When making cheesecakes or frostings using cream cheese it’s a good idea bring the cream cheese to room temperature before you start. If you use it straight from the fridge it will be far more difficult, and take a lot more beating or processing, for it to become lump-free, smooth and creamy. Also make sure you scrape the sides and base of the bowl often and add any liquid ingredients gradually to ensure it remains really smooth.

 

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Small batch baking recipes often require less than one egg to be used. Here are some useful tips to help portion your eggs.

Eggs used in BakeClub recipes are 59-60g/2oz eggs (with shell) and are sold in a 700g/1lb 8oz carton.

• With the shell removed weight of the whole egg = 52g
• Approximately ⅔ of the weight of each egg is the white = 35g
• Approximately ⅓ of the weight of each egg is the yolk = 17g

When using recipes that specify less than 1 egg always whisk the whole egg together before measuring out the quantity required.

If a recipe calls for just egg yolk/s or egg white/s the remainder of the egg can be portioned and frozen in ice cube trays for use later on as required (whisk egg yolks with a good pinch of salt before freezing). Once frozen, transfer to a snap lock bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge. Use egg whites for meringue and Swiss meringue buttercream, and egg yolks in custard, curds or to add extra richness to your cookies and cakes.

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If you don't have buttermilk on hand when a recipe asks for it (or only need a small amount which doesn’t warrants buying a whole carton), you can simply make your own version!

Add 3 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to 1 cup (250ml/9fl oz) of full-cream milk and stir well. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before using - you’ll notice the milk will curdle and thicken. It’s perfect to use in in place of milk in any bakes like scones, banana bread and muffins to add a little flavour tang!

The only thing to be aware of is that this mixture will be thinner in consistency than commercially made buttermilk so when using more than 125ml (½ cup/4fl oz) use 1 tablespoon less of your homemade buttermilk for every 125ml (½ cup/4fl oz) in the recipe so that the consistency of the batter isn't affected.

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If you want to save time when baking, it’s a great idea to use your digital scale’s ability to 'zero' the reading.

By pressing the 'tare' button after each ingredient you can measure as many as you need, one after another, into the same bowl.

It is a brilliant method to use for one-bowl mixes… And then there’s all that washing up it will save you!

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There is no need to fuss when lining the base of a springform tin with baking paper. Simply grease the tin then tear off a square of non-stick baking paper about 8cm (3¼in) larger than the tin. Release the outside of the tin and turn the base upside-down (this will create a base without a lip, which makes removing the cake or cheesecake from the tin so much easier.) Place the paper over the base of the tin and then clamp the side of the tin around the base, to hold the paper in place.

The paper will stick out the sides but this won’t matter and the extra paper hanging out the sides will not only give you something to help lift the cake off the base once it is baked but will also make removing of the paper from the base of the cake so much easier.

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Baking powder is the simple difference between self-raising flour and plain flour. If you only have plain flour in your pantry, you can make self-raising flour by adding 2 teaspoons baking powder to every 150g (1 cup/5½oz) plain flour. Before using, make sure you sift this mixture a few times to distribute the baking powder through the flour evenly.

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When making small individual tarts it is best to roll your pastry into a log (rather than a disc) before chilling and resting.

When you come to rolling out the pastry, cut the log into slices and then roll out each portion into a round before pressing into the tins. This no-fuss method means there is very little pastry offcuts and no need to re-roll scraps (which often causes the pastry to shrink when baking), ultimately giving you more even tart shell cases. 

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When whisking egg whites and sugar to make meringue mixtures it is best to whisk on medium or medium-high speed, NOT high. It will take a couple of minutes extra for you to create your meringue but the final mixture will be made up of tiny, even air bubbles – which is exactly what you are after! It will be smooth, thick, and glossy and have a shaving cream-like consistency which will give you a crisp meringue that won’t crack when baked. Meanwhile, a meringue whisked on high speed will end up with large, uneven air bubbles and a frothy consistency which will often rise and crack when baked. So, remember to whisk on medium, or if you are a little impatient, no higher than medium-high when making meringue.

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Don't throw really ripe bananas in the bin if you aren't going to use them straight away - throw them in the freezer instead, skin and all, so they are ready to use when you next want to make a banana cake or banana bread. Remove the skin with a knife while still frozen, slice and then mash. If you are a little more organised you can of course mash them and pop into an airtight container before you freeze them.

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When making a flourless roulade (such as a chocolate one) it is a good idea to cover it with a damp tea towel straight as soon as it comes out of the oven. The tea towel will help stop the cake loosing valuable steam and therefor keeping it nice and moist. The benefit of this is that moist cake is less likely to crack when you roll it.

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When whisking eggs for your baking it is always best to use the freshest eggs possible.
Here’s why:

Eggs, when fresh, are acidic and this acidity means that the egg proteins are tightly knit. You can see this egg is fresh because the yolk is plump and round and the inner white is clearly defined and is holding onto the yolk tightly – an indication that those protein bonds are keeping it from spreading on the plate.

As an egg ages, it becomes more alkaline and the proteins start to pull away from each other, causing the yolk to lose it's form and the white to become thinner and more likely to spread on a plate when cracked. 

So why is this important when whisking eggs? Less fresh eggs will whisk to a foam more quickly than fresher ones, and you’ll achieve a slightly greater volume, but the resulting foam will be less stable than one made with fresh eggs. A fresh-egg foam will be more stable thanks to the strong protein bonds and therefore more likely to holds its shape and retain the air you have incorporated through whisking.

Pic: @neelashearer 

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More a BakeGiftTip than a BakeTip…There’s no better gift than one baked by you and inexpensive jars from the supermarket or two dollar shop make great airtight containers for your biscuits, biscotti and shortbread. An effective but simple way to decorate them is with a small doily attached with twine and a gift tag. This is the perfect gift for Christmas – thoughtful and delicious!

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When decorating your biscuits or other baked goodies with icing don’t think you need a special piping bag – a resealable or ‘zip lock’ bag will do the trick. Simply spoon your icing in, seal and then cut a very small hole (you can always make it bigger) in one corner to create the ‘nozzle’. Twist the bag at the sealed end to contain the icing and then pipe away! Simple, convenient and no washing up! read less

A lot of cake recipes ask for ‘softened’ or ‘room temperature’ butter. This is so the butter is soft enough that it can be easily and evenly combined with other ingredients and/or beaten to incorporate air. ‘Softened’ butter should be soft enough that it can be spread on bread without tearing it! You will need to take your butter from the fridge at least an hour or so before you need to use it to reach this consistency; I often leave mine out overnight, depending on the weather. Cutting the butter into small cubes or coarsely grating it will help it soften more quickly and evenly. Don’t be tempted to soften butter in the microwave, you are likely to end up with partially melted butter that is unsuitable to use. read less