No matter the occasion, cakes have always been the favorite for many people. Nothing beats the beauty and taste of a well layered cake designed for occasions such as weddings, birthdays or just a snack for the evening with friends and family.
When you want to make the best cakes, there are some tips that would greatly help you make a delicious cake, one that will mouth-watering. Baking a cake is surely very intimidating and few failed attempts could end up discouraging anyone.
However, with these 7 tips, you will be able to bake your cakes right from start to the finish and enjoy great results. Here are some tips and tricks to help you bake a delicious cake: -
HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS
As with every other cooking exercise, successful baking is heavily dependent on the usage of the right tools. Having the right recipe and ingredients without proper baking tools will only frustrate your efforts and therefore you should look into this as a matter of importance.
As you learn how to bake different types of cakes, make sure that your kitchen is stocked with the most important baking tools for guaranteed success. The exciting part of this is that you might already be having some of these tools and only a few needs to be added. You can learn more about baking equipments from village bakery website.
DON’T USE COLD EGGS
Many bakers make the mistake of using cold eggs and forget that bringing them to a room temperature is as important as it is for butter. While many people are conscious of the need to heat or warm butter, many forget or unaware of the need to do the same to the eggs in order for the mixture to emulsify properly.
You should put your eggs in a container of warm water and leave them for up to 15 minutes. While at it, you can microwave your cut-up butter in intervals of 5 seconds and make sure you check it in-between these intervals. This is an important part of baking process which will give you a guarantee of a soft, delicious cake.
USE THE RIGHT FLOUR MEASUREMENTS
The quality of your cakes will largely be determined by the amount of flour you use vis-à-vis other ingredients. Depending on the size of cake you need to bake, you should be having the right size of a measuring cup or use a kitchen scale for this.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just use a cup but make sure you do not scoop the floor directly using the measuring cup but instead scoop with a different container ad pour into the cup. This will help prevent the flour from becoming compacted thus allowing you to use an accurate measure.
Compacted flour will mean using more than what you need and this will undoubtedly affect the thickness and consistency of your cake.
DON’T IGNORE THE RECIPE
One may wonder, isn’t that obvious? Well, you might not know how many people have so oftenly ended up with complete disaster simply because of ignoring this very important tip. Before starting with your baking, always take time to read the recipe ahead and know how to go about step by step based on the type of cake you are baking.
This will help you know when, where and what to do at any given point during the baking process. Just those few minutes of reading could save a lot of money as far as ingredients are concerned and also help avoid unnecessary failure.
USE THE RIGHT TIN SIZE
Different recipes have different tin sizes recommended in order to guarantee great results. Always use the recommended size and if you go for a different kind, make sure to adjust your cooking time downward or upward depending with the difference.
You should smear some softened butter on the tin and dust with some flour or alternatively go for baking parchment. In case you are baking the type of cakes that take too long in the oven such as rich fruit cake, try using a string or brown paper to wrap the tin’s exterior to prevent the edges from burning.
MAKE SURE THE CAKE HAS ENOUGH AIR
When creaming the sugar and the butter, you should aim at getting as much air into your cake as possible. Mix the sugar and cream until both the color and texture lightens. This will increase the volume and air in your cake which guarantees a lighter result. Sift the flour and use the right whisk to mix the ingredients. Do it gently so you don’t knock air out.
MAINTAIN THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
The temperature in your oven is very important. You should have an oven thermometer and set the right temperature for your recipe. Also, avoid opening the oven door while baking as this will cause your cake to backfire. Bake the cake for the specified amount of time. You can insert a skewer at the center of the cake and if it comes out dry, then your cake is cooked.
If it is wet, then return the cake and add a few more minutes. With these tips, you can bake your cakes at home or even do some for sale to your neighbors. Always remember to use the right ingredients and tools for the best results.
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