As we all know, baking has its ups and downs—even the most experienced baker will run into a problem in the kitchen from time to time.
Here are some baking tips and tricks to help ensure a more consistent outcome when making cakes, cupcakes, breads, and any other sweets and treats. A big thing to remember when baking is that measurements matter. The phrase “cooking is an art and baking is a science” holds a lot of truth.
When it comes to cooking, eyeballing the measurements is no big deal; throwing in a little more spice will only enhance the flavor of the dish. And really, down here in the south, can you ever add too much butter? In cooking, the answer is absolutely not! However, when it comes to baking, it is important to follow the ingredient amounts on the recipe.
One of the most commonly used ingredients in baking that is often measured incorrectly is flour. Many people measure flour by scooping the powder right out of the bag with the measuring cup. This method results in the flour being more packed in the measuring cup; the outcome being much more flour than needed.
To scoop flour with the most accurate result, first stir the flour around in the bag; second, take either a spoon or another cup to fill the measuring cup; and third, level it off. This technique gives the perfect amount of flour required for every recipe and will prevent having too much flour in your mixture, which will keep your desserts from being dry, hard and crumbly.
When it comes to measuring ingredients, there are plenty of tips to give. Another good tip for when you are measuring something sticky such as honey is to first spray the measuring cup with a nonstick cooking spray. The spray prevents the sticky substance from being stuck in the measuring cup and prevents the measuring cup from being a sticky mess. This will help with cleanup and ensure that every drop of honey is accounted for in the recipe.
To ensure precise results when measuring liquids, it is a good habit to set measuring cups on a flat surface, and to read the measurements from the side instead of the top.
It is important to pay attention to when a recipe is using fluid ounces or ounces. Fluid ounces are a volume measurement and ounces are a weight measurement. Confusing those two will result in large differences in the amounts measured. When it comes to liquids, these two are equivalent.
If you remember these tips and tricks, I am sure your time in the kitchen will be a breeze. Hopefully, this will help you to enjoy your baking just a little bit more. The biggest thing to remember is that baking is meant to be fun and not to stress when making a dessert for friends, family, or even yourself.
Wishing you a sweet week from Buttercup Bakehouse!
- Maggie Cookie, Bakery Assistant