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I have to bake a white chocolate mud cake after work and I am always left with some batter, which I then use to bake cupcakes. As mudcake takes a couple of hours to bake (at least my recipe), by the time I will finish, it will be too late to bake the cupcakes.

Is it possible to leave the cupcake batter in the cupcake baking tray in the fridge to be baked the next day? Are there any tips when doing so?

EDIT: Here's the ingredients:

WHITE CHOC MUDCAKE

  • 500 g butter (melted in microwave)
  • 400 ml water
  • 300 g white chocolate (melted in microwave)
  • 2 cups caster sugar
  • 5 eggs (large)
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 2 cups self raising flour

The rest is just mixing wet with dry ingredients and baking at 150 degrees till baked.

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  • It would probably be helpful if you shared the specific recipe so we know what we are working with.
    – Preston
    Jun 16, 2014 at 5:44
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    @PrestonFitzgerald: I will update the question soon with the recipe details
    – Divi
    Jun 16, 2014 at 5:45
  • @PrestonFitzgerald: Updated as requested
    – Divi
    Jun 16, 2014 at 8:40
  • Is the leavening in self-rising flour "double-acting" ? If so, you'll get some leavening when the mixture is heated, but you'd have already lost much of the bubbles escaping. See my answer about storing pancake batter
    – Joe
    Jun 16, 2014 at 10:06
  • I would bake the cupcakes before baking the cake. Or reduce the amount of every ingredient a bit to prevent having leftovers.
    – doctoraw
    Jun 20, 2014 at 8:47

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It most likely will not work well to do that. Unfortunately, baking powder (in this case in your self-rising flour) starts the chemical reaction that gives cakes their lift as soon as the powder meets liquid. If the baking powder is single action, all of the bubbles are created when the water meets liquid and the heat of baking doesn't really play a role. If the baking powder is double action, some of the leavening reaction occurs when the batter is mixed, the rest of it happens while baking. So, if your self rising flour is made with single action baking soda, the cupcakes will fail if the batter is held overnight. If your self rising flour is made with double action baking powder the cupcakes will not have all of the lift they should, but may be OK. I have many times saved pancake batter for 24 hours and used it with no problem (flour, double action baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, eggs), but optimal lift isn't as crucial in a breakfast pancake as it would be for cupcakes.

That thought does present a possible "out of the box" solution to your problem. Could you cook your leftover batter on the stove while the cake is baking? I would try one in a skillet with a lot of butter, flip it when it's good and bubbly. I don't know where you are from or if pancakes are something with which you are familiar, but pancake batter and cake batter are very similar. They wouldn't be cupcakes, they would be something else entirely, but they could be very good.

If you decide to make cupcakes with day-old batter and your self rising flour is made with single action baking soda, or you're not sure, you should make your own "self rising flour" to give yourself the best odds. For 2 cups (`225 grams) of cake or pastry flour (soft, lower protein than all purpose) add 3 tsp double action baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

I'm assuming that you've considered cooking the cake and the cupcakes simultaneously in the oven and you have reason to not do that.

(Edited after Joe's comment about single vs double action baking powder)

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  • Thanks and yes, I am familiar with pancakes, cakes and cupcakes. I am partucularly after cupcakes.
    – Divi
    Jun 16, 2014 at 6:08
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    @Divi How long do the cupcakes take to bake? Could it possibly work to just reverse the order and bake the cupcakes first?
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Jun 16, 2014 at 6:10
  • Cupcakes take about 40-50 minutes as well because of the type of batter. But that's a good idea.
    – Divi
    Jun 16, 2014 at 6:12
  • @Divi I'm imagining stacking pancakes with some kind of filling in between, maybe cream cheese frosting (?), something that will solidify a bit in the fridge overnight. Then tightly wrapping the whole thing and decorating/frosting it the next day. That doesn't help if you want something to bring to an elementary school class, but it could be a really cool dessert. :)
    – Jolenealaska ♦
    Jun 16, 2014 at 6:25
  • It would definitely be yum, but I want to decorate and then sell these cupcakes at work :)
    – Divi
    Jun 16, 2014 at 6:27

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