I am making mini cupcakes for a shower. Without using cupcake papers, is there a way to have the outside of the cupcakes remain soft. I've tried some, spraying the tins with Pam and they did pop right out but the cupcakes are a little crusty on the sides. The ones we've gotten from cupcake bakeries are soft without any paper liners.

Thanks so much,
Eileen

Eileen, it can be more iffy when you bake them without the liners. Also, mini cupcakes are easy to over bake. Have you tried using the baking spray that contains oil and flour? Another suggestion is to reduce the oven temp. I remember reading something that said, "Miniature cupcakes bake optimally around 325 degrees for 18 minutes." I would probably start checking them at about 12 minutes and watch carefully until a toothpick comes out clean.

I am not sure if you are bothered by the marks a liner would make but you could bake them in liners and them when they are cool, peel them off.

Would those silicon cupcake baking units work? They're reputed NOT to brown. They're also available in a variety of cute shapes.

They would, however, need special attention to cleaning: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/742565.