Baking Tips: Practical Tips for Making better Cakes and Muffins

Here are some practical tips you can apply to improve your baking skills. These are must-know tips for baking if you are a frequent baker and want to make the best of your effort.

Greasing Pans

  Use a paper towel to grease the baking pans. Spread the shortening or oil evenly.

A pan spray can be used for greasing as well.

Bake Muffins Without Sharp Edges

 Grease the muffin cups only halfway up the sides for baking loaves of bread or muffins. That way there will be no sharp edges formed on the baked products.

Bread Dough Rising

The dough of bread raises best at 80 Degree F. It must be kept covered while in the rising process. Use a lid or a damp cloth.

Spreads vs Butter

Spreads cannot replace margarine in baking since they have more water and less fat. Butter is the best to be used in cakes and it should always be in liquid form or room temperature. If it is hot, it may cook the ingredients it is mixed with.

Making Brown Sugar

 You can make brown sugar for baking recipes by mixing a cup of granulated sugar and one-teaspoon molasses. 

Corn Syrup For Baking Purposes

 Corn syrup is a wonderful ingredient since it prevents crystallization of sugar in candies and pie fillings enhance jam flavour and prevent ice crystals to form in frozen desserts. It is used as a glaze to meats and baked vegetables.

Measuring Tools

  Instead of getting the measurements wrong by guessing or not using measuring tools to make cakes and baked items, always use the right measuring tools. For the measurement of dry ingredients, keep a standard dry measuring cup. Use the correct pan sizes for baking and the recommended temperature.

Measuring Brown Sugar

 Measure brown sugar by pressing it firmly into a measuring cup.

Use measuring spoons to measure small amounts accurately. Avoid guessing the amount.

 Testing Cakes if They Are Done

 To check if the cakes and bread are done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake without removing it from the oven. If the cake is ready, it should come out clean and non-greasy.

Sugar Substitute
 In yeast bread, half cup-granulated sugar can be replaced with brown sugar, molasses,  corn syrup or honey.

With liquid sweeteners such as honey or molasses, you may need more flour to knead for bread.

 Darker Shade in Cakes

With high fructose content, your cakes and bread will have a darker brown shade.

Reducing Temperature With Liquid Sweeteners

Oven temperature can be reduced by 25◦F if honey or corn syrup is used in a recipe. That way you can avoid the over-browning of the crust.

Temperature Settings

Follow the instructions about the temperature while baking. People have different experiences about gas ovens and electric ovens. Usually, baking time is longer when you bake more than one item at a time. Follow the baking temperature instruction from the recipe you are making. Usually, muffins take less time than the cake to get ready.

Rotate your pans

You should rotate your pans on intervals to avoid hotspots in the oven that may serve to over-brown your cake.