Every day, people use cupcake liners for baking their favorite desserts. But are cupcake liners made of parchment paper?

Most baking experts recommend using parchment paper for cupcake liners which makes many newbies believe that cupcake liners can only be made of parchment paper. They don’t really know if there are other options for cupcake liners other than parchment paper that they can use and get the same results. Well, it’s not their fault. How can they possibly know about something that not many people talk about?

Yes, cupcake liners are made of parchment paper. However, parchment paper isn’t the only option you’ve got. You can also use aluminum foil for this purpose. But unlike parchment paper, aluminum foil doesn’t have non-stick properties, making parchment paper a better option.

Many cupcake recipes mention the use of baking paper. That confuses a lot of people, especially those who’ve just started baking. To clear the air, baking paper and parchment paper are the same things. Parchment paper is the best option when it comes to baking for a number of reasons, primarily its non-stick, no-mess character. While most of the time, cupcake liners are made of parchment paper, that isn’t always the case. Many people use aluminum foil to line their cupcake trays as well. You can use aluminum foil if you wish but in that case, be prepared to have your cupcakes sticking to the foil. Other types of paper that are commonly used for different purposes in the kitchen include wax paper and freezing paper, but all of these papers aren’t suitable to be used as cupcake liners.

We’ve used both parchment paper and foil for cupcake liners, and we can say that parchment paper is definitely a better choice.

Are Cupcake Liners Made Of Parchment Paper?

Yes. Most of the time, cupcake liners are made of parchment paper. Parchment paper offers numerous benefits in baking which is why it’s the most widely used material for lining muffins and baking trays. Whether you’re baking cupcakes or cookies, parchment paper is your best option.

Why Is Parchment Paper The Best Option For Cupcake Liners?

When we say parchment paper is the best option for cupcake liners, we don’t say it because that’s what we use. We say so for some pretty good reasons.

Let’s look at the many reasons why parchment paper makes the best cupcake liners.

Parchment Paper Is Non-Stick

One of the biggest nightmares for bakers is their cupcakes sticking to the tray or the liners they use. When that happens, the base of the cupcake becomes untidy and even messy at times. You pull the cupcakes out, and the chances that a part of the cupcake may stick to the tray while the rest comes out are high. A cupcake that’s broken or damaged like this can’t be served.

However, cupcake liners made of parchment paper can make your life so much less stressful. Parchment paper is non-stick. It means that your cupcakes won’t stick to it, even if you leave your cupcakes in the oven a little longer. Your cupcakes will end up looking neat and professionally made!

Parchment paper is coated with silicone which is both non-stick and heat-resistant. This is the reason why parchment paper is suitable for cupcake liners. Cupcakes don’t stick to it, and exposure to heat doesn’t have any consequences.

Parchment Paper Keeps Cupcakes Moist

What cupcakes are the worst? Those that are dry and break into dry crumbs when you bite them. The cupcake should melt away in your mouth. Parchment paper ensures that your cupcakes stay moist and gooey. It prevents your cupcakes from drying out after you remove them from the cupcake tray.

The porosity of parchment paper is very low, so it’ll act as a barrier and keep the moisture content of the cupcakes intact till you eat them.

Parchment Paper Makes Handling Cupcakes Easier

The biggest problem with eating cupcakes on the go is the mess it creates. Every time you take a bite, some crumbs fall. This makes people conscious when they’re eating cupcakes at work or while driving. You wouldn’t want your coworkers to think you’re a messy eater looking at the crumbs lying all around your work desk, would you?

This is where parchment paper can make things less messy for you. It makes handling the cupcakes easier. You can eat the cupcakes on the go without worrying about dropping crumbs along the way because the parchment paper can play the role of a portable plate!

Parchment Paper Eliminates the Need for Greasing and Flouring the Baking Tray

One of the most common practices when baking cupcakes is lining the tray with grease or flour to keep the cupcakes from sticking to the cupcake tray. Thanks to parchment paper, you can eliminate this step entirely. Since the parchment paper is non-stick in nature, it won’t stick to the tray, and you can easily pull your cupcakes out of the tray – undamaged!

Parchment Paper Makes Cupcakes Look Presentable

If you’re planning to make cupcakes for a birthday party, using parchment paper for cupcake liners is an even better choice. Cupcakes in parchment paper liners look neat and a lot more presentable. You can arrange the cupcakes on a tray and not worry about the crumbs affecting the aesthetics of the serving tray. What’s more, the guests can grab the cupcakes and enjoy them without needing a plate.

And to add to your knowledge, the market is full of fancy printed parchment paper, so you can add a pop of color to your platters as well!

How to Make Cupcake Liners Using Parchment Paper

You can either purchase cupcake holders made of parchment paper, or you could purchase parchment paper rolls and make cupcake liners yourself. Making cupcake liners from parchment paper isn’t so difficult.

Find a Suitably Sized Mold

The first thing that you’ll need to make cupcake liners from parchment paper is something that’s the same size as the cupcake mug in the tray. This will be used as a mold to make cupcake liners. You can use a can or jar whose bottom fits into the cupcake mug in the cupcake baking tray.

Cut Parchment Paper into Squares

If you’re planning to make regular-sized cupcakes, cut 5-inch wide strips of parchment paper. In case you’re in the mood for bigger cupcakes, 6-inch wide strips would do well. Make markings with a pencil on the parchment paper every five or 6-inches and cut along the marks. Don’t worry if you don’t get perfectly straight cuts since that’s not of much importance here.

Once you’ve got the strips of the required width, make a mark at every 5 or 6-inches along the length of each strip. Cut along markings to get square-shaped pieces of parchment paper. Cut enough squares for the number of cupcakes you’re planning to make.

Make Cupcake Liners Using the Mold

Once you’ve got the squares, press each square around the mold to make cups. Make sure the mold is placed between the square before pressing the parchment paper around its sides. Use your hand to form the crease on the paper. When you remove the parchment paper from the mold, you’ll have cups. These are your cupcake liners. Place cups into the cavities on your cupcake baking tray.

Spray the Cupcake Liners with Non-Stick Spray

Although parchment paper is non-stick itself, it’s recommended that you spray the cupcake liners with non-stick spray if your cupcake batter is too moist or it contains fruits. This would ensure that the cupcakes don’t stick to the parchment paper and are removed from it easily and neatly (without breaking, we mean).

Fill Your Cupcake Liners

You can fill the cupcake liners with batter using a piping bag or spoon. Hold the cupcake liner you made from parchment paper open with one hand and pour the batter into the cupcake liner with the other. You need not worry about dropping the batter at the edges. You can clean that later.

Bake the Cupcakes

Place the cupcake tray in a preheated oven and bake for the recommended time duration. Once the cupcakes have risen and look well done (you can always check using a toothpick or a skewer to see if the cupcakes are cooked inside), take the tray out of the oven.

Take the Cupcakes Out Of the Tray

Allow the cupcakes to cool. They’re too soft when hot. They’re still setting. If you try to pull them out while hot, they may become deformed and may even break. Once the cupcakes have cooled down, pull them out using the corners of the cupcake liners.

Did you see how convenient retrieving cupcakes from a cupcake tray becomes when you use parchment paper cupcake liners? Without them, you’ll end up damaging a cupcake or two while pulling them out, especially if you’re a beginner.

Are Parchment Paper Cupcake Liners Oven Safe?

Absolutely. Parchment paper is perfectly safe to be used in baking. The reason is that parchment paper is coated with silicone. Silicone is what makes parchment paper non-stick and heat resistant. It isn’t quoted with anything that may melt when heated and make your cupcakes toxic or any less healthy, like wax paper that’s coated with wax.

Is Parchment Paper Really the Only Choice for Cupcake Liners?

Parchment Paper versus Foil for Cupcake Liners

Another common material that you can use to make cupcake liners is foil. Foil is very thin aluminum that you can line your baking tray with to prevent the cupcakes from sticking to the tray.

However, foil isn’t non-stick. Your cupcakes can stick to the aluminum foil, pretty much like they would stick to the tray with a cupcake liner. While foil paper liners make it easier to retrieve the cupcakes from the tray unharmed, you may damage the cupcakes while taking them off the foil. What’s worse is you may even find a piece of foil sticking at the bottom of your cupcake.

Another problem with using aluminum foil cupcake lines is the fact that some aluminum may leach into your cupcakes. According to research by the International Journal of Electrochemical Science, small amounts of this metal can leach into food during cooking processes that involve heat. So, your best bet is to use parchment paper cake liners when making cupcakes.

Parchment Paper versus Wax Paper for Cupcake Liners

Another type of paper used in the culinary process is wax paper. However, you can’t use wax paper to make cupcake liners. Wax paper is coated with a layer of paraffin or soybean wax that will melt when exposed to heat. The melted wax will make the cupcake non-edible.

Parchment Paper versus Freezing Paper for Cupcake Liners

You’ll also find freezer paper when you’re looking at various types of paper that are used in the kitchen. As you can tell by the name, freezer paper is only meant to be used for wrapping food for storage in the freezer. This paper is coated with plastic on one side, and if you put it in the oven, the plastic will melt and make your cupcakes useless.

It seems like parchment paper is the only safe choice to use as cupcake liners. So, the next time you’re planning to bake cupcakes, use parchment paper cupcake liners!