It’s the holiday season and that means every counter should be graced with the presence of a perfect holiday cake, right? Red velvet, German chocolate, double chocolate, strawberry, or chocolate chip pound cake. No matter what type of cake your planning to bake up this holiday season you’ll benefit from utilizing these cake baking tips.
Tip #1: Follow The Recipe
Following the recipe might seem like an obvious tip but once you start your cake baking journey you’ll see how easy it is to do the opposite. Often, you’ll find yourself substituting ingredients for items you have on hand. If you find yourself googling, “do I have to use cake flour or will all-purpose flour work,” the answer is yes. If you want the best results, use the ingredients in the recipe.
Tip #2: Yes. Room Temperature Matters
As a follow up to the tip above, when you see room temperature listed beside an ingredient, it actually matters. Many novice bakers make the mistake of thinking it won’t affect the final product if they use an egg straight from the refrigerator. They might even nuke their butter in the microwave instead of letting it soften on the counter. These things actually matter though. To make sure you follow this instruction, an hour before you plan to start making your batter, set all the ingredients that need to be room temperature on the counter to warm up.
Tip #3: Don’t Under of Over Mix The Batter
Often, you’ll see instructions that direct your to mix your batter “just until the ingredients are combined.” It’s important that you follow these instructions closely. The reason undermixing your batter is important is probably a no-brainer. Under mixed batter won’t fully incorporate all of the ingredients. However, it’s important to avoid over-mixing your batter, too. When you over-mix the batter you remove all the air and over-develop the gluten in the batter which creates a rough final product. This is an important baking tip for all baked goods — cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc.
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Tip #4: Use Parchment Paper Rounds
Do you want a perfect three-layer cake? Using parchment paper rounds in the bottom of your cake pans will help you achieve that. Trace the bottom of your cake pan onto parchment paper and cut out the shape. Then, use butter or non-stick cooking spray to grease the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper. This will make it easy for you to remove your cake when it is done baking.
Check out Sally’s Baking Recipes for more baking tips and bring the team at Buck GMC of Brandywine a sample of your perfect holiday cake.