The Best Cupcake Hacks from America’s Test Kitchen

Cookboomarked! is our new series where we review the latest cookbooks from the foodie influencers you follow. Check back often to find out which new releases are worth your hard-earned cash and the recipes you should try first from each.

Cupcakes are essentially all the best parts of cake with its swirly frosting and fun decorations. But actually getting from cake batter to Instagram-worthy cupcakes can be daunting. You have to figure out how to get the batter into the cups without spilling, and then how to frost each individual cupcake, never mind how you even move two dozen of something. Jack Bishop, creative director for America’s Test Kitchen, let us in on a few top secret hacks for making them like a pro every time and shared his gluten-free confetti cupcake recipe from his new cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen The Perfect Cake ($23).

1. Portioning Batter

Spring-loaded ice cream scoops aren’t our favorite for ice cream, but we found a better use for them: portioning cupcake batter. Our foolproof way for filling muffin tins is to portion 1/3 cup of the batter into each cup and then circle back and evenly add the remaining batter with a spoon. A #12 ice scoop (which holds 1/3 cup batter) makes it easy to portion batter without making a mess around the edges of the pan. Spray the scoop with vegetable oil spray so the batter slides off.

2. Cupcakes to Go

Toting a single cupcake for a take-along snack sounds like a good idea—until you’re faced with squished cake and frosting. To safely transport a cupcake, lay the lid of a clean pint-size deli container upside down and place your cupcake on it. Invert the container, slip it over the cupcake and down onto the lid, and seal it shut, thus creating a safe shell around the cupcake.

3. Baking Outside the Tin

If you don’t own a muffin tin, we found that foil liners are sturdy enough to hold our cupcake batters. Simply arrange the liners on a rimmed baking sheet and then fill them with batter. Note that cupcakes baked in a muffin tin brown on both the bottom and sides. If the cupcakes are baked without a muffin tin, only the bottoms (and not the sides) will brown.

4. A Simple Frosting Technique

Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of frosting on each cupcake, forming a thick layer. Using a small offset spatula, spread to create a flat top. Using the spatula, smooth the frosting so its flush with the edges of the cupcake. Reflatten the top as necessary.

5. A Top-Notch Tool

An offset spatula is a must-have tool for creating smooth frosting coatings for layer cakes. But don’t dismiss its little sister—a small offset spatula is much better than a butter knife for neatly topping cupcakes with frosting. We tested five offset spatula models and, to our surprise, found significant differences. Thin blades wobbled and wooden handles absorbed odors. Our top choice, the Wilton 9-inch Angled Spatula ($8), has a sturdy, round-tipped blade and an easy-to-grip polypropylene handle that offers great control. Sleek, sturdy, and comfortable, this blade was just about flawless.

Gluten-Free confetti cupcake recipe

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

  • 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarsely
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 1/2 ounces (2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Frosting:

  • 3 cups vanilla frosting 
  • 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Microwave chocolate and oil in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring often, until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes; whisk until smooth and let cool slightly. Whisk flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt together in second bowl.
  2. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in large bowl. Whisk in sugar until well combined. Whisk in cooled chocolate mixture and sour cream until combined. Whisk in flour blend mixture until batter is thoroughly combined and smooth. Gently whisk in sprinkles until thoroughly incorporated.
  3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake until tops are set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 19 to 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. (Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
  4. Stir sprinkles into frosting. Spread or pipe frosting evenly on cupcakes. Serve.

Show us your cupcake skills on Instagram!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(Photos and recipe via America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cake)

Cookbookmarked! is our series where we review the latest cookbooks from the foodie influencers you follow. Check back often to find out which new releases are worth your hard-earned cash and the recipes you should try first from each.

If there’s one person who can teach you how to cook soul food, it’s Top Chef alum Carla Hall. Hall's third cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food ($19), is great for the home cook who wants the comforting flavors of Southern food every day. With a healthy mix of approachable, veggie-centric weeknight recipes — and plenty of special-occasion dishes like fried chicken and caramel cake — Hall says in her intro that her recipes “capture all the soulfulness of soul food but don’t make you feel like you’re gonna die afterward.” Read on to learn what you can expect from the book and get a sneak peek of the gingerbread cake recipe that’s here just in time for holiday suppers.

Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko

Plenty of cookbooks claim to be uncomplicated, but after years of demonstrating easy recipes for home cooks on The Chew, Hall actually delivered on that promise. You can find all of her ingredients at your everyday grocery store, and you won’t need fancy equipment like a mandoline slicer or the hottest new blending device. That makes it realistic to whip up three different veggie dishes in one night (as Hall often does), like chopped salad with buttermilk dressing, blackened beans with lemon and chile, and smashed potatoes with mustard mayonnaise drizzle.

Vegetables do compose a hefty chunk of the book, but it’s still full of indulgent celebration foods, like meaty tomato mac and cheese and fried shrimp with creamy comeback sauce. There’s also an entire section on beans and several pages devoted to cornmeal for classics like johnnycakes, cornbread, and grits. And if you can get through the savory section before running to the kitchen, you’ll drool all over the desserts pages, which includes banana pudding, sweet potato pie, a homemade version of Little Debbie oatmeal cookies, and a strawberry cake that smells like summer.

And maybe best of all: Carla Hall’s Soul Food is more than just a cookbook: It’s a history of the cuisine. While it would be easy to believe that her fluffy angel biscuits magically appeared from the heavens, Hall makes it clear in the introduction that her recipes date back much further than her lifetime. She explains that soul food, “the true food of African Americans,” originates from slaves, who relied on seasonal vegetables, beans, and grains as their foundational diet. “For this book, I tried to imagine what my ancestors would be cooking from the farm if they were alive today,” Hall writes. “By looking to our roots, I’m showing you how delicious and healthy true soul food is.” These personal stories, dispersed throughout the book, make each bite just as meaningful as it is tasty.

If you’re itching to test out Carla Hall’s Soul Food, here’s a holiday-ready recipe you’ll want the whole family to try. Canola oil replaces much of the butter for a lighter cake, and lemony curd boosts the brightness of the cream cheese frosting.

Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko

Gingerbread Layer Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

(Serves 12)

Go all out for Christmas. This cake combines the warmth of wintry gingerbread with a lemony frosting that tastes like sunshine. When I made this for my family, my nieces and nephews went crazy over it. It was the best gift I could’ve given them.

Make ahead: The cake layers keep at room temperature tightly wrapped for up to 2 days. The lemon curd can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Cake:
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
Lemon Frosting:
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
  • Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, molasses, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and buttermilk.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients on low speed until well blended. Add the 4 tablespoons butter and the oil and continue mixing on low until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. With the machine running, add the egg mixture and beat just until incorporated, then add the buttermilk mixture in a steady stream. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again just until evenly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans.
  4. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. When you lightly touch the top of the cake, it should feel a little bouncy but still show the indentation of your finger. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and place top side up on the racks. Let cool completely.5. Make the lemon frosting. Whisk the lemon zest and juice, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and 6 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir continuously with a spatula until thick enough to coat the spatula, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
  5. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate until cold and stiff.
  6. Beat the cream cheese by hand in a large bowl just until smooth. Whisk the lemon curd to loosen it, then add to the cream cheese. Fold until well combined.
  7. Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate. Spread one third of the lemon cream evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch rim, and gently press another cake layer, bottom side up, on top. Spread half of the remaining lemon cream on its top, leaving a 1-inch rim; then top with the final cake layer, top side up. You can either dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with the remaining lemon cream or spread the remaining cream on top. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

For more special-occasion desserts, follow Brit + Co on Pinterest.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

(From the book Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration by Carla Hall and Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2018 by Carla Hall. Published on October 23, 2018, by HarperWave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.)

This post has been updated.

It's almost time to return to Cousins! The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 is coming this summer, and Prime Video just gave us a first official look at Belly, Jeremiah, and Conrad. The new episodes will open at the end of Belly's freshman year of college, and in addition to seeing the evolution of our favorite characters, author and co-showrunner Jenny Han says "there are going to be surprises" in the final season. Eek!

Here's your first look at Lola Tung, Gavin Casalegno, and Christopher Briney in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3, coming to Prime Video July 2025!


Jenny Han says 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' fans are in for a few surprises.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

"There are the things that [fans] know and then there are things they think they know, and then there's going to be, hopefully, things that surprise them," Jenny Han tells Entertainment Weekly. Listen, I am a very proud member of Team Conrad, and seeing how cozy Belly and Jeremiah are in these pics (not to mention the set leak that's definitely not in the third book), I'm starting to wonder if Prime Video is teasing I should switch teams.

But no matter which team you're on, Lola Tung promises the season won't let you down.

Team #JellyFish will get their time this season.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

"The one thing I've always admired about Jenny is that every season and every decision about what's coming next is purely to serve the story," Lola says. "She's never going to do anything that doesn't make sense for the story. It's all about this beautiful world she's created and giving the fans something really, really special and giving us something really special to work with."

And that includes some sweet moments which Jeremiah and Belly, who "are, at their core, best friends," Lola adds. "That relationship is something that's so special and so unique to them, so it's exciting to see this season and how their relationship blossoms."

And 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' images also feature Conrad.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But don't worry Conrad fans, we also get a look at the elder Fisher brother who "we know that he went to Stanford, and so he's continuing on his journey to become a doctor, as you can see from that white coat," Jenny says. "I think people won't be surprised to see that."

Keep reading for more images from The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3!

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Jenny Han also teases this image is actually a flashback, "so do with that what you will." BRB, I'm off dreaming of a beach vacation. I also can't help but point out the warm color grade of this season! The golden look makes everything feel warmer and more magical — and offers a youthful glow as Belly gets older.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But for those of us who care more about Steven and Taylor (Sean Kaufman and Rain Spencer) than the main love triangle, we got this single crumb from the new images. And I'm more than happy about it, thank you very much.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Belly (Lola Tung) gets cozy on campus in a hoodie and sunglasses.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

And Belly and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) get cozy with each other at a party.

Erika Doss/Prime Video

But they work as hard as they play! I have this exact outfit Belly's wearing, and you best believe I'm adding it into my fashion rotation.

How many episodes will The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 have?

Erika Doss/Prime Video

Great news! The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 will have 11 episodes instead of 7 or 8 like seasons 1 and 2 did. Stay tuned for the official release schedule.

Who's in the cast?

Prime Video

The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 cast features all your favorites:

  • Lola Tung as Belly Conklin: a beach-loving volleyball player who's always dreaming of summer.
  • Christopher Briney as Conrad Fisher: Belly and Steven's lifelong friend who Belly's always had a crush on.
  • Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah Fisher: Conrad's sunny younger brother.
  • Sean Kaufman as Steven Conklin: Belly's older brother.
  • Rain Spencer as Taylor Jewel: Belly's best friend.
  • Jackie Chungas Laurel Park: Belly and Steven's mom and Susannah Fisher's best friend.

Meet The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 Cast before the new episodes air on Prime Video this July!

1923 season 2 premieres on Paramount+ February 23, and Michelle Randolph (who plays Elizabeth Dutton in the cast) is "so excited" for you to watch the new episodes — and she's been keeping up with all your fan theories!

"There are some crazy ones. I feel like the biggest fan theory thing is the family tree," she tells Brit + Co exclusively. "I've seen many different family trees and so it's like, 'OK, which one's accurate?' I actually drew my own at one point."

Here's what Michelle Randolph had to say about 1923 season 2, and the Dutton family tree, in Brit + Co's exclusive 1923 interview.

Michelle Randolph teases '1923' season 2 finally gives us answers to the Dutton family tree.

By the end of season 2, Michelle Randolph says "we might be able to fill in some blanks" in the Dutton family tree, which is a very hot topic for internet users! "I had to make my own [family tree] because all of the ones I saw on the internet were like — every single one was different. I was like 'I'm confused.'"

The Dutton family is made up of incredible cast members like Brandon Sklenar, Harrison Ford, and Helen Mirren, and Michelle reveals that the cast are just as close as their characters.

"There's a giant group chat called Giddy Up, which started during cowboy camp of season one," she says. "A cute little name, and I think I mean we all were on location in Montana and all in the same hotel, and we would get dinners after [filming], so I think even though our characters are very different and in different story lines like we all really did bond, which was really helpful to have each other throughout the chaos of of shooting a show."

The actress also says Elizabeth would connect with her 'Landman' character Ainsley.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

And if you're a tried and true Taylor Sheridan fan, you've probably picked up on the fact that Michelle isn't just in 1923 — she also has a starring role as Ainsley Norris in Landman! But would Elizabeth and Ainsley get along if they met in an alternate universe?

"That would be a fun thing to witness. I think they would," she says. "They're very different, but the similarities between them is they're both young women who are finding their place in this world and I think that they both actually look at the world through very bright eyes and have a lot of hope, which is an interesting correlation between the two of them. I think Elizabeth has gone through so much more than Ainsley obviously, so there might be a difference there, but I think they would get along."

Check out the 8 Compelling Historical Fiction Books For 1923 Lovers and read our interview with Julia Schlaepfer where she teases the Spencer and Alex's future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. And this post has been updated.

Leaders in the matcha industry are predicting a matcha shortage this spring. Sparked by a huge surge in demand, it’s possible that your go-to drink could be affected.

Here’s everything you need to know about this season’s matcha shortage.

Nataliya Vaitkevich / PEXELS

Per The Japan Times, increased demand for matcha powder put an “unprecedented strain” on the tea industry last year, and the same effect is predicted to take place in 2025.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan saw a 185% increase in matcha production from 2010 to 2023 in order to keep up with demand from cafes and home baristas around the world, The Japan Timesreports.

Cup of Couple / PEXELS

Seeing that over half of Japan’s matcha is exported internationally, matcha lovers are looking toward the country for their green tea fix. Search interest for matcha has nearly quadrupled over the past 5 years, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Olena Bohovyk / PEXELS

This year, mostly organic matcha strains will be affected by the shortage, though lower-grade varieties could face the same issues if consumers begin reaching for them in favor of organic offerings. While top-tier, organic strains like ceremonial-grade matcha are known for being sweeter and smoother, the lower-grade kinds like culinary-grade matcha are noticeably more bitter and don't have the same vibrant color.

Charlotte May / PEXELS

Matcha can only be harvested in the springtime, so though a shortage may be happening now, there’s hope for increased supply in the near future. This year’s harvest will start in April.

Polina Tankilevitch / PEXELS

Even though production will ramp up, Jason Eng of Kametani Tea in Japan, a company that produces matcha for beverage companies around the world, says: “This year will be an interesting one. We haven’t hit a point yet where we’re going to run out, but it’s going to be really tight this autumn – not just for us but for everybody. The demand is off the charts.”

Subscribe to our newsletter for more food news!