We’ve all been there; burnt cake, dry cake, cake that crumbles before your eyes as you take it out of the pan. If you are only just starting out on your journey to become the best baker in the land, or you are a baker looking to refine your skills and techniques, well, we could all use some help sometimes. We have compiled 10 tips to make the best cake, that guarantee your cake will turn out perfectly.
Follow the Recipe
Baking is, in fact, a science, and you must stick to the recipe, without adding a pinch more of this or a teaspoon more of that. If you do, you are risking ruining a perfectly good cake. Find a recipe from a book or site that is reputable; sites like Pinterest are great for other things, beyond seeing furniture you want, such as the ikea klippan sofa cover. You can check to see reviews of the recipe, and pictures of how it turned out for the non-professional bakers, and without it being photoshopped. Pinterest is great too because you can see if anyone did modify the recipe, and how that turned out for them; that is if you feel the unavoidable burning desire to modify.
If It Says Square, Use a Square. If It Says Circle, Use a Circle
The size of the pan or tin matters. You can’t use whatever is clean, or whatever is handy. Read the recipe well ahead of time, to ensure you have all of the ingredients, and the required baking tin. This will ensure that the consistency, and the texture, of your cake, are perfect, and will keep you from under and overcooking your ideal cake.
Heat That Oven!
Preheat and wait for it to reach the correct temperature. Don’t rush and put it in as it heats up. This is undoubtedly a mistake that many people make, and guess what? It ruins your cake, as the
fans dry your cake, or the extra time burns it.
Salted, Unsalted, Powder vs Soda
If your recipe calls for a specific ingredient, then use that ingredient. This means you should not be using unsalted butter if the recipe calls for salted, and vice versa. Stick to the plan; someone wrote that recipe, and used that ingredient, for a reason. If you don’t have it; send your husband, wife, friend or carrier pigeon to the store and get it!
Read the Whole Recipe
This may now be obvious given the above tips, but reading the whole recipe helps you know what you need, how much, how much time you need, what the steps are etc. and enables you to understand the big picture fully.
Sifting Is Your Friend
Dry ingredients can be sifted to make them easier to fold. Folding the dry ingredients into the wet often yields the best tasting cake. Use a whisk for this part, and do it slowly. Same with sifting. Don’t underestimate the power of sifting, just because it seems pointless at the time.
