Baking 101




Here are some helpful tips and tricks that I have learned along the way...
*Butter should be removed from the fridge at least 1/2 hour before starting to bake because it needs to be completely soft to be successfully creamed with the sugar


*For the best flavour, use unsalted butter when making buttercream frosting


*Brown sugar produces a darker cake with a more caramel flavour


*Confectioners' sugar is also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar ~ it dissolves easily and is perfect for making frosting

*To incorporate as much air and lightness into your cupcake batter as possible, sift the flour before using. It's an extra step worth taking!


*Always use eggs at room temperature. If eggs are too cold they will curdle the creamed butter and sugar in your batter

*Always preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking

*Once your pans are in the oven, don't be tempted to peek in on them. Opening the oven door will let cold air in which will make cupcakes sink in the middle.

*Once baked, let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. This will allow them to firm up before you move them.

*Don't have buttermilk? Here are two easy substitutions;


  • Place 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.  Add whole milk (low-fat versions are too thin) to reach the amount of buttermilk called for in your recipe. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • You can also do the same with vinegar if you don't have lemons.

 Feel free to comment or add your own tips & tricks!


2 comments:

  1. Got some tips for you. :)

    * If you forget to take the butter out of the fridge before baking (I've done this a few times), grab a cheese grater and literally grate the butter. This way because it gets grated into small amounts it softens immediately and can be used straight away if you don't have the time to wait for it to soften!

    * If you run out of confectioners' sugar, just take 1 cup of white sugar and 1 tbsp of corn flour (corn starch there) and run it through a blender until it looks like it's starting to smoke. It's not smoke, just the sugar being fine as it should be. In between pulses, shake the blender side to side to ensure all the larger granules of sugar sink to the bottom to ensure they get blended in well too.

    I also find that confectioners' sugar you've made yourself doesn't need that much sifting compared to store bought varieties. Not sure why that is yet though!

    * Not sure if you have self-raising (self-rising?) flour over there, but you can make your own by adding 1 tsp baking powder to 1 cup of flour.

    That's all I can remember off the top of my head right now that's not already on your list.

    Happy baking!

    -Lisa.
    Sweet 2 Eat Baking

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog! I love to read your comments and hear about what's happening in your kitchen.