Basics of Baking

Good Day everybody!

I know its been a while since I posted any recipe here. What to do? I've been busy with work & college. Haven't had a chance to cook anything yet. So I decided to talk about baking. Everyone loves cakes. And if we make it, the love just multiplies looking at the perfectly baled cake! ☺ I'm not a great expert at baking. I'm just 3 cakes & 2 breads old. However, I've been successful in all my baking experiments (*touch wood* ☻) I thought I could share some tips about baking with you all. Who knows when it might come in handy, right? :-D


1. ALWAYS make sure you have a good baking pan. I found this inexpensive bakeware on Amazon. (on your left) It has all the shapes and sizes you'll need! ☺

2. Keep clean mixing bowls & a whipper with you. I have a manual whisk & an electric blender with me which works well for me. But having an electronic whipper can be really helpful. And it costs less than 20$. It is a one-time investment. Think of all the wonder creams you'll whip or the delicious cakes you'll whisk. ☺

3. Measuring spoons & cups - When the recipe says 1 teaspoon baking powder, do not just add any small spoon. AT least not in the beginning. Progressive GT-3520 International 19-Piece Measuring Cup and Spoon Set is one of the many brands of measuring spoons/cups available in the market. Once you become an expert at baking, you can trust your instincts.

4. Ingredients - Get all the ingredients ready before you start preparing for the bake. It is best to be well prepared before you start the process. When I made my FIRST CAKE, I had all the required ingredients lined up in different cups. Hence, it was really easy to mix all of them according to the recipe.

5. Make sure you lay down some old newspapers on your kitchen counter. In this way, even if you spill any mixture, it'll be very easy to clean. I, in fact lay newspapers for all my dishes coz I've still not perfected the art of neat-cooking ☺

6. Always PREHEAT the oven to the said temperature at least 20 minutes before you put in the mix. I switch on the oven when I start assembling ingredients for the cake/bread mixture.

7. You have to grease your pan well and line it with parchment paper in order to avoid the cake from sticking onto the cake pan. To grease a pan you have to -
                      - Apply softened butter all over the pan.
                      - Sprinkle some all purpose flour all over the tin (about 1 tablespoon)
                      - Shake the cake pan slightly so that the excess flour would fall down.

8. Once your dish is cooked, immediately wash the pans/vessels in which you prepared the cake/bread. If you procrastinate, it becomes difficult to wash the utensils. However, if you DO have to delay the washing, I suggest you soak them in water until you wash them.

And last but not the least, always remember the motto - Yummy yummy yummy, I've got love in my tummy!  ☺ ☺ ☺