I’ll be honest with you. I love baking, but it’s also incredibly time-consuming.
Now, think of the horror of having guests over for a huge occasion with less than a day to prepare. As much as you want everything to be perfect, sometimes you mess up something that will force you to start from scratch.
It sucks, but it’s especially true for newbie bakers with too little grease on their elbows. It’s as they say: with experience comes wisdom and wisdom baking hacks (yep, I made that last part up).
That said, there’s no need to worry every time there’s an occasion to celebrate. With a few clever baking tricks, you can speed up your baking process and make the most of your time in the kitchen.
Cooling Cakes Upside Down
Cooling the cake is one of the most sluggish parts of baking. At most, you’ll have to wait 2 to 3 hours for it to cool down completely and be ready for icing.
Of course, you can’t skip the cooling process either. Hot cakes are a disaster to handle—they’re soft and prone to collapsing, which makes frosting them a nightmare.
But what can you do to speed up the process?
Use a wire rack to facilitate airflow and help the cake cool down quickly. But lay the cake upside down to prevent it from collapsing.
Cooling cakes upside down makes the top flatter. And flat cakes are easier to stack and frost, saving considerable time and effort!
On a side note, if you’re baking an angel cake, you can skip the wire rack and place it upside down on any flat surface, such as your counter.
Lastly, don’t forget to use your fridge for even faster cooling!
Last Minute Cakes? Here’s What You Should Do
With so many things to worry about, sometimes you’ll forget the special occasions you’d like to celebrate with friends or family.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make the extra day special even if you’re short on time.
For example, you can always opt for pre-made ingredients, such as store-bought cake mixes, pie crusts, or even pre-chopped fruits and nuts.
Using easy baking tricks, you can transform a plain box cake into something your family and friends can appreciate.
Milk vs. Water
Water is good, but if you want to add a wow factor to your store-bought cake, replacing it with milk (or other liquids) is the way to go.
Swapping water for milk will make your cake box taste infinitely better. It adds a dense texture to the baked goody and leaves it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake.
As a rule of thumb, use the same amount of milk as the recipe calls for water. So, if the recipe needs 1 cup of water, use 1 cup of milk instead.
No milk in sight? Buttermilk, coffee, or champagne works, too!
Butter Over Oil
Here’s another secret hack to making quick, yet mouthwateringly savory cakes from store-bought ingredients: using butter instead of oil.
The milk solids in butter provide a superior flavor that oil can’t simply beat.
You can always use melted butter in the same amount as the recipe demands for oil. Adding two tablespoons of mayonnaise also reinforces that pure decadent taste we all love.
Add Sour Cream
Use sour cream to make the moistest box cake! Made by fermenting regular cream with lactic acid bacteria, sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products you can use in baking.
When mixed with baked goods, the fat content of sour cream lends moisture and tenderness. Not to mention its contribution to their tasty flavor, richer mouthfeel, and better texture.
It might sound bizarre, but I’d recommend using full-fat sour cream when baking box cakes for the best result. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream to your cake recipe and enjoy!
Final Thoughts
Panic is a baker’s enemy. So, instead of working anxiously for a limited baking time, try these hacks and make the best of your time in the kitchen.
Of course, planning remains the best solution for this hitch. But in the meantime, cool those cakes upside down or make those box cakes taste homemade with these easy baking tricks!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.