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Home » Money Savin'

Thrifty Tip: Making your own Cupcake Pan

By Karrie on February 7, 2014 | Updated July 12, 2014 | 20 Comments

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Easy ways to make your own cupcake pan!

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.

Easy ways to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan!

Here are 3 new ways to make cupcakes without a cupcake pan.

Easy ways to make your own cupcake pan with things you have at home!

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!

Make cupcakes without using a cupcake pan!  So easy!

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.

Easy ways to make your own cupcake pan!

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?

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posted in: Money Savin', Thrifty Tips

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Precious says

    March 11, 2021

    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

    Reply
  2. Keliajay says

    October 26, 2020

    Glad I found these ideas …because I can’t find any muffin tin to purchase.

    Reply
    • Shiloh says

      February 17, 2023

      Yes so true

      Reply
  3. anna says

    February 18, 2017

    you can also make a carboard circle .just staple it around cupcake liner…….

    Reply
  4. nick says

    November 22, 2016

    If i choose to stack three paper cups together, can i take them apart after baking?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      November 28, 2016

      You should be able to. 🙂

      Reply
  5. celeste says

    June 22, 2016

    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

    Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward says

    August 12, 2015

    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.

    Reply
  7. Kelly says

    January 27, 2015

    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!

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      January 27, 2015

      Great tip!

      Reply
    • Wendy says

      November 15, 2015

      Thank you! My first thought after reading this was, “Why would I have muffin tin liners if I don’t have a muffin tin…”

      Reply
      • Diane says

        March 17, 2020

        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!

  8. Jane Holverson says

    May 28, 2014

    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.

    Reply
  9. cty says

    May 27, 2014

    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.

    Reply
  10. Michelle says

    March 23, 2014

    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.

    Reply
  11. jessie says

    February 10, 2014

    Cupcake maker

    Reply
  12. Rebekah says

    February 10, 2014

    I am actually very interested in the frosting recipe for the cupcake you have pictured. Pretty please?!

    Reply
    • Happy.MoneySaver says

      February 10, 2014

      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!

      Reply
      • Rebekah says

        February 12, 2014

        Mmmmmm,……thank you! I have to admit if there is one things I am weak for, it’s beautiful frosting. 🙂

  13. Nicolette says

    February 10, 2014

    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?? 😉

    Reply

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