Cakes & Frostings #16
Cupcake Batter Yield Calculator
Turn a cake recipe into cupcakes, count what your batter will make, or find how much batter you need for a party, for mini, standard or jumbo liners, with the right scoop and baking time.
How to use it
- Choose what you want to know: cupcakes from a cake recipe, from your batter, or batter for a number of cupcakes.
- Pick the liner size and how full to fill each cup.
- Use the scoop size shown for even cupcakes, and the baking time for your size.
How it works
A standard US muffin cup holds about ⅓ cup to the rim (minis about 1½ tablespoons, jumbo about ¾ cup). Filled two-thirds full, a standard cupcake takes about 3½ tablespoons of batter.
From a cake recipe, the batter is estimated from the recipe's pans: typical layer-cake recipes fill their pans a little over a third, so a two-layer 9-inch recipe makes about 6 cups of batter, or 27 standard cupcakes. Scoop sizes are standard disher numbers (scoops per quart).
Assumptions and limits
- Muffin pans and liners vary a little; bake a test pan when the count matters.
- Batter yields assume a butter-cake batter.
Tips
- A #20 scoop (3¼ tablespoons) gives even standard cupcakes every time.
- Fill empty cups in a partly used pan with water so the cupcakes bake evenly.
- Cool cupcakes in the pan 5 minutes, then on a rack, before frosting.
Recipes to try it with
Questions
How many cupcakes does a cake recipe make?
A two-layer 8- or 9-inch cake recipe makes about 24 to 30 standard cupcakes, and a 9x13 recipe about 24.
How many cupcakes does a box of cake mix make?
About 20 to 24 standard cupcakes, or about 70 minis.
How full should cupcake liners be?
Two-thirds full for a gentle dome, half full for flat tops that are easy to decorate.
How long do I bake cupcakes?
18 to 22 minutes at 350°F for standard size, 10 to 14 for minis and 25 to 30 for jumbo.