Give Muffins A Bulkier Top With A Simple Temperature Trick

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Blame pop culture or just plain common sense, but the most revered portion of the muffin is its top. Rather than wasting a bunch of stumps like in one classic example from the small screen, you can actually maximize your muffins' prized domes with little more than a turn of a dial. This according to Sally McKenney from Sally's Baking Addiction and author of the upcoming cookbook "Sally's Baking 101: Foolproof Recipes from Easy to Advanced."

"Bake the muffins for just five minutes in a very hot oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit or 218 degrees Celsius)," McKenney advises Chowhound exclusively. "Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius. This initial high oven temperature quickly lifts up the muffin top. Once the temperature is lowered, the centers of the muffins bake. I do this in all my muffin recipes." McKenney's tip can amplify those crowns whether you're making upgraded blueberry muffins from scratch or even just improving boxed muffin mixes, and you can evoke the effect without flooding your tins.

It might seem tempting to zhuzh up your muffin tops even further by slightly overfilling your tins, but this is not at all necessary or even helpful. "Cake batter is usually just about halfway to ⅔ full," Sally McKenney says. "If you're working with a thick muffin batter and want tall domes, fill them all the way up. Do not do that with cake or cupcake batter; the cupcakes will overflow and have sad mushroom tops and the cake will likely overbake around the edges and sink in the center." 

Once you've mastered the perfect pour, and set your temperature adjusting timer, there are even more tips that might make those muffin bottoms more appealing. A bit of simple syrup can help prevent dry muffins, for one, and a dollop of mayonnaise can help keep muffins moist.