Basic Baking and Cake Decorating (9 Viewers)

If, when adding your eggs to your cake batter, you are noticing the batter is curdling, splitting or separating, don't panic; this is normal and may be caused by a few simple factors. Different temperatures of your ingredients may be the reason they're not binding together and doing the science part they are supposed to. Another reason may be that you are using lots of eggs in the mix, and you haven't added any flour yet. This happens a lot when making Fruit Cakes/Christmas cakes To be quite honest, it isn't a problem and will sort itself out when you bake the cake; however, if you are unhappy with the curdling effect, then just add a teaspoon of flour each time you add an egg to the mix. This will add a touch of dryness to your...

To ensure that your egg whites foam please do the following:- 1. Use a clean bowl. 2. Use eggs at room temperature. 3. Ensure that NO amount of yolk is in your egg whites if there is the slightest bit of yolk, your eggs will not foam. 4. Use an electric whisk on full speed; the foaming will happen over the course of five to ten minutes. 5. You cannot foam egg whites manually the speed from the beaters allows you to froth the whites by trapping the air and increasing their volume. How to Stabilise your Egg Whites Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Hints Tips and Tools Recipes and Guides Tutorials

When baking, I tend to opt for whatever sugar I have available in the cupboard, however certain sugars assist with your baking process and help you create better results. So if you wish to enhance your baking and end up with crumbly cookies and super light sponges then here is a quick rundown of what sugars you should use. Icing or Confectioners Sugar is used to make the buttercream, royal icing, glace icing and can also be used for dusting your work surface before rolling out icing fondant. It is sometimes used as a light coating or finishing touch over cakes and cupcakes. Superfine or Caster Sugar is a finer sugar which works well with cakes, pastries, meringues and shortbread. As the particles are tinier, they absorb into your...

A skewer is a metal, plastic or wooden stick that is used for a variety of things when baking or cooking. A metal skewer is pointed at one end and has a handle or a rounded-off end at the other which enables you to hold it. These are inserted into a baking cake to see if the middle has completely baked. If the skewer comes out gooey with cake residue on it then the cake is not yet baked, however, if the skewer comes out clean then cake is baked and can be removed from the oven. (This is a not fully baked caked that has been overfilled in the tin). (This cake has now baked fully). A wooden or plastic skewer generally has a point at one end and a blunt end at the other, these can be used for testing cake batter but can also be...

Ground almonds are made by grinding ground sweet almonds in a food processor or blender. Once the untoasted almonds have been processed, they will look like a fluffy powdery type ingredient. What are flaked almonds? These are sliced blanched almonds. What are blanched almonds? These are almonds that have had their skins removed. How do I blanch almonds? 1. Place your raw almonds into a pan of boiling water. 2. Leave them in there for 60 seconds. (If you leave them any longer they will go soft). 3. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the water and almonds over a sieve or colander and let them drain. 4. Run cold water over them. 5. Dab them dry with kitchen towel, you should see the skins have now shrivelled and softened. 6. You...

When you are covering a cake with icing fondant, buttercream or any frosting, you will need to ensure that the cake does not slide or move. In order to keep the cake in place simply put a blob of buttercream, frosting or jam on the middle of your cake board and place your cake on top. This will act as an adhesive between the cake and the board and will ensure your cake stays in its place while you decorate. If you have any excess showing on the board, then remove it with a slightly damp piece of kitchen towel. Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Hints, Tips and Tools Recipes and Guides Tutorials

Make your cookie dough and roll the cookies into shape. Chill them in the fridge for about 30 mins before placing in the oven. By chilling the dough beforehand, you will stop your cookies from spreading when they bake. This is because you are solidifying the fat in the dough, so when the cookies bake the butter in the mixture takes longer to melt than standard room temperature butter, thus holding the shape of the cookie for longer and preventing it from spreading. To prevent additional spreading you can use a non-stick baking tray or line it with baking paper as an alternative. Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Hints, Tips and Tools Recipes and Guides Tutorials

There are a few ways in which you can pipe handsfree. However, one of the quick and easy ways to do it is the following. If you place your cupcakes on a damp tea towel before piping, they will stay in place and allow you to pipe more freely. Another way to pipe handsfree is by placing your cupcakes into a glass. If you click on the below link you will see how this can be achieved. https://www.helpmebake.com/threads/piping-cupcakes-handsfree.23/ Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Hints, Tips and Tools Recipes and Guides Tutorials

As a general rule please note that cake boards that are purchased from supermarkets or cake stores are disposable and should not be reused. However, if required, you can actually purchase reusable cake boards. They are made from acrylic or perspex are food safe and can be purchased from cake stores, eBay, Amazon and even some plastic manufacturers. These are very chic and work well with stacked wedding cakes and showpieces. Why Do I Need to Clean my Cake Board? Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Hints, Tips and Tools Recipes and Guides Tutorials

Here is a small guide on how to make same sized even level top cupcakes. Method: 1 Use an ice cream scoop to measure out your batter, thus ensuring that your cupcakes are the same size across the board. I usually add one level scoop of batter to each cupcake case. 2 Only fill your cupcake case ½ to ⅔ full this will allow the batter to spread and bake more evenly. 3 Make a dip or swirl in the centre of your cupcakes before placing them in the oven. You can do this by using the handle end of a teaspoon and swirling it in a circular motion in the middle of your cupcake to make a well or dip. 4 Ensure you have the correct oven temperature and always bake in the centre of the oven...

Sometimes when making a cake you may find that air holes have appeared throughout your cake when it has fully baked. This can be caused by over beating your wet and dry cake batter and results in air pockets being trapped and then baked into your cake. To prevent air bubbles appearing in your cake there are two ways of eliminating them. Option 1: Once you have fully combined your cake batter in your mixing bowl run a butter knife through the batter in a 'S' like motion (as if you were writing a letter 'S' with your knife) or in a side to side motion or simply swirl the knife through your batter with the knife. This will effectively 'pop' any air bubbles that are trapped in there. Option 2: Once you have poured your cake batter...

Wooden spoons are sometimes required within a recipe due to their robust nature. Because they are sturdy, inflexible and do not retain heat they allow more pressure to be added into your mix whilst beating thus assisting with the thickening process overall. They are the tool of choice when making fudge or sweets as they don't scratch your pan and help distribute heat evenly. I use both wooden spoons and spatulas when baking depending on what I'm making, however, I do know that some people prefer to use spatula's over wooden spoons because they are easier to clean and do not absorb ingredients into them. Although wood is porous and over time may absorb some of your baking goodies thus leading to cracking, I still find them a great...

The all in one method concerning cakes and cupcakes is, as the name suggests, you simply place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together all in one go. When making cupcakes or cakes using this method, a raising agent is usually included in the recipe; this is required to assist with the baking process and enables the cupcakes and cakes to rise. Once mixed, it will then look something like this. Creaming Method Reverse Creaming Method Melting Method Rubbing in Method