Baking Help: Cupcakes Scattering and Darker Chocolate Cakes

[Domdom]

My cake esp cup cakes keeps scattering after baking instead of staying together,what could be the issue please?
Also how can I make my chocolate cakes look darker?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

My cake esp cup cakes keeps scattering after baking instead of staying together,what could be the issue please?
Also how can I make my chocolate cakes look darker?

If you’re baking by volume instead of by weight, I would recommend you change to weight measurements. Baking is all science. To produce a consistent product, The ratio of all ingredients to the flour must be accurate.

Any number of things will cause cakes/cupcakes to collapse. And most have to do with ratios of ingredients to flour.

Too much sugar: by weight, the sugar should be equal or slightly more than weight of flour

Too much liquid: weight of all liquids, including eggs should weigh the same as the sugar.

Too much leavening: leavening should be around .02%

Butter temperature: Every recipe state room temperature butter. That’s just wrong. Culinary schools do not teach room temperature butter. Commercial kitchens do not use room temperature butter. I don’t know why cookbook author instruction the use of room temperature butter. It’s just wrong. See link below for correct way to cream butter and sugar.

Oven temperature: 350°F is too high, especially for a dark metal or non-stick pan. 325°F is a better temperature for cakes and cupcakes.

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Regarding chocolate cake color.

There are two types of cocoa: natural and Dutch.

Cocoa powder is naturally acidic. When it’s left in its natural state it is much lighter in color.

Some cocoa powder is processed with a potassium carbonate solution that neutralizes cocoa acidity to a pH of 7. This is what they referred to as Dutch or alkalinized cocoa powder. It’s much darker than natural cocoa powder. So if you use Dutch cocoa powder you will get a darker cake.

Now the type of cocoa powder you use will also determine the type of leavening you use.

Baking soda is an alkaline it requires an acid to activate. Natural cocoa powder is an acidic.

Baking powder is acidic it does NOT require an acid. Dutch cocoa powder is an alkaline.

I have a very good chocolate cake recipe, but it is in metric weight. Let me know if you want it, and I’ll post it.

How to properly cream butter
https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/12/cookie-science-creaming-butter-sugar.html