If only the cupcakes you bake always looked as perfect as the ones you browse through Instagram, with delectable looking bases and flawless frosting! As it happens, you can.

Cupcakes may be small, but the lesser surface area makes it so much more difficult to hide or fix any errors in baking, which is why care in cupcake-baking is imperative. And that’s why we are here, to help you assess why it is that you have your common cupcake woes, and how you can avoid these in your next batch.

#1: Cupcakes are too dry

An excessive amount of flour is usually the cause of dry cupcakes. Baking is a science, and like any science, the right amount of variables gives you the right formula.

The next time you bake cupcakes , measure your ingredients, and time your baking. Over-baking is another reason why baked desserts dry out.

#2: Cupcakes sink in the middle

One of the nightmares every baker dreads coming true is when they take out their cakes and cupcakes from the oven only to watch them deflate.

The problem with deflated cupcakes lies in over-mixing. Too much whisking/beating means too much air in your batter, and once that air escapes the cupcake post-baking, the crumb deflates.

Follow this order of event when you are preparing cupcake batter: cream together the butter and the sugar, followed by adding in the flour, and finally the eggs. Give your mixture a good beat till all ingredients are combined, and proceed on to baking.

#3: Cupcakes overflow while baking

This one is simple enough: overflow happens when you overfill. Cupcakes bake with the laws of gravity intact; if the batter crosses the edge of the mold, it will overflow, not keep rising up. Make sure you get the right size of cupcake pans!

#4: Cupcake liners start peeling off

Lay the blame on the moisture in this; it shows up when you store still-warm cupcakes in air-tight containers. Baking in humid conditions can also enable natural moisture to occur between the crumb and the liner.

#5: Chocolate chips/berries/nuts sink to the bottom of the cupcakes

Because chips, nuts and berries have a higher density than cupcake batter, they will naturally sink down, especially when the batter becomes runnier during few minutes of baking.

To fix it, roll the add-ons in self-rising flour, which will help create friction between the add-ons and the batter, allowing them to stay in place.