Baking Advice

A HIDDEN CENTRE CAN ELEVATE A SIMPLE CUPCAKE INTO A CROWD PLEASER. WE SHARE A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR HOW TO FILL YOUR CUPCAKES WITHOUT USING A CUPCAKE CORER. Once you try filling cupcakes at home, you’ll realise just how easy it is and you won’t be able to resist trying out all the tempting filling combinations around. Coring a cupcake means to remove a little piece of sponge and a filling is then piped or carefully spooned into the centre, the idea being that when you bite into the cupcake, you’ll get that extra surprise of a sweet centre.   How to core and fill a cupcake Follow our step-by-step guide to coring a cupcake: Cool sponges are essential to this technique. Allow your cupcake sponges to cool

Your oven is easily the most important variable in determining the outcome of your bakes. Baking at the right temperature is important not only for determining baking times but it will also affect the final quality of your cakes. What do I need to know about baking in non-fan assisted versus fan assisted ovens?  We test our recipes in a conventional non-fan assisted oven. If you bake using a fan-assisted oven, be aware that these ovens cook things faster. Refer to your oven manufacturer’s instructions booklet for the best advice in terms of converting baking times. As a general

WE RAISE A FEW IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR DEAR OLD RAISING AGENTS AND WHAT THEIR UNIQUE PROPERTIES BRING TO YOUR BAKES. What do raising agents do? Raising agents are powders that are added to baking mixtures which react chemically to release carbon dioxide. The bubbles of carbon dioxide add air to the mixture, which is then baked and the air bubbles become locked into the protein structure of the sponge creating the fluffy crumb we know and love. Can I swap one raising agent for another? The short answer is no. For the longer answer, read our explanations of how the individual raising agents work below.   Raising agents react in completely different ways, so it’s advisable to choose a recipe for the raising agent you have available or

EVER WONDERED HOW WE GET THAT SIGNATURE HUMMINGBIRD SWIRL? IN OUR LATEST VIDEO, OUR EXPERT BAKER SHOWS YOU EXACTLY HOW TO FROST A CUPCAKE USING ONLY A PALETTE KNIFE.   It takes our most skilled bakers no time at all to frost a whole tray of cupcakes and this is because they have their palette knife skills down to perfection.   When you learn to ice a cupcake without a piping bag, it cuts your decorating time down and makes washing up a piece of cake. No pesky bags or nozzles required.   Personally, we also think the swirl looks great and it’s our favourite style of cupcake frosting. If you wish to write on a cupcake with a small piping nozzle, just follow steps 1-2 below and flatten the top into a flat dome shape instead of a cone.   We like the swirl method the best because it ensures every last bit of the sponge is covered with smooth, fluffy frosting and this prevents it from drying out.   Watch our video

ANY AMERICAN WILL TELL YOU THAT COOKIE-MAKING IS AN ART IN ITSELF. WE ASKED OUR BAKERS WHAT THEY THINK MAKES THE PERFECT COOKIE AND HOW YOU CAN BAKE A WINNING BATCH EVERY TIME. If you’ve ever wondered why some cookies end up different, even when baking a recipe you’ve tried before, that’s because cookies are a great example of why baking is a science. It’s a matter of variables. Change any of the ingredients or method and you may end up with a cookie that’s flatter, rounder, plumper, crisper, chewier or browner than the last batch. Classic American cookies tend to be much bigger, chewier and softer than their biscuity British counterparts, but it’s all down to preference. Most people know what they like when it comes to cookies, whether that’s a chewy centre or a golden brown top, and it’s useful to know what steps you can take when baking to get the desired cookie result!

BAKING IS A SCIENCE, SO GETTING ALL YOUR INGREDIENTS MEASURED OUT PROPERLY WILL ENSURE YOUR BAKES TURN OUT JUST AS THE RECIPE INTENDED. FOLLOW THESE TIPS AND TRICKS AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BAKING SUCCESS AND A BAKING FLOP! Accuracy when measuring out baking ingredients is super important. We really can't stress this enough. It’s just a case of getting into good measuring habits and not letting little slip ups affect what is (or isn’t) in your mixing bowl. Rule 1: Know which ingredients matter most  Certain ingredients make the structure of your mixture. These are typically things such as flour, sugar, eggs and butter. These are the ones you need to watch closely when measuring out.   Ingredients which are added for moisture are also important,

THERE’S NOTHING MORE SATISFYING THAN A TRAY OF CUPCAKES ALL NEATLY RISEN TO THE SAME LEVEL OR A STACK OF COOKIES ALL IN PERFECT MATCHING ROUNDS. HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THIS BAKING MAGIC? WE’LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT! Making your cupcakes and cookies a uniform size is a matter of scooping out the mixture equally before baking. You will end up with a jumble of different shapes and sizes if you don’t scoop out neatly and equally, so it pays (if you’re really picky about your presentation) to use a food portioner rather than a spoon to serve out your cupcake mixture or cookie dough. Here’s how you make your cookies or cupcakes the same size:   Invest in a food portioner: this is like an ice cream scoop but it is designed to hold a particular

IF YOU’RE BAKING WITH SUBSTITUTED INGREDIENTS, HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR TIPS SO YOU CAN CARRY ON BAKING. We’ll start by saying we generally don’t recommend substituting ingredients when it comes to baking, if you can help it. Baking is a precise science and even changing one ingredient can affect the final outcome.   But sometimes for dietary reasons, an allergy or personal preference, it is necessary to substitute ingredients. We thought we’d put together a couple of pointers for home bakers looking to make ingredient swaps in their baking. Can I bake gluten-free? It is very simple to bake gluten-free. Just swap the exact amount of dry gluten-containing ingredients (flour and raising agents) for gluten-free alternatives. We use Dove’s Farm gluten-free

FUDGY, CHOCOLATEY AND WITH A SHINY CRISP TOP; NO ONE CAN RESIST A TRAY OF BROWNIES FRESH FROM THE OVEN. FOLLOW OUR GUIDE TO HELP YOU BAKE YOUR BEST-EVER BROWNIES. Ten tips for unbeatable brownies: Use an oven thermometer to calibrate your oven. Baking at the correct temperature is essential so that you know you’re not over-cooking your brownies in the centre. Bake them in the centre of the oven for even heat. Melting the chocolate with the butter over a bain marie does double-duty. The hot water prevents the chocolate from seizing up and going grainy and melting the butter before combining into the mixture ensures you don’t incorporate air through beating, so your brownie stays fudgy rather than turning cakey. If you prefer them cakey, add more air by beating.

WE’VE GOT 99 PROBLEMS BUT A SPONGE AIN’T ONE! HERE'S HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT A TROUBLESOME SPONGE CAKE. Dry This could be due to the ingredients or the oven. Check you put the right amount of wet ingredients in, e.g. using large eggs (if asked for) rather than small and measuring liquids out properly. Similarly, you don’t want to put too much of any dry ingredients in, as these absorb moisture. Use an oven thermometer to check your oven isn’t too hot, which could dry the sponge out. Also, use a kitchen timer to check you aren’t leaving your cake in the oven too long. Undercooked  If