agents: If the baking powder or baking soda you are using are expired or old, your cupcakes may sink in the middle. How to fix: check if the baking powder or baking soda you are using are fresh.
Over creaming the butter: you will end up incorporating way too much air into the batter, which will lead to collapsing cupcakes. How to fix: Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes on medium or medium-high speed. Don’t really go beyond the 2 or 3 minute mark.
Over beating the eggs: you will end up incorporating way too much air into the batter, which will lead to collapsing cupcakes. How to fix: add the eggs one at a time, and make sure that one egg is incorporated before adding the next one. And once the last egg has been added, stop mixing.
Over mixing the batter: Now I am specifically talking about over mixing the batter once you add the flour and dry ingredients in. It can lead to dry, dense, collapsing cupcakes. How to fix: fold the dry ingredients only until combined. Stop folding once you don’t see any streaks of dry ingredients in the batter.
Hot oven: If your oven is running high, it will cause the cupcakes to rise too rapidly, and the middle won’t be baked, which will cause the cupcakes to sink. How to fix: set your oven to the temperature the recipe is calling for. Make sure to have a thermometer around.
Under baking: If you under bake the cupcakes they will sink, because the middle of the cupcake won’t have a chance to set and rise properly. How to fix: test if the cupcake is fully baked by touching the top gently with your finger. If it springs right back, it’s done.
Letting the batter sit: If you let the batter sit, the leavening agents may lose their rising properties. How to fix: bake the cupcakes as soon as you are done mixing the batter.
Over filling the cupcake pan: If you add too much batter, it will rise too much and will consequently deflate, causing he middle of the cupcakes to look sad and sunken. How to fix: fill up each cavity with up to 2/3 of the way with batter. Always pay attention to what the recipe is calling for.
Cocoa powder: Pay close attention to the type of cocoa powder the recipe is calling for! How to fix: As a rule of thumb, use natural cocoa powder, unless the recipe calls for dutch-process cocoa.