allaboutthattasteblog

[allaboutthattasteblog]

A Few Key Things You Need To Know When You Start Baking

1. If you can read, you can bake - This one is pretty self-explanatory. Recipes are easy to follow, and if you read them properly you'll have a great bake in no time!

2. Trust your recipe - I remember one time I was baking a cake, and the recipe said I needed six eggs. I thought that I clearly knew better than the professional baker who made said recipe, so I only added four. Obviously, I was wrong. I promise you, the ingredients are pretty much always right.

3. Vanilla Essence ≠ Vanilla Extract - I learnt this one the hard way. Double check which one the recipe asks for. Keep in mind that extract is a natural product, whereas essence is synthetic, meaning extract is stronger in flavour. Now I am not suggesting you need to buy both. If you only want one follow this rule. If you have extract and the recipe calls for essence, half it, and if you have essence and need extract, double it.

4. Unless you have made the recipe a million times, don't estimate the measurements - I know when baking, we all want to just chuck things in a mixing bowl and get a delicious product, but sadly, that isn't how it works. You don't have to be exactly perfect, but please try to be somewhat accurate!

5. Stop with the baking soda, please! - Now as an Australian, I see a lot of American recipes that call for all purpose flour and baking soda. Do not listen to them. Here in Australia we have a wonderful invention called self raising flour. Trust me, it doesn't have that weird aftertaste and it's just so much easier to use.

6. American measurements vs Australian measurements - Sadly, like I said just before, a lot of recipe makers online happen to be American. Here's a quick guide: 360°F is the same as 180°C and 1 American cup is around the same as 1 Australian cup. Also for an accurate Australian cups to grams measurement check out https://www.allrecipes.com/article/cup-to-gram-conversions/

7. Have fun! - Now I know that this sounds silly, but as amateur bakers we set the standard so   high. We expect our bakes to be perfect, but we forget that perfection takes practice. The more you stress, the less you will enjoy baking. Sure the other tips are important, but this one matters the most. Mistakes happen! Now go and enjoy your baking.