Whether you're a novice or a keen baker who wants to improve, our simple tricks and tips will help you achieve baking perfection every time.... Music in Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y56x2tdinQ&list=PLfE_QZ6sguuf7pbjgUJWO4qoKADbD9hUE Lovefood 2022-09-18T11:45:00Z Let’s bake!, Whether you're a novice or a keen baker who wants to improve, our simple tricks and tips will help you achieve cake perfection every time. From a simple Victoria sponge to a tricky worth-the-effort showstopper, plus vegan and gluten-free bakes, there's a cake to please everyone, as... Let the air in, For a light, dreamy cake, you need to incorporate as much air as possible in the mixing process. By sifting all your dry ingredients, you'll add air and it's why recipes tell you to "fold" in the flour. A spatula and a gentle hand is the easy option or try using a balloon whisk.... Flour matters, Use soft flour for cakes rather than strong or bread flours, which contain a high amount of gluten and will make your cake tough. If you don't bake on a regular basis, buy flour in smaller quantities and store in a sealed container. Flour left open for too long will attract flour... Essential kit, You'll never get a cake, cookie or cupcake to cool evenly without a wire cooling rack. If you leave a warm cake on your kitchen surface, you'll end up with the inevitable soggy bottom. A cooling rack also comes into its own when you are baking sponge cakes. Tip them out of the tin... Get the heat right, You can get away with an uneven oven for roasting and casseroles but for baking, an oven thermometer, which you pop onto the top shelf of your oven, is worth the small investment. Ovens can be over or under the specified temperature and it's often the case that one side may be... Lining the tin, Using parchment paper to line your cake tins serves two purposes. Firstly, it prevents the cake from sticking so it's easier to get it out of the tin. Secondly, lining the sides of the tin prevents the cake from becoming too dark. Brush the tin with a flavourless oil such as... Raising agent: baking powder, Baking powder is not the same as baking soda (also called bicarbonate of soda) and cooks are often confused. The former is a combination of bicarbonate of soda, an acid, cream of tartar and something like cornflour which acts as a filler. Check if you are on a... Raising agent: baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is an alkali used as a raising agent for soda bread and robust cakes such as gingerbread, carrot cake or fruit cake. You'll see it combined with an acid, such as buttermilk or yogurt, which helps to activate it... Be ready!, Baking is no different from other types of cooking in that you should always have your ingredients ready to go before you start. Weigh or measure everything out, have tins prepared and preheat the oven to the correct temperature. When baking cakes, you need to put the mixture straight... Is it cooked?, To test if your cake is fully cooked through, it should be slightly shrunk away from the sides and springy to the touch. Double-check with a thin skewer through the centre, which should come out clean. If it's the correct colour on the outside but still a little raw in the centre,... Vanilla: extract or essence?, Pure vanilla is pricey but you use such small amounts, it's worth splashing out. Vanilla essence is a synthetic flavouring and lacks the complexity of extract. Vanilla is a "balancer" like salt or lemon juice, which brings out other flavours in a recipe. It's often... Size matters, Whichever shape of cake you want to bake, use the size and depth of the tin specified in the recipe. Most recipes use 18cm (7 inch), 20cm (8 inch) or 23cm (9 inch) round tins, sandwich tins (shallower for Victoria sponge and so on) or spring-form for deeper cakes. Loaf tins tend to... Invest in essentials, Just as a good cook's knife makes chopping easier and faster, a few bits of the right kit will help your baking. A silicone spatula helps to fold in flour and can scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed together. Likewise, measuring spoons are a must –... Easy mixing, If you bake often, it's worth investing in a stand mixer. For making meringues and for whisking butter and sugar together, they're worth their weight in gold. Although pricey, they'll last for years and look rather lovely on your kitchen countertop. If the budget doesn't stretch that... Temperature's important, Before you begin to make your cake, it's important to have all your ingredients at room temperature. Take eggs and butter out of the fridge ahead of time, though how long depends on how hot it is in the kitchen. If the butter is too hard, weigh it out then cut into small... Where did it go wrong?, Cracked cake? It co
