Baking Ingredients

Types of Pastry Dough

How to make Shortcrust Pastry

Rolling out Pie Crust

Basic Cheesecake Recipe

Cake Technique

Easy Cake Fillings

Topping for Cakes

How to make Sponge Cake

Fruit Fool Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Croissant Recipe

Kugelhopf Cake Recipe

How to Separate Eggs

Beating Egg Whites by Hand

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Baking ingredients and baking rules. What to choose, and how to use.
If you are switching your pans from square to round, go up 1in (2.5cm) in size. If your recipe calls for a round 7in (18cm) pan, you can use an 8in (20cm) square pan. And if switching the other way, from round to square, go down 1in (2.5cm).

Tools of the trade
Cake pans should be rigid and sturdy, so they don’t buckle in the heat of the oven. A selection of sizes and shapes is useful.
For making a 4-egg sponge cake, you will need 2 x 8in (20cm)round pans. Loose-bottomed cake tins are great- they make turning the cake out a lot easier.
A spring form cake pan is useful for larger cakes,or more fragile ones such as a baked cheesecake.Baking sheets should be rigid and sturdy, so they don’t buckle in the heat. Have a selection with and without lips.

Biscuit cutters often come in sets, so you have a variety of size and shapes. Metal ones are the best, and you can get straight-sided or fluted.A wire rack is necessary for cooling all cakes and bakes. Choose a large one if you plan to do batch baking.
Ceramic baking beans are ideal for baking pastry blind, because they are heavy and can be used repeatedly. Take care though, as they get extremely hot. As an alternative, dried beans or rice can be used.

Baking Rules

Butter
Choose:
Both salted or unsalted butter can be used for baking. It’s all down to taste preference, and whether you are reducing the salt in your diet. The amount of salt in salted butter varies, so check the label. Salted butter will keep for longer if you keep it in a butter dish out of the refrigerator.
Use :
Salted or unsalted,for cakes and bakes.Use softened butter (at room temperature).This means plenty of air will be held by the fat as you mix, making your cake or bake lighter.

Sugar
Choose:
Granulated sugar is commonly used for cakes and bakes. Demerara (raw) sugar is valued for its delicate flavor and coarse crystals. Although there is virtually no difference in the nutritional value of white sugar and demerara sugar, the latter is usually considered too coarse for baking. Light and dark brown sugars are plain white sugar with added molasses, and therefore have a slightly higher nutritional value.
Use :
Granulated sugar is most common for cakes and bakes.

Baking Powder
Choose :
This is a rising agent used in baking. It is a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, a natural rising agent, and is different to baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, as they don’t contain cream of tartar. The two cannot be interchanged. Check the sell-by date of baking powder, as it won’t be effective if used when it’s old.
Use :
Cakes and cookies.If a recipe calls for self-rising flour and you haven’t got any,add baking powder to all-purpose flour (4 teaspoons per 8oz (225g)).

Flour
Choose :
All-purpose flour and self-rising flour are quite low in gluten, unlike strong bread flour. There are many flours that are suitable for a wheat-free or glutenfree diet, such as rice flour, chestnut flour, and potato flour. If using, consult specialist recipes as they are not interchangeable with all-purpose flour.
Use :
All-purpose flour or self-rising flour, sifted, for cakes and bakes.Don’t over-beat once flour has been added, as the gluten will strengthen and you’ll get a tough texture. This is why recipes call for flour to be folded in.

Eggs
Choose :
Choose medium organic and/or eggs from freerange hens, as they will improve the flavor and quality of your finished cake.
Use :
Use at room temperature.If they are used cold from the refrigerator, they cool the butter down and the mixture can curdle.