10 Foolproof Tips for Baking Cakes

Cinzia Cuneo December 15, 2014 Sweets

The art of baking great cakes also includes understanding the chemical reactions that take place.

Follow our 10 tips to prevent baking a cake that comes out as flat as a pancake or as hard as a rock!

1.    Measure all the ingredients with a kitchen scale before starting.

2.    Preheat the oven. To avoid unpleasant surprises, check if your oven is set properly by using a thermometer or thermal sensor.

3.    Use eggs at room temperature.

4.    Beat eggs and sugar, or butter and sugar, according to the recipe, for at least 5 minutes in order to incorporate enough air, as this will make your cake rise and give it a spongy texture.

5.    When the recipe calls for adding one egg at a time, you should incorporate each egg properly before adding another one.

6.    For better results, alternate the addition of dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, etc.) with liquids (milk, cream, etc.). To combine all the ingredients properly, use a spatula to scrape the side of the bowl and bring the ingredients to the centre.

7.    Use the exact or similar size of baking tin specified in the recipe. Fill it up two-thirds.

8.    To grease the baking tin, use softened, not melted butter, making sure to grease the sides and bottom of the tin properly. Depending on the recipe, dust a little flour, sugar or cocoa powder inside the baking tin, by tapping the sides and turning it so the flour sticks to the butter.

9.    Don’t open the oven door during the first half of the baking time, to avoid a gust of cold air deflating your cake. To check if it’s done, insert the tip of a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.

10.   Unless the recipe specifies otherwise, let the cake cool for at least an hour before removing it from the baking tin.

Try some of our best cake recipes:

• Blueberry Lemon Cake
• English-Style Chocolate Pudding
• Grandma Luigina’s Apple Cake
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cakes
• Zucchini Bread

Author

Cinzia Cuneo

Cinzia Cuneo, founder of SOSCuisine.com, never wanted to neglect the quality of her food. She shares her special expertise to make good food quickly and without complications!