Many beginner bakers have had a few mishaps along the way. Today we share some secrets every new baker should know to avoid baking disasters. Let's take a look.
Baking is easy and yet genuinely hard. It's easy because every recipe spells out the quantities and ingredients clearly, so you don't waste time working out how to start or inventing new recipes. It's hard because those quantities really do have to be precise, and the small details at every step can't be overlooked. Bakes are delicate and fragile: weigh something slightly wrong or skip a step and they may collapse into a mess. Here are our tips and tricks.
1. For Perfect Decorating, Wait Until the Cake Is Cool
Whether it's a pound cake or a cupcake, if you rush to decorate it the moment it comes out of the oven, warm and fragrant, it will be a disaster. The warmth of the cake can melt the cream you pipe on, and the cream may even soak right into the cake, ruining the whole thing. The right way to frost or decorate a cake is to remove it from the tin after baking and let it rest on a rack until completely cool (if you are impatient, you can fan it or cool it with a fan), then frost or decorate as you like, so the cream doesn't melt.
2. Always Preheat the Oven Before Baking
Preheating is very important. If you forget to preheat the oven, it may not be at the right temperature when it's time to bake, causing your bake to fail, not rise, and turn into a sad, shrunken cake that looks anything but delicious. Preheating is simple: just remember to turn the oven on 10 to 15 minutes before your bake goes in so it reaches the right heat. We repeat: only about 10 to 15 minutes, because preheating for too long makes the oven too hot, which can also ruin your bake. And while baking, don't open the oven door often, or the oven loses heat and your bake may sink rather than rise as it should.
3. Never Crack Eggs Straight into the Mixing Bowl
It's easy, convenient and quick, and there might seem to be nothing wrong with cracking eggs directly into the mixing bowl. But wait: what if you're unlucky and get a rotten egg? You'd have to throw out the whole bowl. And even if the egg is fine, how can you be sure it went in cleanly with no shell or unwanted bits? To be safe, crack each egg into a separate cup first, check that it isn't rotten or spoiled and has no shell or debris, then gently pour it into the mixing bowl.
4. Precision in a Single Measuring Spoon
Baking demands great precision in everything, especially measuring ingredients. When a recipe calls for 1 measuring spoon, using a heaped spoonful is a mistake that could ruin your bake entirely. The correct way to use a measuring spoon for baking is to scoop a heaped spoonful, then level off the excess with the back of a knife or a spatula so it is flush with the rim. That gives you an accurate spoonful.
And those are our simple tips and tricks for beginner bakers. Follow them and your bakes won't fail again.
