I categorize baking and cooking as two different techniques, mainly because, I typically do not get excited about baking.
However, baking is one of the most wholesome and therapeutic hobbies out there.
You learn new skills, have plenty of fun, and impress your guests at dinner parties if you are a really good baker.
Whether you’re totally new to baking or you’ve already got a few tricks up your sleeve, these tools and tips will help you make progress with your baking adventures.
9 Apps for Improving your baking skills
Baking Recipes
The Baking Recipes app is the perfect tool to improve your baking game!
From classic recipes to new and unique ideas, you’ll be baking plenty of delicious treats in no time.
There are many categories to choose from, including scones, desserts, loaves of bread, and more.
The baking recipes app provides more detail than you can expect from a cookbook, meaning you’re more likely to achieve the perfect outcome.
As well as a wide range of recipes, here you’ll find plenty of nutritional info and handy baking tips.
You can create customized ingredients lists, rate the recipes, and save your favorites.
Perfect Bake
Looking to bake the perfect treats every time? What you need is the Perfect Bake app.
The application was designed for use with the ‘Perfect Bake scale’, helping you to create delicious desserts and dishes.
The app offers step by step guidance so there’s no chance you’ll miss anything out.
Perfect Bake also uses a color-coded system so that you’ll always know which bowl to use for which step.
The best part? You don’t need to fiddle around measuring anything!
The virtual bowl fills up as you put each ingredient in, and the app alerts you when you should stop filling your bowl.
Cake Recipe Book
Cake Recipe Book is a fantastic app for aspiring bakers looking to brush up on their skills.
The app offers plenty of simple cake recipes that you can make at home.
There are lots to choose from including cheesecakes, red velvet cakes, pound cakes, cake glazes, and a whole lot more.
When you’re new to baking it can be a little tricky, but this app has plenty of pointers to help you become a pro.
Once you’ve gained confidence, you’ll be ready to start making up your own creative recipes.
Cookpad
Perfecting your cooking skills requires learning tried and tested methods, so it can be helpful to connect with fellow bakers!
The Cookpad app is a recipe sharing app where you can share cooking experiences and ideas.
Every recipe you’ll find here has been created and tried out by a home cook just like you.
Whether you’re looking to make up your own recipes or learn from others, Cookpad is a fantastic app.
You can browse a huge range of recipes, and search by preferences, ingredients, difficulty level, and more.
Using the Cookpad app, you can share photos, inspire others, ask questions, and improve your baking skills.
1000 Cake Recipes
With this huge collection of unique cake recipes, you’ll never run out of ideas!
There’s Caramel Apple Walnut Cake, Brazillian Carrot Cake, Strawberry Pina Colada Cake, Pumpkin Cake and so much more.
Features include an easy to use table of contents, pictures, and videos for all recipes.
Cakes are a fabulous idea for many different occasions.
You can choose your recipe by difficulty level to make life easier.
To learn even more about making delicious cakes check out celebrations in the kitchen cake kits.
Easy Cake Recipes
Easy Cake Recipes provides a huge range of simple dessert recipes, whether you’re looking for something chocolatey, fruity, vegan, or gluten-free.
Each recipe is complete with a simple ingredients list, cooking times, and a step-by-step guide.
Users can save recipes for offline use which is handy if you cannot always access the Internet.
The app has recipes for all occasions, whether for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, or special dinner parties.
The Tasty App
The Tasty app is the perfect cooking coach, allowing you to access 4000+ yummy recipes.
Whether you’re looking for vegetarian recipes, gluten-free, or low-sugar, you can filter to find the right recipes for you.
From pizza to cakes, curries, and healthy soups, Tasty has got plenty of options.
The app includes video tutorials, pictures, and step by step instructions.
You can choose recipes according to difficulty, cuisine style, and any dietary requirements you may have.
The Tasty app will leave you with lots of new skills that you can use to cook up a real feast!
Cook Measures App
Cooking measures is a simple app which helps users to convert between cooking measures.
You can access these conversions offline, so it’s simple to use the app no matter where you are.
Features of the cooking measures app include:
- Supported decimal or fraction inputs.
- You can copy conversion results.
- Add frequently used measures to your favorites.
- Search for any measure that you need.
- Orientation changes are supported.
Vegan Cake Recipes
In the last several years, vegan diets have gained much popularity.
Many people praise vegan diets for the health benefits; while others adopt this diet to reduce their carbon footprint.
Whatever the reason for choosing a vegan diet, this is the perfect app if you’re looking to create some delicious vegan cakes.
Here you can learn about vegan sponge cakes, vegan coffee cakes, sweet potato cakes, pistachio cakes, and more.
You’ll get all the advice you need to improve your vegan cooking skills and learn plenty of new tricks!
6 Tips to improve your baking
The Room Temperature Rule
If your recipe asks for room temperature (for your dairy ingredients), it’s crucial that you follow this rule.
When these ingredients are at room temp, they will emulsify into the batter with ease, and this results in a uniform texture.
Whether it’s eggs, butter, or milk, you’ll end up with the perfect consistency so long as you follow the room temp rule.
When it comes to baking, creating the right consistency is so important.
Always Prep First
There’s nothing worse than rushing your way through a recipe, that’s how you make mistakes and mess up your timing.
To avoid rushing the best thing to do is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go on the counter.
When you’ve prepared everything you need, you’re far less likely to make errors or get off track with your timing.
Remember, it’s best not to substitute ingredients if this is a brand new recipe.
You should make the recipe at least once over first, and you can always try experimenting with different ingredients next time.
MISE EN PLACE DISHES I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Accurate Measuring
Measuring your ingredients properly is one of the most important aspects of baking.
When you’re cooking, there’s often a bit of leeway to improvise; however, baking is all about being precise.
To get accurate measurements, ensure that you properly understand various measuring methods.
For example, when you measure dry ingredients, you should use spoons or cups and always ‘spoon and level’.
It’s not advisable to scoop dry ingredients; this packs the ingredient down, meaning you’ll end up with too much.
When you are measuring liquid ingredients, you should use a transparent measuring cup.
MEASURING CUPS I RECOMMEND
Do Not Open the Oven Door
Do not make the mistake of constantly opening the oven door to check your baking.
Doing so can mess with the oven temperature, or negatively affect cakes that are rising.
When you let in cool air, you could compromise the progress and results of your baking.
Try only to open and close the oven door when it’s absolutely necessary, (and close it again as fast as you can)!
Your recipe should let you know the correct times and processes.
When it comes to baking, it’s the small things that make a world of difference to the final results.
Use Quality Ingredients
When you’re choosing your baking ingredients, the quality is critical.
Not all brands have the same level of protein, fat, and moisture, and this goes for milk, flour, butter, and so on.
Even small variations can affect your baking outcomes, and so you must choose wisely.
Sometimes the recipe may recommend a certain brand or ingredient style, and so it’s best to follow these instructions as closely as possible.
Use the Center
When you are baking, it’s vital to place your pans right in the center of the oven, (or as close as is possible).
Your baking pans shouldn’t touch the oven walls or one another.
Perhaps your oven isn’t big enough to put your pans next to one another?
In this case, use different shelves, and off-set the pans to ensure circulation.
It’s important because when you bake in the center, this allows for even cooking, (the air can circulate as it should, around the food).
Elevating your baking skills for Christmas
Once you’ve got your baking skills perfected you’ll be ready to create some delicious treats for your friends and family.
Baked goods make the perfect gifts whether it’s a birthday or a Christmas present.
Whether it’s a box of cupcakes or a tasty homemade pizza, baked goods never fail to impress!
With all these tools and tips you’ll improve your baking skills in no time.
Cinnamon Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- Baker's Joy - for spraying the quarter sheet cake pan
- 1 package plain spice cake mix - I used Duncan Hines
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup of sweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup safflower oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the frosting
- 8 Tablespoons = 1 stick of butter; room temperature
- 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar; sifted
- 3 - 4 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of oven; preheat to 350ºF
- Spray Baker's Joy on all sides of quarter sheet pan
- Place cake mix, buttermilk, applesauce, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in large mixing bowl.
- Blend with electric mixer on low until incorporated (I used my KitchenAid paddle)
- Stop machine and scrape down the sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Increase mixer to medium speed and mix for two minutes more.
- Scrape down sides of bowl again, if needed.
- The batter should be thick and well combined.
- Pour batter in the quarter sheet pan, spread evenly.
- Lightly tap the pan on the counter, to remove air bubbles in the batter.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes or until top of cake springs back, when touched.
- Cool in the pan, on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then flip the cake out onto some parchment paper and allow it to completely cool before icing.
- For the Icing:
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl; blend with electric mixer on low speed till fluffy.
- Stop the machine; add sugar; 3 Tablespoons of the milk; vanilla; cinnamon
- Blend on low speed till incorporated, 1 minute.
- Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy. If the icing seems stiff, add remaining Tablespoon of milk
- Spread on cake.
- Top with chopped pecans.