I've tried scoops, dispensers, etc. but still have trouble getting my cupcakes and things to be the same size. I have good pans that cook evenly. I do somewhat okay just eyeballing it but would like them to look even more uniform prior to the frosting fix.
Drop cookies too can be an issue. I'm fine with rolled out cookies because I have various great cutters. Going by weight would be too time consuming. Any helpful tips?
Unfortunately going by weight is your absolute best bet of evenness. But it's really not that big a hassle once you get used to it. Also, even if you have good pans and a good oven, nothing is completely symmetrical and perfect, so you could try rotating the pans halfway through baking.
*Formerly Nothin_but_the_Rain*
Agreed, rotating pans half way through is the only way to ensure even cooking. Even the best ovens have hot and cool spots.
Uniformity is extremely difficult without weight measurement. For cupcakes and most cookies we use scoops that measure volume (NOT ice cream scoops but those do work, sorta) and even then they don't all come out the same. Sometimes the different flavors do different things, for example chocolate and spice whoopie pies bake perfectly but the red velvet is ALWAYS temperamental for some reason. We don't really know why, it just is. Could be the humidity in the air, could be we weren't facing east when we load the ovens. Sometimes they shrivel up and crack, sometimes they stay moist, sometimes they run into each other on the pan. I don't mind eating red velvet but they're a pain to bake and if you're not careful the batter will make your kitchen look like a crime scene.
Unless you're a perfectionist or have extreme ocd, I wouldn't worry about the uniformity. Cupcakes can be topped with piped frosting so they all look the same or close to the same. Cookies are extremely difficult to get uniform unless they're rolled out. Besides, when they're different sized they look homemade instead of mass produced.
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I do rotate. The baking is even but some of the cupcakes aren't as high as the others.
I too have had different flavors rise more. Chocolate seems to be fluffier. perhaps it's because chocolate is a starch and cocoa can be substituted for flour when desired.
I do balance the cupcakes with frosting. It's just a hassle trying to get each cup to look about the same prior to going into the oven. I've used ice cream scoops and a Wilton dispenser and other things. My biggest issue is with muffins because they won't be iced. My rolled cookies look fine due to my various cutters.
What kind of scoop do you use in the bakery? I may be able to purchase one from a restaurant store.
They are similar to these. We keep 4 different sizes and each one has the volume in ounces printed on the handle. I don't believe this is the brand, I'm thinking maybe pampered chef or maybe they are from Wilton? I can't recall at the moment.
https://www.zeroll.com/pages/en/products_dishers.php
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I have one like that and one that you squeeze the handle and it swipes the food, ice cream or batter or whatever, out of the scoop/spoon part. They are okay for dry doughs but I still end up with variations from wet batter because it gets all over the scoop/spoon. I'm sure it's me, lol.
It might not be you but the scoop itself. The ones that are gear driven seem to work better than the ones that are thumb driven, a la the typical ice cream scoop, or scissor-like because the pins wear out and the scraper ends up not clearing all the batter. A direct drive scoop can take the abuse of both wet and dry. Also, make sure the scoop you choose has a handle that's recessed back from the cup, if that makes sense. A mixing bowl with high walls and no lip (like on a Kitchenaid) helps also. Scraping upward evenly will ensure you get the exact amount the scoop will hold.
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Do any of these here seem like good ones?
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/2893/ice-cream-scoops-and-food-dishers.html
Also, which sizes for a 7 oz muffin pan, 3.5 oz cupcake pan, and 1 oz mini cupcake pan?
The direct drive one is what I'd use. We have the zeroll scoops in the bakery, I happened to look the last time I was at work. We don't use the big muffin tins so I don't know which scoop to use but the cupcake pans use the 1oz so my guess would be 2oz. I'll have to check which one we use for the mini cupcakes, can't remember off hand. It's not the smallest (100) scoop but one size up from that one.
I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.