tips

If you have forgotten to pull your butter out of the fridge and wish to soften it quickly for baking simply place the butter on a plate and then cover it with a warmed glass or bowl. This will surround the butter with warm air and will make it soften quicker due to the heat radiating from the...

If you lightly brush your swiss roll sponge with stock syrup before you roll it, it will moisten the cake and prevent cracks from forming when rolling up. https://www.helpmebake.com/threads/stock-syrup-recipe-and-guide.403/ Picture courtesy of our lovely member Kari and his Swiss Roll Recipe...

This Bismark nozzle and the #230 nozzle are ideal nozzles for helping you fill cupcakes, eclairs and doughnuts with a scrumptious filling. Just insert the nozzle straight into your dessert, squeeze and drag the nozzle out slowly whilst piping the filling in at the same time. These are...

Here is a step by step guide with pictures showing you how to make Apple Crumble Cupcakes Preheat the oven to one of the following: 180°C Fan Assisted 190-200°C Regular Oven Gas Mark 4 356F Tip: Remove your butter from the fridge at least 30 minutes before starting this recipe. :wink...

If you do not have a cupcake tray or cupcake box to transport your newly decorated cupcakes in then here is an alternative for you. 1. Get a Muffin tray and some Aluminium Foil which is bigger than your tray. (US - Aluminum Foil) 2. Then start to make a mould of the tray by pressing the...

If you are making cylinders or towers for a cake you can either use a swiss roll and cover it in icing fondant or you can place cake mix/batter in a greased and lined clean aluminium baked beans or spaghetti tin (removing the label of course) and simply bake the cake in the oven. Once baked...

If you want to add extra moisture to your cakes, then you can do so by creating a stock/simple syrup. Here is a recipe and guide on how to make stock syrup for your pre-baked cakes. To make the stock syrup, you will need the following: Ingredients: 100 grams or 3.5 oz Granulated or Caster...

I have now used my Williams-Sonoma cups to weigh out certain ingredients and then converted it to grams on my scales. The conversion is as follows:- Flour: 1 Cup - 120 grams ½ Cup - 60 grams ⅓ Cup - 40 grams ¼ Cup - 30 grams Dried Fruit: 1 Cup - 140 grams ½ Cup - 70 grams ⅓ Cup - 47 grams ¼...

How to make a 9" Madeira cake using the all in one method. Preheat your oven to one of the following:- 160°C Electric Fan Assisted 180°C - 190°C Electric Regular Oven Gas Mark 2 320F Ingredients: 600 grams / 21 oz Plain Flour (All-purpose flour for USA) 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder 500 grams /...

To make a heart-shaped cake, make a circle and square cake the same size then cut the circle cake in two and place the half sections on top. You can either then cover in buttercream or fondant.

When making Royal Icing ensure that your bowl is free from grease before you start. To do this, you can wipe the bowl with a little lemon juice before making. This will eradicate any hidden grease on the bowl that would prevent your icing from setting properly. For best results make the icing...

Pre-heat the oven to: 180°C Fan Assisted 190-200°C Regular Oven Gas Mark 4 356F *Remove your butter from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to starting this recipe. ;) Crumble: 50 grams / 2oz plain flour 25 grams / 1oz unsalted butter (chopped into cubes) 20 grams / 0.8oz soft brown sugar...

How to free up one of your hands from holding the cupcake in place whilst piping. Simply put your cupcake in a small rimmed glass as in a tall thin one, and now you can pipe using two hands freely.

If you are using glacé cherries and they appear very sticky simply place them in a sieve, run a little warm water over them. Then tip them onto some kitchen towel and pat them dry. They will be much easier to cut and will be far less messy and sticky.

In order to keep your piping bag tightly wrapped and free from unravelling, simply place a clip over the end of the bag when you have filled it and twisted it. This allows you to pipe more freely, you can move the clip down in stages after piping to ensure the bag is tight at all times.

In order to ensure you have enough icing rolled out, you can use a handy trick. Get a piece of ribbon and place it on the end of you cake board (before using buttercream or jam etc.) then place the ribbon across the edge then up the side of the cake over the cake, down the other side of the...

Photo courtesy of AB - AKA My Dad. Preheat your oven to: 180°C Regular Oven 160°C Fan Assisted Gas Mark 4 320F I came across this lovely recipe the other day when I was, in fact, privy to taste a lovely piece of the cake itself. Jackie, who is a friend of the family, made this cake for my...

A cheap way of creating hair for cupcakes or models is to use a garlic press. Simply place fondant/icing through the press and watch the hair appear. Cut with scissors and attach to your model or cupcakes using edible glue or water. Basic Baking and Cake Decorating Cake Decorating and Model...

If you are going to use pre-made puff pastry to make vol-au-vents or turnovers etc, then ensure you take the pastry out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before use. This brings it to room temperature and makes it easier to work with.

If your buttercream is too dry or stiff, add a teaspoon(s) of milk/boiled water to the mix and whisk in. Do this until you reach the required consistency. If your buttercream is too cold, this can also cause problems therefore use additional whisking to soften your batch or leave at room...