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As beautiful and impressive as they are, sometimes you just don’t want to bake an entire layer cake.
The construction and decorating of a layer cake, let alone the stress of transporting it anywhere, can be a hassle. Even slicing and serving a cake at a party can be a whole production.
Cupcakes are easier, quicker, and less stressful – especially when serving a crowd! They’re perfect for outdoor gatherings like picnics or kids’ birthday parties. Not everyone wants an entire slice of cake to themselves… but I know few people who will turn down a cupcake!

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This article will show you how to transform a cake recipe into cupcakes.


Sprinkle of Science
How to Convert Cake into Cupcakes (and Cupcakes into Cake!)
Conversion Guidelines:
The below yields and baking times are approximations and will vary depending on the recipe used, how much you fill your cupcake pan’s cavities, and even the brand of baking pan used. These guidelines can be used both ways so that you can convert any cake recipe into cupcakes, and any cupcake recipe into a cake. Use the sensory indications given by the original recipe for doneness to assess the baking time, such as using a cake tester or toothpick or observing the color or texture.
Three 6-inch round cake layers = 24 standard cupcakes
- Standard cupcakes: Bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F
- 6-inch round cake: Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F
Two 8-inch round cake layers = 18 to 24 standard cupcakes
- Standard cupcakes: Bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F
- 8-inch round cake: Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350°F
Two 9-inch round cake layers = 24 standard cupcakes
- Standard cupcakes: Bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F
- 9-inch round cake: Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F
One 10-inch bundt pan = 24 cupcakes
- Standard cupcakes: Bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F
- 10-inch bundt pan: Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350°F
One 9 by 13-inch baking pan = 24 to 36 standard cupcakes
- Standard cupcakes: Bake 18 to 22 minutes at 350°F
- 9 by 13-inch pan: Bake 30 minutes at 350°F
Conversion Guidelines for MINI Cupcakes:
- Three 6-inch round cake layers = 72 mini cupcakes
- Two 8-inch round cake layers = 54-72 mini cupcakes
- Two 9-inch round cake layers = 72 mini cupcakes
- One 10-inch bundt pan = 72 mini cupcakes
- One 9 by 13-inch baking pan: 72-108 mini cupcakes
- Bake mini cupcakes for 9 to 12 minutes at 350°F
Conversion Guidelines for JUMBO Cupcakes:
- Three 6-inch round cake layers = 12 jumbo cupcakes
- Two 8-inch round cake layers = 9-12 jumbo cupcakes
- Two 9-inch round cake layers = 12 jumbo cupcakes
- One 10-inch bundt pan = 12 jumbo cupcakes
- One 9 by 13-inch baking pan: 12-24 jumbo cupcakes
- Bake jumbo cupcakes for 22 minutes at 350°F

Best Cake Recipes to Make as Cupcakes:
Recipes You Shouldn’t Turn Into Cupcakes:
- Angel Food Cake – This must be baked in a special unlined aluminum angel food cake tube pan to turn out as intended.
- Flourless chocolate cake – Cupcakes need flour to provide structure and stability.
- Pound cakes – These are generally too dense for the shape of cupcakes.
- Sponge cakes – These will be short and dry as cupcakes.

How to Prepare Cupcakes from a Cake Recipe
Step 1: Prepare Batter
Prepare the batter normally as the recipe directs. No need to make any changes unless you’re scaling a layer cake recipe down for fewer cupcakes.
Step 2: Fill Cupcake Tin
- Line your cupcake tins with paper liners (check out my post on how to prevent cupcakes and muffins from sticking to the liners. Liners are important not just to prevent sticking, but for all the cupcakes to rise properly). These are my favorite cupcake liners.
- Fill cupcake cavities two thirds to three quarters full of batter.
- Underfilled cupcake pans can result in short, dry cupcakes.
- Overfilling can result in a sunken middle or cupcake tops that conjoin while baking.
- Use a mixing bowl with a spout or a spring-loaded scoop to make quick and efficient work of filling your cavities.
Step 3: Baking Time and Temperature
- Bake at the same temperature called for in the recipe.
- If converting from an 8 or 9-inch layer cake recipe, you’ll only need to reduce the baking time by about 10 to 15 percent.
- If baking from a 9 by 13-inch cake recipe, you’ll need to reduce the baking time more.
- Generally, most cupcake recipes bake in 17 to 20 minutes.
- Start at the low end, quickly test for doneness, and continue baking until done.

How to Tell When Cupcakes Are Done Baking:
- Cupcakes are done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a couple moist crumbs clinging.
- The internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer should be around 205° to 210°F.
- The tops should spring back lightly when pressed.
- Your cupcake may look ever so slightly moist on top – it should finish cooking from the residual heat when removed from the oven.

How Much Frosting Do Cupcakes Need?
One of the great joys of cupcakes is that you get more frosting per serving than a layer cake! You’ll need more frosting for cupcakes than a layer cake, especially if you like a fairly generous amount or plan to use a decorative piping tip.
Generally, you’ll need to double the frosting in a layer cake recipe when making cupcakes. Below are some rough conversions. I overestimated because it’s better to have too much frosting than not enough! Feel free to scale up by 1.5 instead of twice the amount.
- Three 6-inch or Two 8 or 9-inch cake layers = 3 cups frosting
- 12 cupcakes = 3 cups frosting (generous amount)
- 24 cupcakes = 6 cups frosting (generous amount)
Need a recipe? Check out my Best Buttercream Frosting or my Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting!

Bonus Tips!
- Bake a test cupcake first. Portion out one cupcake and bake to assess how much to fill the pan cavity and how long to bake.
- Cake and cupcake recipes are sometimes formulated differently to suit their different purposes. When I’m creating a cupcake recipe, I like something a little sturdier to hold up to a generous amount of frosting, but with a looser, spongier crumb. With layer cakes, I like something with a tighter crumb. That’s why you may observe differences when looking at cake vs. cupcake recipes.
- This guide can be used both ways – so, this works for converting cupcakes into cake, but also for converting cake into cupcakes.
More Science of Baking Articles:
- How to Prevent Cakes & Cupcakes From Sinking
- Everything You Need to Know About Sugar in Baking
- How to Prevent Cupcake Liners from Sticking
- How to Measure Flour
This post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Joanie Simon, Ashley McLaughlin, and Lauren Hansen.
There is so much useful information in this post (and Tessa’s other blog posts). I only wish it offered a print option that formatted this information and removed the ads, similar to what you do for her recipes. I have created a kitchen binder of favorite recipes and information/tips I have accumulated over the years. I had to cut and paste this article into a separate document, format it, and then print it.