Top Ten Baking Tips
I started baking as a hobby over 10 years ago and so today I am sharing some of my baking wisdom with you!
1. Preheat your oven! This is important to make sure that your cakes bake evenly and quickly. 15 minutes is usually enough for my industrial oven!
2. Read your recipe twice before you begin. There might be something that needs to be prepared in advance, a new technique to research beforehand, or an ingredient that you need to source.
3. Invest in electronic scales and be precise with your measurements. I recommend Salter Scales.
4. Don't skimp on ingredients. Cakes can be very simple in terms of flavour so you want your ingredients to shine through and impress your guests or clients. Higher quality ingredients also often improve the shelf life of your cakes so you have longer to enjoy them at their best!
5. Invest in good cake tins. I use PME brand tins - they last a lifetime! (not dishwasher safe though...). Your cakes will rise perfectly and lower the risk of burnt edges.
6. Patience and calm. I set the scene and get "in the zone" when I'm baking. That means Absolute 80s on the radio, comfy baking shoes and clean apron, a fresh pot of coffee and all of my equipment clean and tidy before I begin. If I'm at all stressed before I bake I can guarantee something will go wrong.
7. Beat your buttercream for a little bit longer than you think it needs. Just one minute longer! Then beat on the slowest setting, or by hand for 30 seconds to push out any big air bubbles.
8. Level your cakes! I'm lucky to have practiced cutting cakes so that the layers are even and level, if you're not so sure you can use a cake levelling tool. I'm not going to lie - I would still buy an Agbay machine if I could afford to, they're incredible and make cutting cakes look so easy!
9. Use an electronic timer. 19 minutes for a batch of 12 cupcakes is perfect for me.
10. Enjoy your cakes! What's the point of spending hours on an incredible showstoppper if you can't reap the benefits?
Happy baking, love Cat Food x
