Foil cupcake liners: you're probably using them wrong
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What in the world are you supposed to do with those little paper liners in between the foil cupcake liners? I'll tell you!
Cupcake liners
The other day my friend Shannan posted this revelation on Facebook: "So all my life, I have been leaving the paper liners inside the foil cupcake liners when I bake. Guess what, y'all? YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO!"
I chuckled to myself. Of course you're supposed to remove the paper from foil cupcake liners. It says so right there on the package!
I thought Shannan and my husband were the only people who didn't know this. But based on my extensive research (which consisted of reading the comments on her Facebook post) I realized that most people were doing this wrong. Am I the only person who reads instructions?
[Now, I should note here that when I first wrote this post, all of the foil liners I had in my kitchen had instructions on the package clearly stating that you're supposed to remove the paper separators. But people in the comments and on Facebook told me that they know how to read, and their liners had no such instructions. Know what? They were right! The ones I have in my cabinet right now don't have instructions. The ones I directed you to in that link up there don't have instructions. So it seems to be hit or miss: some companies are clear and helpful, others just assume you were born knowing what to do.]
Are you using foil cupcake liners wrong? Find out the secret you've probably been missing!Those paper separators are just there to keep the foil cupcake liners from sticking together. Even though they look the same as the non-stick paper liners, they're not. Good paper liners are usually coated with either quilon or silicone, both of which keep your muffins and cupcakes from sticking to the paper liners. The paper separators don't have that coating.
Paper separator test
Will they work? Sort of. They won't be terrible, but they won't be great.
Here's a cupcake baked in a regular paper separator. You can see that some of the cupcake stuck to the paper as I was removing it.
Now, here's a cupcake baked in a non-stick paper liner. That's a big difference!
Cookie sheet vs. muffin pan
But what about the other directions on the foil cupcake liner package?
That's right, you're supposed to put the foil cupcake liners on a cookie sheet!
Will it hurt anything to use the foil cupcake liners in a muffin pan? No. But you're wasting money. If you have muffin pans, you can use paper liners, which are cheaper.
Now, Shannan pointed out that she doesn't put her foil cupcake liners on a cookie sheet because she's afraid that they will spread out flat. They won't. But, they will spread out some.
Here are cupcakes baked in foil cupcake liners. The ones on the left were baked in a muffin pan, the ones on the right baked on a cookie sheet.
I'd filled all of them ¾ full, but because the ones on the cookie sheet spread out as I added the batter, those ended up being 42 grams, versus 31 grams for the ones in the muffin pan. If you want bigger cupcakes, great! But if you're trying to make normal-sized cupcakes, you really need to use a muffin tin, no matter which kind of liner you use.
Of course, you could just fill the cookie sheet ones half-way instead, but they'll be wide rather than tall. Or, go ahead and fill them three-quarters for bigger cupcakes and a wider area to decorate. Just remember that you'll end up with fewer cupcakes.
Decorative cupcake liners
There are also foil cupcake liners that have decorative paper on the outside. Not only are these pretty, but I've found that they don't spread out quite as much when baked on cookie sheets. The foil combined with the paper makes them a bit stiffer than the ones that are just foil.
The bottom line is, even if you're doing it wrong, you're still going to wind up with something delicious and acceptable. But if you want your cupcakes and muffins to be prettier, follow the instructions! And if you're using muffin tins, you can totally get away with using pretty paper liners. No reason to waste money on the foil liners!
Now that we've gone through all of that, what are you going to put into your muffin pan liners? You can try my Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, or my Reese's Banana Muffins.
Over Christmas, I was out of muffin baking cups, so I ran to the grocery & the only ones left were the individual foil cups. I am an exact example of someone who had never used the foil cups, along with no instructions on the package as to how to use. I was leery of using the foil for the 1st time, so I opted to use the paper, only (I guess I figured the company was offering both options). Well...what a mistake I had on my hands! The muffins stuck to the paper...AND the recipe was quite dry. Disaster!! So glad to see this blog to set me straight for my NEXT time.
I feel so dumb. You really don’t want to know how I’ve been using these for years! Thank you for teaching me that! Oh and you didn’t sound arrogant in your delivery to me. Ty again.
As a baker, I separate the foil from the paper & use the papers for my experimental recipes/tastings. Also, a full ice cream scoop will give you 18 cupcakes per batch from a box mix.
No where on my Reynolds Kitchens Foil Baking Cups does it say to remove the paper liners or to cook muffins on a sheet pan. I had to use google to find out why there are paper liners. But luckily ive been taking out the paper liners cuz i figured they were meant to separate the foil cups. Thanks for blogging about this.
@Rachel, I had never used the foil ones until about 6 months ago ( I am 76). It said nothing on the package so I just baked them with white liner left in the pretty purple foil but wondered why so many of the pretty foils came loose, now I know. I had a few left and was going to use them today but I just could not get them apart and I know they came apart before. Any tips on getting those liners out of the foils easily?
I’m making a banana bread recipe, and I usually bake the batter in a glass Pyrex loaf pan. I have to grease it first per the instructions. I want to bake the banana bread in Reynold’s foil baking cups instead. I know I am supposed to remove the paper liners before pouring in the batter. Is it necessary to spray the foil baking cups first with cooking spray?
Hard to say without trying it, but I never spray them for making muffins and they turn out great. Since they bake up rather quickly, maybe you could try one with and one without and then bake the rest up based on the results?
I don't even use liners in muffin pans for breads/muffins. I spray the pan and pour in about 1/2-1/3 batter and bake. If you wait till they cool completely they usually pull away from the pan and pop right out, no fuss.
The only time I use liners is for cupcakes (though they too work fine without them) because once you decorate, they become top-heavy and need the liner to sort of support them. But if you're doing a modest decoration, you can skip them then, too.
How much batter do you put in foil liners in a cupcake pan? Juat half full?
It really depends on what I want my cupcakes to look like. Half-full will usually get me a cupcake that doesn't really rise above the top of the foil liner, a small cupcake. If I want one that balloons over the top I usually go for 2/3 full. If I'm using a cake mix, the instructions are to divide it into 24 cupcakes, but I usually do 18 for bigger cupcakes.
Thank you! I had a feeling something wasn’t right about using both. And Two different brands of foil muffin cups didn’t say not to use the liners. I searched many sites for a simple answer to a simple question. THANK YOU!!!!!!
You're very welcome! Glad I could help.
How do you manage to separate them without damaging the foil? Are mine just packed more tightly than most? I'm bending the edge to separate. First time trying it but I'm not happy with the result.
Hi Kathy, are you sure you're using the ones that are supposed to be separated? There are cupcake liners that have foil and paper attached.
A little arrogant in the delivery, but thanks for the info just the same. I can read, but my foil liners came without any directions at all. I have baked extensively before, but not with foil liners. I chose them for their aesthetic qualities even though they are more expensive than paper liners. Say what you will about the pretty paper liners available, but if you are making dark chocolate cupcakes, many paper liners do not show up well. (Particularly the 3 choices available at Krogers.)
That's what I came here to say.
Glad I found the answer to my question, but yes I can read and no, it was not written anywhere on the package.
I'm having a problem with my non-stick cupcake pan having my cupcake paper liners leaving a red/pink marks from the colors. What can I use to remove the colors? On a non-stick pan?
Hmmm, that's a tough one. The only thing I can think of is Carbona oven cleaner, which I use to get grime off of my nonstick electric griddle and waffle plates.
Hi I wanted to know using printed liners for cup cakes safe for health .
I have no qualms about using them, but I am completely unqualified to answer that question for someone else.
. Here I am 60 years old and learning something new... I bet reading the instructions I could learn a lot. HahahHa
I'm going to add, my container doesn't include the directions on it, so maybe that's why not everyone knows? Hmm.
Oh that's weird! Mine always do.
Same here. I've looked for directions but could never find any on the package. But OK I get it now.
Oh gosh this is funny! I should read directions. I just decided to search the web as I had no idea why they would need double liners for the cupcake! Turns out I have been using them wrong! Ha. Thanks for the information!
I'm so glad I came across this lil article because I always remember my grandmother using the Reynolds foil liners and she always left the paper inside. As time went on and I became older and wiser, I started questioning if it was the right way and there were no directions on the package. Ty, ty!
Can i ues the foil and then use paper cup then spray it
I don't know, I've never tried it. But that seems like an awful lot of work.