Happy American Thanksgiving! I was sitting here planning a bunch of upcoming baking posts, when I realized that we’ve never really chatted about some of the basic steps that make for consistent baking and caking. I thought that it may be helpful to post these tips now, before we get too hot and heavy into more cake recipes. This collection of tips and tricks is made up of suggestions that happen to work for me, that I have either learned from the pros, read in books, or figured out along the way (and am still learning). I can say that implementing these steps completely changed my life as a baker, and I thought it would be fun to share.
I hope that even one of these tips will help you along too. Since it’s a wordy post, I’ll get right to it, but feel free to print this list off for reference. ♥
Recipe Ingredients:
1. Ingredients for cakes should be room temperature (can take out of refrigerator approximately 60-90 minutes before needed).
2. To check freshness of eggs, put in a bowl of water–if they sink, they’re fresh. If they float and stand on one end, they’re not.
3. “Eggs” typically means Grade A, large eggs.
4. “Milk” typically means homogenized.
5. You can substitute milk with yogurt or sour cream, to experiment with different textures.
6. To create a replacement for buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every cup of homogenized milk and stir.
7. Weighing ingredients with a digital kitchen scale is the most accurate method of baking.
8. 1 large egg white = 37 grams, 1 large egg yolk = 20 grams. Eggs separate best when cold, but whites whip best when room temperature or warm.
9. Egg whites in carton freeze well–just pull out of freezer night before you need them.
10. For best results, use pure vanilla extract (not from grocery stores)–what a difference! Heck, don’t even be afraid to double the vanilla quantity.
11. To bring cold eggs to room temperature quickly, you can put the whole eggs into a bowl of lukewarm water (not hot) for 30 minutes.
12. To bring butter to room temperature quickly, you can cut into small cubes on a plate for about 15 minutes.
13. Semisweet Chocolate = Dark Chocolate. Bittersweet Chocolate = Extra Dark Chocolate.
14. Semisweet & Bittersweet Chocolate are interchangeable.
15. Unless otherwise listed, use unsalted butter for cake recipes.
Mixing:
16. Incorporate dry ingredients together with whisk before adding to wet ingredients.
17. When creaming butter and sugar, get the mixture very pale yellow and fluffy–will take several minutes (around 5).
18. Always start and end with dry ingredients when alternating with wet ingredients (3 dry additions, 2 wet).
19. Don’t overmix once dry ingredients are added. Just mix on low speed until incorporated.
20. Kitchen stand-mixers don’t need to run at full-speed. A small mixer should run no more than speed #4, for most things. A large mixer no more than speed #6. You will add years to your mixer’s life!
21. Be careful with your sugar–too much can cause a dark crust (one of several possible causes), too little can cause too light a crust or tough texture.
22. Watch your flour–too much can cause a cracked top (one of several possible causes).
23. Beat egg yolks with fork before adding to batter.
24. To retrieve stray eggshells in mixture, use the emptied half-shell–eggshell sticks to eggshell. If you don’t get them all, they will sink during baking, so you can turn baked cake over when cool and retrieve them.
25. A pinch of salt brings out the flavours in sweet baked goods.
26. When folding, you should always add the lighter of the two mixtures on top, using a gentle folding motion, to avoid deflating batter.
27. When mixing egg whites for meringue, wipe all untensils and bowl with vinegar or lemon juice on a paper towel before they come in contact with the egg whites (including the mixer whisk attachment). Any trace of grease, will likely jeopordize your meringue.
28. Keep an extra set of rubber spatulas that you use strictly for meringue.
29. Use the electric mixer’s splashguard for liquidy batters–that’s what it’s for!
30. If incorporating more than one flavour into a batter or icing, always start with the vanilla; vanilla enhances most flavours.
Baking Cakes:
31. For evenly-baked cakes, no domed tops, and no-fuss assembly, bake “layer-by-layer.” This means if you’re baking a 3-layer cake, use 3 of the same size/shape pan, and bake 3 shorter layers at same time.
32. Use a small offset palette knife to spread batter evenly in pans. Don’t fill more than 1/2 full–2/3 at the most.
33. Get a separate oven thermometer for an accurate temperature reading–most ovens are either “hot” or “cold.”
34. Always wait for oven to reach necessary temperature before putting cakes in oven.
35. Keep cakes away from sides of oven, and if possible a few inches from each other (when more than 1 baking at once).
36. Rotate cakes after 20 minutes in oven (don’t disturb before 20 minutes).
37. Use middle rack, unless otherwise stated in recipe.
38. Typically, when in oven, cakes are nearing done when you can smell cake in the kitchen. Sounds weird, but you’ll see!
39. Leave cakes in oven when testing for “doneness.” When a skewer comes clean from center of cake, it’s done.
40. Don’t overbake! This is one sure way to end up with a dry cake.
Cooling & Frosting:
41. Let full cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 20 minutes before removing from pans.
42. Remove cupcakes from pan immediately, placing individual cupcakes on wire rack to cool.
43. Once completely cooled, wrap cake layers in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes before cutting and/or icing.
44. Always place cake on a thin foil-covered cake board the same size/shape as the cake for ease of icing/serving, etc.
45. Brush away any stray cake crumbs with silicone pastry brush before icing.
46. Apply even layers of filling using an 18″ pastry bag and large round tip.
47. Apply thin layer of icing to seal in crumbs, then place in refrigerator for 30 minutes before second layer of icing.
48. Use an offset palette knife/icing spatula for frosting top of cake, and straight palette knife/icing spatula for sides of cake. Use a bench scraper for super-smooth edges.
49. If you don’t have time for frosting your cake, a good sprinkling of powdered sugar does wonders! Tastes and looks great on most cakes.
50. To give your frosted cake a glossy finish, you can use a hair-dryer on medium heat over the outside of the cake (right before serving).
Yes, it should! Thanks :)
Tq for this article…i,m Sharing this article on my FB wall….
Thank you so much. I enjoyed and learned a LOT!………. and your kids are so adorable. :) xxx
Hi there Rosie – YOUR cakes most beautiful on net, period. Also what I find sometimes is that people don’t season their cakes sufficiently – oh man… they’re bakes beautifully then there’s that sallowness and disappointment. I don’t think any cake should get less than a full 5 ml salt min. ESPECIALLY chocolate cakes. Aaah thank’s again Rosie for wonderful cakes.
This is fabulous! I knew a bunch, but also learned a lot. Maybe this should be my screensaver the next time I’m in the kitchen baking ;)
Awesome, awesome post. Thanks for sharing! There’s lots of good bits of wisdom here.
I just came across this website and I love it. I have been in the hospitality industry for 30 years, and have done a whole lot of cooking, and being brought up in a greek/italian family learned a few things about baking breads, pasteries, cookies,etc, but I love that pretty can be yummy.
THANKS….
I’m really going to impress the family now..
Thanks for the great tips….now 2 questions….how did you decorate the cake pictured in the post??? I’m guessing you used a knife but how exactly as I’ve tried but not succeeded!!! And that cake stand is absolutely gorgeous…where can I get one….???
Love love love your blog!
Hi Sukaina!
Thanks for the comment! The cake in that photo above is from the Sky-High Hummingbird Cake post (https://sweetapolita.com/2010/10/sky-high-hummingbird-cake/). I used a small palette knife and pulled up from bottom to top repeatedly, to make that pattern. The cake stand, I actually found a few years ago at a small boutique in Ontario (where I am)–sorry, I know that’s not much help!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Your above mentioned post relating to the picture is no longer available. I would love to know what recipe it is, the cake looks yummy, white, and like it would keep well?
Many thanks
I LOVED WHEN I SAW YOURE ADD LOVE MAKING CAKES BOY OH BOY AND CAME ACROSS A LIGHT,LIGHT BLUE COLOR CAKE JUST HAD TO POST IT ON FACEBOOK WILL REALLY ENJOY MAKING YOURE NEW CAKES FOR SPECIAL OCCACIONS GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS AMEN
Rosie – WOW this tip list is just the best! I love to cook, but baking has never been my strong area – I sincerely think that this list of tips will help me so much ;-)))) So kind of you to share with us!!! And I just have to ask about that stand! Where is it from? Beacause ~ I LOVE IT. I can see making one myself with a vintage pie tin and a galvanized bucket…but didn’t know if you made the stand or bought it. The styling with the hummingbird cake is just PERFECTION!!!!!
xoxo
kristi
Thanks so much, Kristi! Here’s the link to buy this cake pedestal (from the loveliest shop!):
http://www.farmhousewares.com/galvanizedtinpedestal.aspx
What a wonderful thing you have done here Rosie, for all of us who bake. Thank you. My copy is printing as I write this.
What a great list of tips! I always get crumbles in my icing. Maybe not if I follow your tips.
These are wonderful tips! Thanks for sharing! I just discovered your blog through Sugarbelle’s facebook post today, and I love reading your posts. I’m a new follower now. You make great looking cakes! And your family looks gorgeous too! :) Glad to discover your site!
Thanks for taking the time to write up all of these great tips! No wonder my cakes never look like yours ;)
I agree this post is awesome; particularly helpful are some of the ingredient and mixing points. I shall indeed be printing it off :) however, since grams are indeed the most accurate (and standard practice here in the UK), why not include metric weights in your recipes? That would be the most helpful info yet!
Wonderful tips! I love that you share your tips instead of keeping your baking secrets like I tend to do. ;) I have a question for you. Have you ever used the baking strips that you soak in water and wrap around your pans? I have a huge problem with my cakes doming, and despite the tricks, I can’t seem to fix the problem. I’m curious about the strips, however I don’t want to purchase them if they are a waste of money. Thanks for sharing the secrets of your kitchen!
You can just use an old (clean) damp towel around your cake pans. Secure it with a non-plastic material. I used a hairband and one time a shoelace to keep it tight. Baking Macgyver.
I just came across your blog today while searching a raspberry buttercream frosting…love your site, love the tips, pics, etc. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Rosie! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and absolutely love your cakes, recipes, tips…you have amazing talent! I wish I could learn from you for a few days in person, I feel like I would improve so much as a baker! I actually started an online baking class last week and am about to start my first cake for the class after I get off here. I’m really excited! Thanks for these amazing tips! I have one question about the refrigeration thing. Cakes are okay to put in the fridge? I keep hearing conflicting tips on this. I’ve heard in the fridge they dry out. But won’t most frostings go bad if left out? Also, how long should I leave my milk out to go room temp? I don’t want it to sour! Thanks so much for your time!!
Hello Karissa,
Cakes are okay to put in the fridge but they come a little dry. If you allow them come back to room temperature, the dryness will not be noticeable. I have noticed this over 15 years of practice. So what I do to minimize is to wrap it two or three times with dry paper then wrap with air tight cellophane before placing in the fridge. This has worked for me
Thank you so much for sharing your tips and tricks. Your photos are an inspiration to turn on the oven and pull out the mixer.
How do you cut your cakes so neatly?
I’m so glad I found this! I will be assembling my own tips and baking lesson plan. I will definitely be directing people to this blog. These tips are so helpful!
Rosie,
When you have such a large recipe and a tiny oven, can you make the large recipe and keep the extra batter out while you wait for room in the oven? Or should you make only enough batter to fill the pans that fit in the oven? Help! Thanks, Pam
Greeting from Far-East side of the world. Wow..what a pretty site with such beauty–both cakes and also your kids. I’m just starting to pursue baking and this site is such an inspiration for me.
This website is a HUGE help! THANK YOU!
Hi Rosie,
love love love your blog – you’ve made me want to bake which I did not previously do. Have already tried some of your recipes, like the classic vanilla bean cake (in 6 layers rainbow colours with SMB, it was GORGEOUS and I did it! haha) but this only time I made SMB, it was sooo good – but I made the cake the night before, the SMB in the morning and cake was eaten at the party in the afternoon. So did not freeze the SMB, just used it right away, room temperature.
Am now making a cake for the christmas lunch at work on Friday – going to my sisters house tonight (she has the brand new KitchenAid I want to use) and trying your fluffy vanilla cake – and want to decorate it with SMB. Since it’s for use on Friday and I get in at work at 7 in the morning, the cake with me to be enjoyed at lunchtime – I’m so confused as to how to proceed with the SMB! Do I make it tomorrow night, frost the cake then, refridgerate overnight, take out before 7 in the morning and let it stand to room temp so ready at noon??
That’s my plan – any better ideas? (since I can’t frost the cake just before work and don’t have a KitchenAid or similar at home myself)
Don’t want to ruin this cake, they’re quite competetive here at the office so I want to bring the star cake :)
Lots of hugs from iceland x
I stumbled onto your site somehow and am soooo glad I did. What lovely cakes you make. You forgot one tip though! How do you not gain weight making all these cakes? I started seriously baking not that long ago and have had to start giving away most of what I bake so that I don’t gain another 20 pounds! I’m going to have so much fun wandering around your site and I hope to choose a cake to attempt soon! Thank you for sharing.
Great tips!!!!!!
Thanks Rosie for sharing your great baking tips as I have had some baking disasters in the past. This will surely help me in making better and yummier cakes. I always like to read your sweet blog and I consider you as one of my baking role models that I look up to!
Hi Rosie,
I have never done a stacked cake, but I would love to make one for my friends 22nd birthday in a few weeks. My idea is to make your Dark Chocolate layer cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Butter-cream and to stack it like the stack cake from your Ruffle and Rose post. I thought the ruffles were so chic and fun! I think it will be absolutely lovely! Do you have any tips or suggestions on making this task successful?
Thanks in advance. I will send pictures.
Christa
Amazing tips – thanks for sharing your wisdom! :)
#15 is a bit inaccurate. Salted butter will bring out the flavor in any baked good recipe. I never use unsalted butter, and I’ve never had a problem with any baked goods being too salty. Most bakeries and professional bakers use salted butter for sweet recipes anyway. This is especially true for buttercreams. Salted butter makes all the difference in the world. Trust me.
Jen, I think you may misunderstand–when I say use unsalted butter, that is not to say I don’t add salt. It is very true that adding salt to baked goods and buttercreams brings out the flavour, and I couldn’t agree more, which is why most of my recipes have salt added. The difference is that I feel it’s important to be able to control your salt, which is why most professional bakers actually use unsalted butter. You will notice that all of the gurus, such as Martha Stewart, Rose Levy-Beranbaum, Matt Lewis, Julia Child, etc. most often call for unsalted butter in their baking recipes. That being said, in many cases using salted butter can work just fine, but you just don’t have the same precision. Bakeries do often use salted to save a step in the recipe, but that is often due to large volume baking.
Hi Jen, Sorry very belated note. I have so often eaten other people’s cake and found them really unseasoned and it is unpleasant, especially re chocolate. I even put a pinch of salt in our cocoa drinks. Sorry Polita, we love you lots – I reckon we’re only 2 thinking this way. I use SO much of your stuff and thank you for it! Cheers
What do you mean when you say real vanilla extract and not the stuff you buy in the store?
I was wondering if you could help me. I did a little experimenting earlier. I couldn’t find a recipe anywhere on the internet for raspberry cake that wasn’t just for the frosting or the filling being raspberry… so I basically took a few strawberry cake recipes… examined them a bit, then a few other recipes and compared. What I ended up doing was using the basic 1, 2, 3, 4 cake that you can find all over the internet and in recipe books. I changed it up a bit, though. I used cake flour instead of all purpose. Because I did that, I had to add 3 3/4 tsp baking soda (because the recipe calls for self rising flour). I subbed the 1 cup milk with 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup raspberry puree and I subbed the 1 teaspoon vanilla with LorAnn Raspberry oil… same amount. I also added 1 tsp baking soda because I’d read somewhere that in acidic cakes, you need the soda to balance it. All the cakes and cupcakes I made with this sank in the middle. I thought at first I maybe undercooked it or opened the oven too soon… but I think it’s definitely a chem thing now, since it was consistently all things baked from this batter.
Do you think it needs more baking soda? What are your thoughts?
Opps… I meant “instead of self rising”.
And I must add… that even though they all sank… they taste marvelous.
Use half cake and half all purpose flour, the raspberries need more gluten to hold the mixture up. Also you have too much leavening, this will also cause the cake to fall in the middle. You might try using 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.
Hi- I’ve just discovered your amazing blog and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes. I’ve found your tips to be most helpful. I have just wrapped up a mini cake decorating class and one of the tools that I’ve found to be helpful when making layer cakes is torting (or slicing) to create the layers. I’ve noticed on several of your recipes that you prefer to bake the layers in different pans, even when the batter is identical. I’d like to try your lemon blueberry cake recipe and I’m wondering what your thoughts may be on the torting technique for this recipe. I have a 8×4 pan. Thank you!
Awesome tips! I’ll be pinning this for sure :)
Thank you much!
I have a question about tip number 31…What do you mean by baking three short layers at the same time?Also, is it okay to cook cake layers one at a time? If you use a pan that is at least 2 inches deep, do you have to double the cake recipe for those deep pans so that you will have enough batter for the cakes to bake up tall? Also, thanks for sharing and thanks for your tips on doming…I have that issue and i plan to use a towel to see if that works. I’m sorry, I have so many questions. Anyway, i brought a oven thermometer and my oven is not too hot by the reading results yet my cakes are coming out dry and sometimes crusty as if they baked too long…I don’t know if I’m overbeating or what I’m doing wrong but I keep coming up with dry cakes…any suggestions? so far i’ve tried the remove an egg white, add sourcream, and some other tricks i read about.Also, I was wondering if cooling cakes exposed dries them out. I heard to turn them on wire racks and to cool for at least an hour but don’t they dry out without being covered? Any help you can give me would be awesome. Thank you so much.
Turn your oven down, or cook for less time, or use a heating core so the cakes will cook more quickly and more evenly. Add a little more milk to your recipes. It is either your oven or your recipe.
Other ways to prevent drying out: Cool the cakes in the pan they cooked in. Within the first 5 minutes of coming out of the oven cover in plastic wrap–pan and all, and poke tiny holes for the moisture to escape. Once they reach room temp you can refrigerate until ready to frost, but don’t unwrap until you are ready to put the frosting on and then cover with frosting quickly. If they are still dry you can either spritz with water before frosting, or brush with a pastry brush dipped in sugar syrup, or other mixture like flavored liquor or berry slush.
I think , as a baker, i have crossed teh amateur stage and am trying REALLY hard to reach the intermediate stage. I was browsing on google and damn was I lucky to come across this site! I havent tried any yet, but i definitely will.
Kudoz to teh web layout! I am already a big fan!
xo
Kudos to you for a great post ~ love it! I’m new to the world of blogging and enjoy reading other blogs about baking, cooking and healthy eating. I’ll be stopping by often to “see” what’s new!
Blessings!
These are great tips.
wow what a wonderful blog! Hi Rosie may i ask for baking cupcakes should l leave it on the pan for 20mins also to make it cool b4 transfer to the wire rack? Another Q if the recipe does not call for baking powder can i just add 1/2 tsp only will it effected the batter and taste of the cake? For your kind advice please, thank you :)
This is SOOO helpful! I LOVE baking, but am learning the hard way (lots of trial and error) what makes a good cake. Thank you! I love your blog by the way. I’m new and will keep visiting ;o)
Thanks for the great tips. Do you have any for actually ‘slicing’ the cake? For me, it seems no matter how beautiful my cake looks ‘whole’, once I start slicing it up it looks lopsided and messy on the plate – and for what’s left over in the stand. TIA!
Clean knife every slice, one good cut downward. For a big cake, cut an inner circle, so you have an outer ring and the inner smaller round cake. The outer slices are not pointy, but with clean cuts this is a very neat way to have perfect slicing.
Hey Rosie, thanks for the tips. I’ve baked many of your cakes and all turned out wonderful! Just a little question on how to cool cupcakes. When you remove them from the pan, do you put them tops up or tops down on the wirerack, to cool? Thank you
I actually have a question about cupcakes: if you were to make mini-cupcakes, do you need to change the baking time?
This is the best thing I’ve discovered today – what an amazing list of tips! I just baked and assembled a 4 layer cake last night and it was a harrowing experience (but worth every moment) – I really wish I’d read this list beforehand. I’ve printed it out and it’s going to be a permanent fixture in my kitchen. Thanks, Rosie!
Made your vanilla cake and it was heavenly! I posted your recipe on my blog for South Africans to share. Thanx!
Do you still recommend freezing/refrigerating the cake before decorating if the cake will be sitting outside for a short period of time (1 hour or so)? I am making a superhero birthday cake for my son’s 4th birthday using both buttercream and fondant and don’t want it to melt in the August heat in Tennessee. Any suggestions on the best frosting to use? Thank-you!!!
Hi Rosie, I LOVE your blog! It’s amazing!!! The three layer yellow cake with turquoise frosting is beautiful. Is the recipe on your blog? Melody NRH, TX
Hello, Rosie,
your web it’s amazing, and you insipire me.
I’m from Spain and, the only problem it’s some ingredients (but I change for other) and the mesures, not cups, but with Kilos, grams, etc. I’f you bring me this favour, tell us the equivalences (how much is a cup, etc.). I tried to find this equivalences, but some times there are differences and cooking, you know thath to be exact it’s very important…..
You have some cake with differents talls?
Thanks! I wait your news creations!
Iolanda, I’ll try to help you with some basic conversions.
Liquid measures:
1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters
1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters
1 ounce = 29.57 milliliters
1 cup = 236.59 milliliters
1 pint = 473.18 milliliters
Dry measures:
1 ounce = 28.35 grams
1 pound = 453.59 grams
Flour weight ranges from 125 to 130 grams per cup for all purpose white flour, 127 to 135 grams for bread flour and 120 to 128 for whole wheat flour.
For sugar or other dry ingredients you can use the liquid measures as a guide when the recipe does not give weight.
For cake of different sizes (altura o anchura) I think it is best to bake separately.
Si tiene más preguntas me dan sus preguntas en español o inglés (pero mi español es sólo más o menos)
Thank you this is fantastic!
MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TU CONSEJO TRABAJA EXPECTACULAR
hey rosie!
thanx so much for the baking tips, they really helped!!!!
Hi!
Your website is amazing! my first time visiting and I am very impressed with everything esp. the decorations!
but one question, how would you make the cakes even more moist? do you simply add more oil?
Everytime i try to take them out of the oven as soon as the last bit of batter is cooked, but i still don’t get the moistness i want! any tips for that?
Thank you!
thank you so much! I will definitely remember these whenever I bake.
Thanks very much for the tips. Haven’t followed the recipes yet, but will so soon. This website is very informative and it’s very nice of you to share all this information, as professional bakers usually don’t share their secrets!
awsome website keep lookin
What is the turquoise cake in the picture?
This is awesome, I am just starting my caking adventure and this is a huge help!
This is so wonderful and joyous. i will keep on dropping here to get more tips, ”for anew life”
Fantastsic tips! I dont usually use unsalted butter in cakes but I will try it out next time, thanks! :)
just seen your blog and found your tips too useful… how to bake cake better can be learned through your post.. really all the information in the blog is fantastic.. just like it..
Hi,
I was wondering what revolving cake stand you would recommend for decorating cakes. Thanks!
Could you give baking tips for high altitude? Thanks!
Fantastic tips here!
Number 26 is especially important to remember I think:
26. When folding, you should always add the lighter of the two mixtures on top, using a gentle folding motion, to avoid deflating batter.
Thanks for a great read.
Thank you Rosie
These are great tips…thanks for sharing.
Some great tips on baking cake! I need to bake one now! Just for fun!
I printed this out right away. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing! I love your website, making my way through creating lots of your creations! x
Very helpful and I hope I can use all these tips :)
Question, is it not possible to ‘Pinterest’ your site/pages/recipes etc? Would be great if you made this possible!
Where can I find the recipe for the cake that is pictured on this post? I am looking for a yellow cake recipe. Thanks!
It was mentioned in the beginning.
https://sweetapolita.com/2010/10/sky-high-hummingbird-cake/
Hi , im loving your tips for better baking, but I got question about point 43 , if I put my cakes in the freezer , they are not going to frezz? Tis is my big concern when I bake my cakes. Thanks
Howdy, There’s no doubt that your blog could be having web browser compatibility problems. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it’s
got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other than that, great website!
Love your blog! Just a re-posted your 50 tips on my like page.
http://www.facebook.com/sweetcakesbydari
Wow, thanks for the wonderful tips!!!! So helpful ; v ;
cool beanz! I already “made up” like half these “rules” i almost ALWAYS use in baking! Especially the vanilla part. my secret cake recipe calls for 1 tsp. vanilla, but I always use 2 tsp. creamed in the butter and another 2 mixed with the mil. Vanilla-y!
Why do my layer cakes fall (cave in) in the middle while they are cooling?
They may not be completely done.
Thank so much for these tips, some of it I knew but there iz a whole lot I did not. 1question please, why do we have to take cupcakes out immediately? I was previously told to leave it until cool to keep its shape.
I love your blog!!!!! Thank you!!
Can you tell me what color of food color is this on this beautiful cake you have pictured here mint green from where?….
I am really glad I read this; buttermilk is so expensive here, and I have always wanted to know if I could replace it with something.
Great tips, love the website.
Thank you so much!
Wow these tips are amazing! I took a cake decorating class and I learned more from your post than I did in the class! How exciting! I can’t wait to bake some yummy cakes! Thank you so much for this, I am so excited to have better looking and tasting cakes!
Hi Rosie! I’m from Indonesia and I loooooove baking cakes and cookies. My country is a tropical country, so it is very humid and hot. with your tips about baking and icing (frosting) cakes just lighten my day. Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and tips. And oh your daughters!!! They are gorgeous from H to T!!!
I have a question though Rosie, I hate to use shortening for making butter cream because I don’t like the aftertaste but my family love cream cheese butter cream frosting. I wonder do you have any suggestion or recipe to a cream cheese butter cream that can hold their shape longer in a hot and humid weather? or can I substitute half of the butter in a swiss meringue butter cream with cream cheese so I still have cream cheese taste? hahaha more than 1 question :p. Thank you again for your blog!
i found your tips really helpful for making beautiful cakes.. nice posting.
Sweet Revenge London
I found your tips very helpful for making beautiful cakes.. nice sharing
Sweet Revenge London
Hi, do you bake your cakes in a convection oven?
Great suggestions!
just….delicious
How do i bake fluffy cakes.
thanks!!
great photos… they look amazing..
Hi,
Great post. I love Opera cake. I have a hard time making them look perfectly square. They tend to look like pillows – any tips on making sure all layers are squared up?
Thx
Hi Rosie
Found you today on Pinterest. The best day for baking tips in a long time. Thank you. I am 52 & just started my own baking business from home. You have a similar tast in colours and style as I and I find myself unable to stop looking at your work, I just love it.
I will be following you on your blog , Pinterest & facebook.
Happy baking. Sara x
Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Sara. Best of luck with your baking business! xo
Hi! What great tips, thank you! I hope you get a chance to reply to my question. I read the tips above and you state to use the middle rack of the oven, I have a tiny oven (unfortunately) and I would like to make one of your cake recipes and split it between three 8″ rounds. All 3 rounds will not fit on the middle rack, should I just bake it in the lower rack or should I leave a round behind to cook after the other ones are done? (I’ve noticed when I bake cupcakes on the lower rack, they look a bit funky, almost deflated but the ones baked on the middle rack dome beautifully). Sorry for the long rant. :)
This is a big help. Very informative for baking cakes. Keep coming.
Happy to find these 50 tips of baking. This might help me big. Keep posting.
I love to bake keep…Great article keep posting, Thank you
Hi Rosie! I love all your cakes and the way you write and describe everything. You make everything look so easy that I’ve tried some of your recipes! I’ve following you for a while now and I do really like how you work. You are an inspiration for me and I do try to get amazing results as you do. I’ve just started a blog (www.cook-ies.com) so I can share too!
Thanx a lot for all the tips!
hey i had a question reguardfing cakes…. i wanted to know is the liquid that bakers usually applu it on the cake after it is baked to keep the cake moist n taste fresh? also after applying that liquid on the cake for how long we can store the cake…it would be kind of u to reply as soon as possible
Wow I so so much love ur blog n all d baking tips muahhh to u.u doing d best for us baker may God bless you for me especially
So much in luv with these tips
Hi! That was a great tips especially for beginners like me. I have a question regarding weighing the ingredients.. When u say weigh that included flour? I weigh confectioners sugar but not flour.. Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi there,
First, I love your website and have just made your fluffy vanilla cake for my daughter’s 2nd birthday.
Second – eggs. I am from New Zealand and we have different egg sizes here than in America. I am trying to make sure I use the right weights and have gotten a little confused as the weights you have for the whites/yolks above are different than those stated on the Joy of Baking website (http://www.joyofbaking.com/eggs.html). Is it that there are different sizes depending where you are in America?
Thanks!
Wow, some link brought me on your page and I find it amazing. I have quite a lot experience in baking, but there were some new and amazing tips. Thanks a lot, I will follow your posts from now on definately! :) Greetings from Europe (Croatia :) )
Hi Rosie! I have seen a lot of baking conversion charts, some making more sense than others. Is there a specific one you follow when trying to convert recipes that you are testing?
Thanks,
Dari
please like my page sweet treats on facebook.
Hi Rosie! Just what I need to boost up my confidence. Tq for sharing.
Por favor,podrías poner la receta en español?? Me gustaría hacérsela a mi hija por 5 cumpleaños
What about cupcakes? Mine don’t have a dome to them, the batter makes a “muffin top”. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Rosie..
Wonderful post with lost of information, mostly that I was in the look out for. I just started baking and I am in love with it. I have tried various recipes and have got good appreciation from family and friends.
But what I need to understand is, if we do not have a large oven can one portion of the batter wait at room temp till the other portion is baked and cooled. Will that cause a difference in texture and taste? I have my niece`s b`day coming up and I would love to make a lovely cake for her. I have a small OTG and it wont be able to hold two pans at a time. What do u suggest?
Hi Rosie,
I understand you have a cookbook, but I cannot find it anywhere. Where is it sold?
LOVE your site and I am making the 6 layer Belgian cake for a friends 65th birthday surprise.
Thanks,
Sue
Hi Rosie,
It was a pleasure to go through your blog. And get these extremely useful & helpful tips. I always bake …. But do the standard recipes, & hopelessly shy away when it comes to Frosting. Could u please help me out , in how to make & frost a cake with chocolate ganache & get sharp edges. I live in Kuwait…. Here it’s quite hot in the summers. And I come from the spice country- India! :-)
Thank you ,
Arshia.
There’s certainly a lot to know about this topic.
I really like all the points you’ve made.
wow that really good information for beginners thanks a lot.
interestg tip on the use the eggshell to retrieve the small eggshell bits in batter .
your website look so sweet n adorable.
Dear Rosie,
Thank you for this post, it’s really interesting and helping us in our caking jobs. I have a request, I’m from Belgium, Brussels, and I would like to translate your post in French, as you may know English is not a national language, so if I post it like this, It won’t help. I will of course put at the beginning and and at the end the link to your blog.
Thank you very much.
Yasmina from Brussels.
Thanks for all the tis, particularly that of the hair dryer!
these are wonderful! thank you! :)
Great information. Lucky me I found your site by accident
(stumbleupon). I’ve bookmarked it for later!
Thank you for all the tips. I am learning baking and these are sure a blessing. Thank you
Hi there, would really appreciate a little advice from u. I have been baking the same recipe for quite a while and there wasnt any problem but recently its abit more dry than before. I did not change any of the ingredients nor quantity. Oven temperature is still the same. I dont know what am i doing wrong. :(
Love these tips! thank you :)
Hopefully your tips will help my uneven cup cakes! Some come out cracked, some come out quite dark and some under-cooked – all from the same batch!
Thanks
Sophie
Hi Rosie, Your tips are wonderful. I do have one question here, How to have cakes or cupcakes not to sweet specially when there is frosting on top?
my baked cake become semi yellow in 10 days(change flour to yellow color)…why as u?
Pls help. My cake get burnt and its not done at the bottom, but done at the top. It crumble after few minutes is out of the oven.
I am having small cup cakes manufacturing unit, with in 10 days time my cupcakes skin become dried, I am storing in pet Jars. I am unable to find any solution for this problem, please solve my problem.
Your recipe is very easy to follow!
Rosie thanx for all, all I want u to help me with is the full detailed recipe of a cake with the right quantities in their order,it happens that I dint balance mi recipe and I find mi cake so soft, thank u dear.
Wow!! very helpful… thanks for sharing
Hi,
I was wondering if anybody. Could help me, I have a recipe for a 20cm round cake tin but will be making a smaller cake in a 15cm (6inch) cake tin. How long would I need to bake the cake and can I use the same amount of ingredients?
Sarah
Hi Rosie. I can’t thank you enough for all of your recipes and tips. I have baked the very vanilla birthday for my daughter’s party on Saturday. The cakes are wrapped and in the freezer. This is where my question comes in….what’s next? Do I thaw the cakes or frost them frozen? After I’m finishing decorating does it go back in the refrigerator?
Hope of hear from you.
Candace
Hi Rosie,
I will be appreciated if you can give me some advice on how to make the cake lighter. I make a chocolate cake that ask to separate the egg yolk and white, After beating the egg yolk with sugar until thick, I add in oil, water,chocolate emulco then follow by flour mixture, the mixture came out like a ‘soft dough’, and is very difficult to fold in the meringue.
I had tried 3 times making it only once successful and the cake came out dense.
i) Can in add in 1 whole egg together with the egg yolk or something
else ?
Hope to hear from your, Tq.
Thanks for the tips. But I do have a a question. If baking a cake and need to keep for a day before assembling (ie: decorated and kept in a refrigerator) should the cakes be covered in something and how long before serving should they be removed from the fridge? Thank you!
I have been doing some research for a year 12 Food Technology assignment and this website has been really helpful not only for my assignment but also just my general knowledge. There are some things that I will never forget and will definitely do now!!
VERY HELPFUL!!
Hi Rosie,
I was just wondering what size and brand food processor do you use?
Thank you!
Amazing !!!
I’m looking towards that which you ought to share. Pleased to see you blogging once again.
Hi
I have tried many of your cupcake recipes and love them all. This is the first time I will try to bake a cake from your recipes and I’m confused when you say “grease, line with parchment paper, butter and flour”. Do I put butter all over pan first then parchment paper on the bottom and then butter on top of the parchemnet paper and lastly flour??? Oh and do I put parchment paper on the sides of the pan as well??? I’m sorry, I’ve only ever used nonstick baking spray in the past and I’m nervous to mess this up. I hope you can help
Thanks!