Opening the oven during baking

Temperature is an important component in a delicate balance of baking processes that must not be disturbed. The cupcakes may bake at a uniform, constant temperature thanks to the preheating of the oven. Opening the oven door while your cupcakes are baking is a mistake you'll want to avoid making since consistency in temperature has a big impact on how they come out.

This prohibits peeping! Since you put so much effort into making your cupcake designs, it is natural to be tempted to open the oven door a tiny bit to check on them. However, even a slight crack in the oven door allows a flood of hot air to rush out, significantly lowering the temperature within. If you do this, you can end up with cupcakes that are depressed and haven't properly risen. Try to wait at least 15 minutes if you must peek, giving your cupcakes plenty of time to rise. In order to account for the heat loss when you open the oven to put the cupcakes in, you might even want to preheat your oven a few degrees higher than the temperature specified in the recipe. Just remember to set the temperature correctly as soon as the cupcakes are placed in.