Are you getting ready to tear your hair out in frustration, because every time you try to do some baking it always ends in failure? If even the most simple of recipes ends in disaster, you need to avoid these common cake baking mistakes. Once you know to look out for these baking pitfalls, it should be smooth sailing to delicious baked goods!
Beautiful Rose Cupcakes by Bakerella
Baking is not always as easy as it looks, and although your mom, or the celebrity cook on the television, might make it look that way, sometimes it is just a matter of preparation and experience to do some awesome baking that you would be proud of.
Baking, just like any other skill, is something that comes naturally to some people. Maybe you know a few of them? And look on in envy as they effortlessly bake their way to perfection every time.
For us mere mortals though, there are some common cake baking mistakes that should be avoided at all costs, if we ever want to produce anything worthy of feeding to the family. If you follow the baking tips and tricks below, then you will soon be serving up amazing cakes on a regular basis, and maybe even hosting parties, just so people can experience your tasty baked goods.
5 Common Cake Baking Mistakes:
Ignoring fresh ingredients-
If you find that the things you bake always taste “a bit funny,” or your cakes never seem to rise properly, then it is almost certain that the main problem is that your ingredients are not fresh enough. Be sure to check expiration dates.
It’s always tempting to use that half a bag of flour that has been sitting in the cupboard for the last year, instead of popping out to the shops to buy a new one, but if you ever want to have any hope of spectacular baking then fresh ingredients are a must. Always look to use fresh flour, baking soda and yeast at all times to get the very best results.
Not following instructions-
Another one of the most common baking mistakes is throwing the recipe book out of the window and going “freestyle.” It may be tempting to put “roughly” 3 cups of water into the mixture, when the recipe states 3 cups, but if you want to get perfect results then it always a good idea to do exactly what the recipe says.
You may also have a tendency to leave out certain ingredients, or use a substitute. It’s not always possible to use the exact ingredients, but you should do everything in your power to get it as close as possible. Perfect baking requires perfect ingredients and perfect measurements!
Not preparing enough-
Proper preparation is the key. Make sure to read through the recipe before you start baking, and then get everything out of your cupboards to check you have enough supplies.
Many people start baking, only to realize after half an hour that they don’t have enough milk, or that they have the wrong type of flour. Not only that, but they look at the clock and realize that the shops closed half an hour ago.
Going through the recipe beforehand, is one of the key areas if you want to do some good baking.
Forgetting to grease the pan-
You’ve gone through all the trouble of following directions and using the fresh ingredients, now comes the crucial part! Don’t forget to grease the cake pan or cupcake tins before you add the batter. A huge baking fail will ensue if you don’t grease the pan, even if it says non-stick!
Don’t open the oven door too often or too early-
You have baked a gorgeous cake but if you open the oven door too early, the cake can fall. In oder to avoid a cake where it sinks in the middle, you need to remember that keeping the oven at a constant cooking temperature is important to a good baking result. Therefore, don’t open the oven just to peek. Wait until you think it is really done and then check briefly.
Baking Tips Conclusions
If you avoid the common cake baking mistakes mentioned above, then you will be well on your way to fantastic results. You never know, you might even get your very own television show, where you can bake delicious food in front of millions of people every night. Or maybe you will just be satisfied with producing good honest homemade food for your family, time and time again.
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