Not sure if there's a secret, just follow a good recipe, be accurate with your measuring etc. I did do an ebook on cupcakes a couple of years ago if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Cupcake-Recipes-cakes-fairy-ebook/dp/B006HGKJ5C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363798133&sr=1-1