9 Best Baking Cups to Add to Your Kitchen Arsenal

SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

There’s something special about little cakes. They offer the opportunity to personalize baked goodies to an individual’s taste. And compared to large cakes, they offer much more room for creativity, especially in decorating. A useful tool for perfecting your small cakes is a baking cup.

Baking cups aren’t just for making your cupcakes look pretty; they also keep your baked treats intact and make cleanup a breeze. Whether you are making fairy cakes, vegan cupcakes, or tasty muffins, cupcake liners will make your work easier.

From color to design to material, there’s a lot to consider when choosing cupcake molds. You need a baking cup that will hold up as you cook, look good, and easily release your baked treats. Read on to discover answers to common questions about cupcake liners and to check out the best baking cups to include in your baking arsenal.

Table of Contents

What to Look For in Baking Cups
9 Best Baking Cups
Baking Cup FAQ

What to Look For in Baking Cups

Material

Baking cups are available in many materials, from silicone to parchment paper. When it comes to the material of your muffin liners, consider where you’ll be serving the mini bakes. Sturdier molds are great if you’ll be transporting your baked treats.

Disposable paper baking cups are great for laid-back events and for the family at home. They are lightweight and easy to handle. Most come in a variety of colors with lovely patterns for themed parties. Always choose greaseproof paper liners.

Aluminum foil baking cups are versatile and can withstand high oven temperatures. Because they are sturdy, you can easily bake, frost, and serve in the same aluminum muffin liner. But always confirm if the aluminum baking cups you purchase are reusable.

Colorful silicone baking cups will make an impression at festive parties and formal settings. They are reusable, nonstick, and great for standalone baking.

Design and Shape

You’ll find cupcake liners in different shapes. Apart from the classic round shape, there are liners that come in the shape of hearts, flowers, stars, and more. You should also opt for an assortment of sizes. It’s always a great idea to own mini, standard, and jumbo baking cups in your kitchen.

Price

The most budget-friendly cupcake molds are the disposable kind. Disposable muffin liners can be bought in bulk so they’ll last you a while. On the other hand, reusable baking cups are sturdy and more elegant. As you purchase these baking tools, consider your budget and how often you’ll use them.

9 Best Baking Cups

1. Overall: Wilton Baking Cups

by [amazon link=”B00IE70ZTW” link_icon=”none” title=”Wilton” /]

[amazon fields=”B00IE70ZTW” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Wilton Baking Cups”]

These pretty fluted baking cups come in a pack of 150 pieces. They come in a variety of gorgeous colors that will add fun to any party. Kids will love the bright colors and cute patterns. You can use them to wrap your mini bakes or hold party snacks. These baking cups will line your standard muffin pans for easy-to-release mini cakes.

Each paper cup is 1.25 inches deep. Plus, these beautiful cupcake liners retain color and peel easily from your baked goods.

2. Silicone: Amazon Basics Reusable Silicone Baking Cups

by [amazon link=”B01KWTGIBS” link_icon=”none” title=”Amazon Basics” /]

[amazon fields=”B01KWTGIBS” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Amazon Basics Reusable Silicone Baking Cups”]

This versatile set comes with 24 reusable silicone baking cups in six bright colors. They’re a great choice if you need an alternative to disposable muffin liners. They are dishwasher-safe, freezer-safe, and oven-safe up to 428F. Additionally, they work well with any standard cupcake pan. You can use them for vegan cakes, cheesecakes, and gluten-free mini bakes.

Apart from that, you can bake in these silicone cups without using a muffin pan. And you don’t need to grease these liners. Simply add your batter in each cup, place them on a cookie sheet, and bake. Your baked goodies will slide right out of the silicone cupcake liners.

3. Paper: Standard Bake Cups

by [amazon link=”B01KBC9688″ link_icon=”none” title=”Sur La Table” /]

[amazon fields=”B01KBC9688″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Sur La Table Standard Bake Cups”]

Thick and grease resistant, these paper cups hold up well as you bake and look great when your mini cakes are done. They peel off without taking away any part of your cupcake. Plus, they’re available in four lovely colors that’ll make your chocolate cupcakes or banana muffins stand out at a party.

A set includes 32 sturdy paper baking cups. Each cup measures 2” by 1.3” and has a capacity of approximately 1/3 of a cup.

4. Mini: Wilton Mini Baking Cups

by [amazon link=”B0026HT0BA” link_icon=”none” title=”Wilton” /]

[amazon fields=”B0026HT0BA” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Wilton Baking Cups”]

These mini baking cups will make your little baked treats look like they came straight from a fancy bakery. Add vibrant icing to your mini cupcakes, and you’ll have gorgeous impressive treats for tea parties and birthday parties for your little ones.

The paper liners easily peel off from cupcakes. And for an affordable price, you get 350 mini cupcake molds.

5. Foil: Standard Silver Foil Cupcake Liner

by [amazon link=”B072Q5BMVR” link_icon=”none” title=”Gifbera” /]

[amazon fields=”B072Q5BMVR” value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”Gifbera Standard Silver Foil Cupcake Liners”]

Highly rated and easy to use, these standard-sized aluminum cupcake liners look great and perform excellently. They are made from food-safe foil that easily releases baked treats. These bright silver-colored baking cups will enhance themed parties and celebrations.

They are sturdy and separate easily from baked goods. And the silver color compliments different types of toppings. Even better, the color doesn’t flake and the cups don’t stick to the pan. Additionally, you can use them to serve party snacks.

6. Design: Eucalyptus Cupcake Liners

by [amazon link=”B09BYV2VM1″ link_icon=”none” title=”Red Fox Tail” /]

[amazon fields=”B09BYV2VM1″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”24 Floral Cupcake Wrappers (Eucalyptus Greenery)”]

If you’re looking to present your mini bakes in a beautiful way, then you should try these cute cupcake wrappers. These liners will add a touch of elegance to your baked goods. You can use them with fresh homemade cakes or store-bought treats. Assemble the wrappers, drop in your mini cakes, decorate, and serve. Note that these liners are not suitable for baking.

7. Shape: LetGoShop Silicone Cupcake Liners

by [amazon link=”B01HPWDWT6″ link_icon=”none” title=”LetGoShop” /]

[amazon fields=”B01HPWDWT6″ value=”thumb” image_size=”large” image_align=”center” image_alt=”LetGoShop Silicone Cupcake Liners”]

Add variety to your mini cakes with these flexible silicone liners which come in various shapes and lovely bright colors. Their naturally nonstick surface helps to release perfectly shaped desserts and treats. These reusable cupcake liners are made of eco-friendly non-toxic silicone. With a temperature rating of -40F to +450F these liners are safe for your microwave, oven, and freezer.

You can use these molds on a cookie sheet since some of the shapes won’t fit in standard muffin pan cavities. These silicone molds are also great for candy, bread, eggs, and frozen treats.

8. Jumbo: Jumbo Bake Cups

by Sur La Table

For jumbo muffins, you can rely on these bakery-quality paper bake cups. Oversized treats will look great in these ivory-colored muffin liners. These cupcake papers are heat-proof, grease-proof, and nonstick. They are safe for your microwave, freezer, and oven.

Each set has 20 cups, each with a 1-cup capacity. Plus, you can use them with jumbo or standard muffin pans.

9. Classic Bakery: Tulip Papers

by King Arthur

Give your muffins a bakery-worthy professional look, with these tulip liners. Made in the USA, these cupcake liners are sturdy and extra-tall to accommodate lofty muffins. This set carries 250 liners, each with ½ cup capacity. The baking liners fit in standard muffin tins and peel off without sticking to your baked treats. They are beautiful, strong, and make a pretty presentation.

Baking Cup FAQ

What can you use instead of baking cups?

When you run out of baking cups or forget to buy them at the store, you can use parchment paper to line your muffin tin. Cut a layer of parchment paper into 6-inch squares. Using the heel of a small glass container, mold the square papers into the muffin tin’s cavities. Add your batter and bake.

If you’re not up to making your own baking cups, you can grease your muffin pan with baking spray or a light layer of healthy cooking oil.

Is cake batter and cupcake batter the same?

Cake and cupcake batters consist of the same basic ingredients. The difference between cakes and cupcakes is size. You can easily convert a cake recipe into a cupcake recipe. A one-layer cake recipe will give you about a dozen cupcakes.

Cakes and cupcakes bake at the same temperature, but you’ll need to cut cupcake baking time. Most cupcakes will bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Can I use aluminum foil instead of cupcake liners?

Yes, you can use aluminum foil if you don’t have cupcake liners. Cut your foil into squares or circles that are about 1 inch larger than the circumference of your muffin pan cavities. Gently mold the foil pieces into the muffin tin cavities. Grease the foil with some cooking spray. Add your cupcake batter.

How do you dye cupcake liners?

You can spruce up your plain cupcake liners using food coloring. Add a mix of water and food coloring into a small bowl. Stack five cupcake liners together and place them upside down in the bowl. Ensure that the edges of the paper cups are immersed in the food coloring. Let color soak into the liners for about 10 minutes. Remove the baking cups and set them on a clean plate to dry.

Why are cupcake liners fluted?

Fluted edges add to a cupcake liner’s sturdiness. The ridges help baking cups maintain their shapes in the oven. Apart from that, the fluted edges add a decorative touch and make it easy to peel the liner from the cupcake.

What can you use baking cups for?

Besides lining muffin tins before you make your mini cakes or dressing up your muffins, you can use a baking cup to

• serve single portions of snacks at a party.
• hold decorations for baking and crafting sessions.
• organize takeaway homemade food and treats in a lunchbox.
• decorate homemade gifts. For example, you can slide the cupcake liner under the top of a mason jar.
• prepare candies such as truffles and fudge.
• protect your clothes from popsicle stains. Make a small cut in the center of a paper baking cup. Slip it up over the popsicle stick. Center the liner at the base of the popsicle to catch the popsicle drips.

Can you put baking cups in the oven?

Before putting baking cups in the oven, you must check their heat rating to determine if they’re oven safe. You can bake in cupcake liners such as silicone cups. However, some paper cupcake liners are simply decorative and should never go in the oven.

Can you reuse cupcake liners?

Silicone cupcake liners are reusable. After you remove your baked treats from the mold, you should clean silicone bakeware in the dishwasher or by hand. Dry the silicone baking cups, and they’ll be ready for your next baking project.

Cupcakes and Muffins, Oh My!

Baking cups are useful tools for creating small cakes. The cupcake and muffin liners in this list have tons of benefits. They will add fun, color, and convenience to your baking sessions.

Additionally, they keep cupcakes from burning or sticking to baking tins. At the end of your baking adventure, you won’t have a dirty muffin pan to soak and scrub. Also, pretty baking cups make great presentations at the dessert table. Apart from that, cupcake liners keep your bakes moist and flavorful.

For consistent crowd-pleasing desserts, stock up on these reliable baking items.