Trying to remove baked goods from your baking sheet has always been an exercise in frustration, especially for delicate cupcakes, which is why many bakers turn to cupcake liners. They’re not just for function, either, as cupcake liners are available in a huge range of colors and designs, shapes, sizes and materials. Some are even reusable for the environmentally conscious.
The best cupcake liners are the Wilton Rainbow Bright Standard Cupcake Liners, 300 Count. This huge pack of 300 cupcake liners comes in six bright and fun colors for spicing up your cupcake presentation game and they only cost $0.03 per individual cupcake liner.
Paper: The most common material used for cupcake liners is simple pieces of paper. They can be cut or molded into some shapes, but they’re usually just standard circles. They aren’t recyclable but can be composted.
Aluminum: Think of aluminum cupcake liners as reinforced paper cupcake liners, as most still use some amount of paper. There are pure aluminum cupcake liners available, if you prefer. Aluminum cupcake liners are not recyclable or compostable and tend to cost a few extra cents per liner.
Food-grade silicone: Food-grade silicone cupcake liners aren’t as widely made or used, as most bakers don’t wish to go through the hassle of collecting their liners after their cupcakes have been eaten. They can cost ten times or more than a paper or aluminum cupcake liner and may come in small quantities, which makes purchasing enough for large-scale baking expensive. They can save money over time if you bake cupcakes consistently, and they often come in fun shapes instead of only circles.
The standard cupcake liner size and shape aligns with most cupcake/muffin baking tins and is circular with a height of 2.25 inches and base width of 1.75 inches. There are many different sizes and shapes available, however, including miniature and jumbo sizes and shapes meant to evoke flowers, stars and even hearts.
Cupcake liners always come in packs. Non-reusable cupcake liners can come in packs of almost any quantity, though most start around 20 and reach highs of around 600. Reusable cupcake liners typically come in packs of either six, 12 or 24.
When it comes to most sets of cupcake liners, you won’t be spending more than $10, which makes the cost per liner the price to look out for. Even then, the cost is exceptionally low, as most packs of cupcake liners average out to $0.02 per cupcake liner. Some cupcake liners made of better materials and in smaller quantities might hit $.05 per cupcake liner.
Silicone cupcake liners still average out to around $10, with some of the better brands or larger packs increasing to around $15.
A. No, non-reusable cupcake liners such as paper and aluminum are not recyclable. This is because any material with food waste attached is unrecyclable using current recycling practices; it’s the same reason why pizza boxes aren’t recyclable, despite being cardboard. Purely paper cupcake liners are compostable with the proper equipment, however. Aluminum cupcake liners are not recyclable or reusable in any way.
A. When it comes to baking cupcakes, there are two areas to consider: the mixing of the batter and the baking of the batter.
Mixing: When mixing cupcake batter, you have two options — you can do it by hand with a large mixing bowl and a whisk, or you can use a stand mixer to do the work for you. If you don’t bake or cook often, using a bowl and whisk is perfectly fine. If you regularly find yourself toiling away in the kitchen, having a good stand mixer can save you trouble on all manner of dishes.
Baking: Baking cupcakes is traditionally done using a cupcake pan and an oven. There are devices made specifically for baking small amounts of cupcakes, like cupcake makers, which can be helpful if you don’t have an oven or are baking with a child.
Wilton Rainbow Bright Standard Cupcake Liners, 300 Count
What you need to know: These bright and fun cupcake liners add a little splash of color to your delicious goodies.
What you’ll love: If you don’t like the solid color set, Wilton offers three alternate sets which add some design work to the mix.
What you should consider: Some reviewers noted that the colors of these cupcake liners bleed into and stain some cupcake pans.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Mr. Miracle Standard Size White Cupcake Liners, Pack of 500
What you need to know: This ultra-large pack of cupcake liners is perfect for when you don’t want to distract from the individual cupcakes.
What you’ll love: The paper of these cupcake liners is compostable if you have the proper compost bin.
What you should consider: The packaging forces these cupcake liners tightly together, which may cause them to stick to each other, making the usable quantity less than 500.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
LetGoShop Reusable Silicone Cupcake Liners
What you need to know: These cupcake liners are reusable for saving money and for being environmentally conscious.
What you’ll love: You can make more than just cupcakes with these reusable silicone molds, including muffins, gelatin or even fun shapes of ice.
What you should consider: There are only six pieces for each of the four shapes, so you’ll need more packages or extra rounds of baking to make large, uniform batches.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Jordan Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
