I didn’t discover my love of baking until a year or two after I graduated college. While I always enjoyed whipping up a batch of cookies or a cake, I didn’t really care all that much what the end product looked like, or about experimenting with recipes and flavors — instead sticking strictly to what the steps on the back of the box of mix told me to do.
I discovered a few foodie blogs when I moved out on my own for the first time, and will never forget my first “big” baking venture outside of the norm – homemade Samoas cookies! Even though it took me an entire afternoon and a couple of failed attempts, I was so proud when the final product came together. While standing in my tiny, batter and flour-covered kitchen, through tears of exhaustion, I sampled the first bite. Success!
Since then, I’ve (mostly) thrown the boxed mixes to the wind and have even gotten brave enough to attempt my own recipes from scratch. I’ve enjoyed learning the science behind what will cause a bake to rise or crisp in just the right way, experimenting with flavor combinations, and trying my hand at new decorating techniques.
While I’m still no expert in the kitchen, and continue to learn with every single project, there are some very basic, yet significant lessons I learned in my first years of taking on this hobby (and some that I’ve learned even more recently) that changed the baking game for me completely.
I wanted to pass on my knowledge to you, whether creating beautifully delicious bakes is a craft you’re wanting to dive into for the first time or you’re simply wanting to improve upon your skills.
14 Essential Tips to Help Improve Your Baking Skills
Take the time to educate yourself.
When you really think about it, baking is a science. There are so many factors that can make or break how a final product turns out, and knowing some of the basics going in can really help with this. There are plenty of resources on learning the foundations of baking – check out this article for starters. Read up on the difference between baking soda and baking powder, ingredient substitutes, the best way to weigh and measure ingredients, and so on. I had no idea how many different varieties of flours and sugars were out there and how differently they all worked, why some recipes call for higher or lower oven temperatures, and so much more early on. It’s all quite fascinating as you learn more!
Get to know your oven.
We’ve moved three times since I started taking baking seriously. This means I’ve baked the same recipes multiple times, in different ovens, with wildly different results. Whereas one oven would burn a batch of cookies in ten minutes, another would leave them gooey. One oven would cause my bakes to be weirdly lopsided, which I later learned was due to its feet being super uneven. Make sure to do a few test bakes to get a feel for how your oven works, and also consider calibrating the temperature and ensuring it’s sitting evenly on the floor!
Always start with the lowest bake time.
You can always add time to your bake if it’s not quite done, but it’s much harder to scrape off the burned bottoms and edges of a bake if you’ve left it in for too long! I always start with about five minutes less than what the recipe instructions call for and begin checking every few minutes after that time, just to be safe.
Rotate pans halfway through baking.
To ensure you get an even bake, remember to rotate your cake, cupcakes, or cookies about halfway through the total bake time. Even if your oven is perfectly level, this will help the bake get equal heating from all angles and leave you with a more evenly finished product.
If you’re trying a recipe found online, take time to read the reviews first.
I’ve found most of my favorite recipes on baking blogs. However, I no longer try recipes I find online without first looking at the reviews. Of course, if several people have reviewed it negatively, I’ll usually move on and try to find a similar option. But what I’m really looking for are helpful hints from readers – if several people comment that the final product was great, but a tad too sweet, I know I should cut the amount of sugar. If a few comment that they had to drop the bake time by ten minutes, I make note of that, and so on. So many of my bakes have been saved by comments from those who have tried a recipe before me!
Use ingredients at room temperature, unless specified otherwise.
Most recipes are great about telling you to use room temperature eggs, melted, softened, or cold butter, and so on, but if it’s not noted in the instructions, then it’s best to always assume the ingredient should be used at room temperature. You can read more on why this is important right here!
Properly grease your pans and/or line them with parchment paper.
If you want a cake or cookie to cleanly leave then pan, this step is of the utmost importance! In most cases, I use a little (vegan) butter and flour in my cake pans, before lining with a parchment paper round (I love these pre-cut options). And while I use silicone baking mats from time to time, I tend to like cookies turn out a little better when using parchment paper. While non-stick cooking sprays can be used, you may notice they cause your cakes to shrink or the edges to harden too much!
If you’re using gluten-free baking products, allow the batter to sit a little longer before baking.
In my experience, most baking recipes can turn out really well when made gluten-free – if you give them a little extra time. You may have noticed that gluten-free flours are a bit grittier in texture than others. I’ve noticed this can not only result in a changed texture of a finished bake, but also alter the flavor slightly (since the flour hasn’t broken down and absorbed it). Once you’ve mixed your gluten-free recipe ingredients together, allow the batter to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften and absorb all those good flavors! Give it one more good mix, and then proceed with baking. It really does make a difference!
Don’t be afraid to make a recipe your own.
Once you get a little more confident in the kitchen, try swapping out certain ingredients (like flavor extracts), adding or eliminating spices, replacing eggs and dairy with vegan alternatives, tossing in added ingredients, like chocolate, fruits, or nuts, and so on. I look at most recipes I find now as a base and usually tweak several things to make them my own!
Be careful not to over-mix or over-knead.
While some recipes will let you know exactly how long to beat or knead your batter or dough, others leave that part out. In most cases, you’ll want to mix or knead just until the ingredients are well incorporated. Overdoing it can cause your final product to come out tough or rubbery. Here’s how to tell when bread dough has been properly kneaded!
Allow extra time (and ingredients) for mistakes.
If you’re baking for fun, this isn’t essential, but if you’ve promised to bring along a treat to a gathering or event, you’ll want to tack on an extra hour or two, and have extra ingredients on-hand, just in case you have to redo a portion (or the entirety) of a recipe.
If using a canned frosting, always whip it first!
If you’re not at the point of making your own frostings yet (or are simply short on time), there’s no shame in that! But rather than spreading or piping pre-made frosting onto your bake straight from the container, take a few minutes to whip it – preferably with a hand or stand mixer, but by hand is okay, too. This results in fluffier, easier-to-apply frosting, and gives you a lot more to work with, too.
Be patient and try, try again.
The more you try and the more you venture out in baking, the more often you’re going to make mistakes. Some of your attempts will likely end up in the trash bin. It’s okay! Always look at a bake that didn’t turn out as a learning opportunity – hopefully, you’ll recognize what went wrong and make note of it for next time. Baking really is like any other hobby – sports, art, music – and there are going to be times you have to pick yourself up and start from the top… sometimes again and again. Appreciate the process and don’t give up on yourself!
Clean up as you go.
I saved this one for last because this is the number one piece of advice I’m still working on myself. I can vouch that, having taken the care to do this a handful of times, it’s REALLY nice to not spend several extra hours after the baking is done to get the kitchen back in order. If you can take a minute or two to put things away, rinse them off, and so on after each step of the recipe, you’ll be thanking yourself as you put the final touches on the cake!
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful! Let me know if there’s anything else you’re curious about when it comes to baking, or if you have any tips of your own that others should know!
xo, Aly