Something I noticed is not a lot of people talk about how long it takes to make cupcakes. You will hear questions like “What temperature you should set your oven at for cupcakes?”. But no one talks about the amount of time it takes to make cupcakes. It’s something so small but mighty. People make it all the time but we don’t ever stop to think how long does it take to make cupcakes from start to finish. But not to worry it’s going to be addressed below.
How Long Does It Take To Make Cupcakes?
Making cupcakes from scratch can take anywhere from an hour and 15 minutes to all the way 2 hours depending on how you make it and if you’re adding icing. Depending on the amount of batches it could be upwards of 8 to 9 hours. For example, if you are making Italian meringue buttercream that’s going to add to the time of making cupcakes as opposed to if you just make icing buttercream as it doesn’t have as many steps.
We all know that there is a risk of doubling recipes and the cupcakes not coming out. It’s always best to make separate batters at a time. Also what will also matter is the mixing capacity. Do you have enough bowls to mix the batter in? Is it big enough? Mixing a new cupcake batch as the cupcakes are baking in the oven will be the best course of action and very productive.
A breakdown of each step that you would usually do when baking cupcakes:
- Set up and mix the first batch
- Additional time to make the next batch as you are baking the cupcakes
- Setting up to distribute the batter in each tin. I usually use a batter tip dispenser it is so easy.
- And clean-up time
This is for the Nerds out there who want to know exactly how it is calculated especially if you want to do it yourself. As we all know everyone takes a different amount of time when baking some may be quicker or slower.
The times used were averages based on how long it has taken me to make and bake cupcakes from scractch.
A basic formula is (time it takes to set up and mix first batch) + (time it takes to set up liners and put batter in a piping dispenser or scoop the batter to put in each muffin pan) + bake time for the first batch + (Number of bakes -1) * ( Time it takes to mix batches) = Cupcake total baking time
If we were to do it for 2 batches (24 cupcakes) and bake 1 pan at a time. This is what the formula would look like.
30 minutes + 15 minutes +15 minutes+ 1(15 minutes)= 1 hr and 15 minutes
But it may be a little bit more than this if you added 15 minutes for cool time in between baking the next batch of cupcakes and so on. But for simplicity’s sake, I wanted to keep it very simple.
Feel free to add any type of extra steps that you usually do. Adding icing time for making and adding the icing to the cupcakes. Also accounting for the cool down times because you don’t want to put the next batch of cupcakes in a super hot pan you want to give it some time to cool down. You can make this formula to fit your baking needs.
Here’s a chart with an estimate of how long it will take to make different amounts of cupcakes. Keep in mind that if you’re doing bigger batches there may be breaks in between or you may start to work slower as you start to do more and more batches as you start to get tired. Times may vary because you are human and not a robot.
| Amount of cupcakes | Number of batches | Time for making cupcakes without added icing |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 1 hour 15 |
| 24 | 2 | 1 hr 30 minutes (If making a second batch separately) |
| 48 | 4 | 1 hr 45 minutes |
| 60 | 5 | 2hr 55 minutes |
| 72 | 6 | 3 hrs 15 minutes |
| 96 | 8 | 4 hrs 25 minutes |
I’ve found when making cupcakes it actually doesn’t take long especially if you prepare the ingredients ahead of time and you have everything in front of you. I would say mixing the batter may take 30 minutes But can take longer if you’re constantly having to grab every ingredient separately.
Space will play a factor as well as the amount of dishes you have that can hold all the ingredients. If you don’t have as much experience and or you don’t prepare the ingredients and your measuring as you go it can take up to 45 minutes or so.
Once you finish mixing the batter then all you’re really doing is just putting it in the oven. Once you have it in the oven, it will be for 15 minutes or so. You can then start the next step of creating a new batch or making the icing while the cupcakes are baking.
What takes the most time is making the buttercream especially if you are using egg whites and you need to frost it and then adding the butter and having to get at a certain peak. And it takes a while. It felt like my arms were breaking off. By the time I checked the time it took me a good hour. And plus this doesn’t include setting up the piping and then adding the icing on top.
You can check out more about the different stages of the peaks that an egg reaches in this post it’s actually quite interesting.
Now I will share more about how much batter you would need when making cupcakes and go into more tips on how to bake a lot (Yes a lot!) of cupcakes and some things you can do to make it easier when baking cupcakes.
Psst… Here are the products mentioned in this post that I recommend ❤.
How Long Does It Take To Bake Cupcakes At 350?
When baking cupcakes at 350°. It can take anywhere from 12-15 minutes but it is advised to start checking your cupcakes at the 12-minute point as sometimes the oven can get very hot and it may be ready. Cupcakes are very fragile and small and it doesn’t take long for it to be fully baked.
I have noticed that even taking it out before it’s fully done has worked out so well because the cupcake comes out very moist. So it may look shiny and kind of underbaked but by the time you take it out and sits it is ready to be eaten. Test it out with a knife or toothpick to make sure that there’s nothing left. This method has worked well for me.
How Long Does It Take To Make 12 Cupcakes
The time it will take to make a dozen cupcakes will highly depend on how you decide to mix the batter originally. It can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes to bake 12 cupcakes. If you’re using a cake mix to create your cupcakes this will be faster and probably would only take 20 minutes to make it plus 15 minute baking time.
How Long Does It Take To Make 24 Cupcakes
24 cupcakes will take anywhere from an hour and 10 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes. This will highly depend on how you decide to mix the batter so if you’re doubling the recipe then it may take a shorter time. But if you decide to make the batter separately then it’s going to take a bit longer. Overall baking two dozen cupcakes in the oven at the same time is what’s going to save time and will be the same baking time of 15 minutes as a dozen.
How Long Does It Take To Make 200 Cupcakes
To make 200 cupcakes it could take anywhere from 8- 9 hours depending on your process of making cupcakes. According to the formula used if you were to bake 200 cupcakes, it will take about 8 hours and 55 minutes give or take.
You may need to get help from a friend or fellow baker to help with the process as it can be tedious baking so many cupcakes. Be sure to give yourself time and take lots of breaks. I have seen some bakers bake in advance and sometimes put the cupcake in the fridge or freezer to avoid overwhelm on the day off. It’s a great idea to make the cupcakes in batches especially if it’s a high quantity.
How many batters Do I Need For 24 Cupcakes?
One recipe usually makes a batch of 12 cupcakes. It is recommended to make two batches of one recipe that calls for 12 cupcakes to make 2 dozen. Assuming that about ¼ of a cup of batter is added into one cupcake liner if there are 12 it would add up to 4 cups of batter.
I have made cupcakes a few times and following a cupcake recipe will yield 12 cupcakes. Usually, by the time I add batter to each cupcake liner, there is nothing left. I use a medium size bowl like this! And usually, the batter is 3/4 away from the top. So if you are wanting to make 24 cupcakes in one go have 2 bowls or have a bigger bowl that can hold double the batter.
Can I Bake 2 Trays Of Cupcakes At The Same Time
You can absolutely bake two trays of cupcakes at the same time. It would really depend on your oven capacity and how big it is and how well the heat travels in your oven. Cupcake pans can be baked side by side or can be put on different racks in your oven. You will just have to remember to rotate it between racks.