Room Temperature Ingredients: For best results, make sure that your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature. This helps them mix more easily, creating a smoother batter and better texture for your cupcakes.

Don’t Overmix the Batter: Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix only until everything is incorporated. Overmixing the batter can lead to dense, heavy cupcakes. Stir until just combined for a light and fluffy texture.

Accurate Measurements: Ensure that you are using accurate measurements, especially when it comes to flour. Fluff the flour in the container and spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off. Too much flour can result in dry cupcakes.

Sifting the Dry Ingredients: Sifting the dry ingredients helps prevent lumps in the batter and ensures even distribution of the leavening agents, resulting in a smoother batter and fluffier cupcakes.

Checking for Doneness: Use a toothpick to check if your cupcakes are done. Insert the toothpick into the center of a cupcake; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If there is wet batter on the toothpick, bake for a couple more minutes and check again.

Let Cupcakes Cool Completely: Be sure to let your cupcakes cool completely before frosting them. If the cupcakes are warm, the frosting may melt and slide off, resulting in a messy cupcake.

Frosting Variations: You can adjust the sweetness and consistency of the frosting by adding more or less powdered sugar or heavy cream. For a lighter version, you can use whipped cream frosting instead.

Cupcake Liners: If you want to avoid the liners peeling off, make sure the cupcakes are fully cooled before removing them. You can also lightly grease the liners for easy removal.