Cupcakes are my go-to dessert especially when I am feeding a lot of people. First, they are so stinkin’ cute. Second, who doesn’t love having a fistful of cake and frosting of their very own? Third, you don’t need any utensils to eat it! Those three things equal a perfect dessert in my book! But when I need to make 24 cupcakes my simple 12 cupcake pan doesn’t quite cut it.
Here are 3 new ways to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan.
1. Use your mason jar lids: Mason jar lids are perfect for holding the cupcake liners. Set them on a baking sheet about two inches apart. Add the liners in the middle of the lids and fill as usual. The metal rims around the lids will create a barrier holding up the paper cups and you will get perfectly shaped cupcakes!
2. Use foil liners: These metallic liners can be used in the cupcake pan or by themselves. Just set them out on a baking sheet and fill them up. The thick foil holds the shape as it is cooking and also creates a silver liner on the cupcake. If you don’t like the silver shine as your cupcake liner leave the white paper in and unwrap the foil after it is done cooling so it will match the rest of your other cupcake liners.
3. Triple the paper liners: If you are in a pinch—we’ve all been there!—and all you have are the basic cupcake liners, stack three cupcake paper liners together. You can even move each cupcake close together in a smaller pan for support while they are cooking.
Do you have any other ingenious ways to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan?
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
ANN JENSEN says
YOU ARE A GEM! I LOVE USING THE JAR RINGS. GOOD GIRL.
GRAMMY ANN
Precious says
Super thanks for this one. Now I can bake cupcakes without the tray.. 😄 I’ll be using 3pcs paper liners. God bless you.. –Winter’s Delight SG
Keliajay says
Glad I found these ideas …because I can’t find any muffin tin to purchase.
Shiloh says
Yes so true
anna says
you can also make a carboard circle .just staple it around cupcake liner…….
nick says
If i choose to stack three paper cups together, can i take them apart after baking?
Karrie says
You should be able to. 🙂
ANN JENSEN says
DUH
celeste says
Im glad i found these ideas they helped me so much and these ideas of cupcake pans are better than buying them there is no waste of money on these amazing ideas
Anonymous Coward says
I used soda cans. Hack the top and bottom off with a knife, flatten the cylinder and cut it into strips with a pair of solid scissors. Obviously be careful with the jagged edge the knife left. Reform the strips back into circles and there you have it.
Kelly says
I’ve been stuck a few times with no cupcake tray and only limited paper patty pans to work with. I’ve found a good solution that worked well was to crumple up aliminium/tin foil and shape it around the base of the patty pans. You can even keep these on hand for next time or, depending on how tight you crumpled, you may even be able to unroll the foil and use as normal!
Happy.MoneySaver says
Great tip!
Wendy says
Thank you! My first thought after reading this was, “Why would I have muffin tin liners if I don’t have a muffin tin…”
Diane says
You’re funny. I bought some on sale, even though I don’t own them, but I haven’t found the stainless steel ones that I am searching for. I wanted to be prepared for when I get them. 🙂
I can’t wait to try the triple layer method!
Jane Holverson says
I have used jar rings since I was a kid (many years). But I turn them over. It seems to hold the papers upright better especially when you get the batter in them.
cty says
Never thought of using the canning jar rings–I always just place the paper liner inside a 4 oz canning jar and baked them that way. If you don’t have liners you can serve them in the jars. Sometimes I bake them in 8 oz jars (a little less than 1/2 full); after they cool, I screw the canning lid & band on & freeze. This way we have cake on hand when we want it.
Bet the large mouth jars bands would work for jumbo muffins too.
Michelle says
I remember a time when cup cake liners were called patty pans and they stood up on their own, just lay out on a tray and you were good to fill bake and go.
jessie says
Cupcake maker
Rebekah says
I am actually very interested in the frosting recipe for the cupcake you have pictured. Pretty please?!
Happy.MoneySaver says
Anything for you! 🙂 It is actually quite easy! Just stiffly whipped cream with mint flavoring, powdered sugar and a little green food coloring! Pile on the frosting with a large star tip and then a little melted chocolate drizzled on top!
Rebekah says
Mmmmmm,……thank you! I have to admit if there is one things I am weak for, it’s beautiful frosting. 🙂
Nicolette says
What about those silicone baking cups?? I feel like they’re missing and deserve a mention just b/c they are reusable, and then guests could already have a peeled cupcake. 🙂
http://amzn.to/1iRLPVMs
You listed some options that hadn’t occurred to me at all, though! Who needs a muffin tin?? 😉