If you want a perfectly flat, beautifully iced cake, you need to first learn how to level a cake properly. There are a few ways to go about making your cake nice and level so you can try each method and decide which is best for you. So will you start leveling your cake with a knife or will you …
How to Use Cupcake Liners (And the Different Types and Their Uses)
We all have cupcake liners in our pantry, ready to use anytime we bake cupcakes or muffins – plain paper, foil, or fancy ones with designs that are great for those special occasions. If you’re like me, you may wonder why we use these baking cups and when we should be using them. Should you use them every time you …
When to Use Pastry Flour (And How it Differs from Other Flours)
With so many choices available, I keep a wide selection of flours in my kitchen. Unbleached all-purpose white, whole wheat, cake flour, and even gluten-free. And then there’s pastry flour. But just what is pastry flour? And when should you use it instead of reaching for one of the other flours? Pastry flour has a finer texture than other flours …
How Long Should a Cake Cool Before Frosting?
When you are making a cake, you may want to bake it as quickly as possible and get to the fun part- decorating! However, if you rush into frosting your cake, you may be quite disappointed with the end result. The temperature of your cake is very important when it comes to getting the outside frosting perfect. So how long …
How to Make Cake Without Eggs (11 Clever Ingredient Hacks)
There are plenty of reasons why you might not want to use eggs in your cake. You might simply be out of eggs. Or, you might be following a vegan diet and you don’t want to use eggs in your cake. Maybe you even have an egg allergy. It’s even possible you are trying to lower your cholesterol and don’t …
Why Your Puff Pastry Didn’t Rise
Whether you make puff pastry on your own or take advantage of the convenience of buying it packaged and frozen, this flaky pastry is wonderful to bake with. Sweet or savory, puff pastry can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Crisp and light, during baking puff pastry should rise to several times its thickness, resulting in many layers …
7 Creative Ways to Fill Cupcakes (Without Buying a Tool)
Let’s face it, there is always a way to make your cupcakes better. One easy way to take those cupcakes from good to absolutely fantastic is to fill them with delicious fillings. How, exactly, do you do that? There are actually a number of ways you can fill cupcakes which means that no matter what your skill level, no matter …
Why Pastry Cracks When Rolling (And How to Prevent or Fix It)
No matter what time of year it is, it’s always time for pastry! Berry tarts, a delicate pastry with custard cream, or a lattice apple pie – all are favorites with my family. And to make a delicious pastry treat, you need the perfect dough. But this is where things can sometimes go wrong. For me, pastry sometimes cracks when …