Lemon Muffins Recipe Recipe | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to high muffins? ›

The idea here is to start the muffins in a very hot oven for just a short amount of time. This activates the baking powder and allows the muffins to shoot up in height quickly. We then turn the heat down and continue to cook for longer. This is done to avoid over-browning and overbaking.

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. A few streaks of flour still showing is okay, especially if you plan to add in extra ingredients like fruits and nuts.

The best bakery-style crumb muffins start with cake flour

Cake flour is more finely ground and has less protein, which leaves the muffins with a fine, light crumb and soft texture. Using cake flour is an easy way to avoid heavy, dense muffins even if you end up stirring just a bit too much.

Start the oven on high

Bake your muffins at 400°F for the first 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to the more standard 350°F for the remainder of the bake time. This method sparks the leavening agents (especially baking powder) in the batter to react quicker, creating that gorgeously risen top.

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the 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.

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.

Quickbreads and muffins are hydrating batters, which means the flour absorbs the liquid over time, resulting in a very moist muffin, and improving the flavor. So let your muffin batter rest, up to 24 hours if possible.

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.

If the batter is overmixed, tunnels develop inside the muffins during baking and the texture changes from that of bread to cake. Top crusts turn out smooth and peaked. To produce first-rate muffins, begin by thoroughly blending the dry ingredients--flour, sugar, baking powder and salt--in a medium-sized bowl.

What is the trick to the fluffiest muffins may already be in your kitchen? ›

Yogurt is the secret to achieving optimal muffin fluffiness and also gives the not-too-sugary lemon cake batter even more tangy complexity. If you don't already keep plain whole-milk yogurt in the refrigerator, now is a good time to start.

Vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature, so it helps to create a very soft crumb, perfect for muffins! It's my FAVOURITE ingredient to include in muffin recipes! Muffins should be light and fluffy, not dense.

Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, is a commonly known food additive and baking ingredient. While there are many uses of baking soda, it is commonly found in recipes as a leavening agent to help baked goods rise.

Over-mixing – If you mix the muffin batter too much it can create a VERY dense muffin with huge pockets of air inside.

Not enough leavening agent. This can happen with unsifted flour (sifting also helps incorporate air), using the wrong type of flour (especially if the recipe calls for self-raising), or using old or improperly-stored flour or baking soda/powder.