Have you ever had fresh or dried fruit sink to the bottom of a cake or loaf? Don’t worry, it’s a common problem and generally happens when the cake batter isn’t heavy or thick enough to hold the weight of the fruit as it bakes.

The best way to avoid sinking fruit is to toss the fruit in a couple of tablespoons of the flour (just use some from the measured amount for the recipe) to coat it lightly. Once added to the cake mixture the flour coating will thicken the batter immediately surrounding the fruit and help suspend the fruit.

Keep in mind though, large pieces of fruit like whole raisins will be far too heavy even if coated with flour and you will need to cut these into smaller portions to have success. This will be the same with large chunks of chocolate and are also best cut into smaller pieces.

There are three main types of pastry: crumbly, flaky and laminated (or puff). ⁠The texture of each (which is indicated by their names) is mainly determined by two things – the consistency of the fat used and how it is incorporated into the pastry dough.

Flaky pastry, like the one pictured here, is made by incorporating small chunks of solid butter or fat through flour (either but 'rubbing in' using your fingertips or 'cutting through' using the cutting blade of a food processor) then binding the dough with moisture from other ingredients such as water and/or eggs. Shortcrust pastry is a great example of this type of pastry.

I always say that a good flaky pastry dough is ugly – the chunks of fat should remain identifiable, and the dough will be uneven in texture and have a streaky appearance. It shouldn't be smooth or even if you want a lovely flaky texture when it is baked.⁠ It's these pockets of fat that melt during baking, releasing steam and pushing apart the structure around them, creating the flakiness.⁠

It is important to use well chilled butter, so it not only remains in distinct pieces during mixing and rolling, but also doesn’t begin to melt during baking until the dough structure around the butter pieces has started to set so that crisp flaky texture can form.⁠

It is good to note that a high temperature is required during baking for the steam created by the melting butter to be effectively evaporated – if not, the pastry won't form a crust, and you will be left with a soggy pastry. ⁠

Generally liquids are best measured in a measuring jug. One exception to this is 'thick' liquids such as honey and golden syrup which are more accurately measured by weighing – it is also easier to measure this way!

Place your bowl or saucepan directly onto your scales, zero or tare the measurement and then pour the thick liquid directly the bowl or saucepan. Both 1 cup (250ml/9fl oz) honey and golden syrup equals 350g (12oz).

Swiss meringue buttercream can be highly temperamental, and it’s not uncommon for it to go 'off track'. But, it can ALWAYS be saved!

One of the common 'issues' when making Swiss meringue buttercream is that it’s prone to curdling (as in this pic). This happens if you add cold butter (or even butter that still holds a chill) to your room temperature meringue mixture. The more butter you add the more 'split' it will look with the butter forming small lumps throughout the mixture. It will also lose all its initial volume and become quite 'wet'.

To fix it, you want to slowly, and carefully, bring up the overall temperature of the buttercream. There are two easy ways to do this:

1. Place one or two tablespoons of the buttercream mixture into a separate microwave proof bowl and microwave on High for 1-3 seconds, depending on how cold the buttercream is, then stir. When it returns to a smooth consistency (don’t worry if it is quite thin) add it back into the curdled buttercream and continue to beat or whisk (depending on your recipe). If the mixture doesn’t come back together, and become silky smooth in texture, after a minute of whisking/beating then repeat this process again until it does. You can then continue to add any remaining butter.
2. Alternatively, place the bowl of buttercream in a sink of warm water so the water reaches about a quarter of the way up the side of the bowl. Stir frequently for 5-10 minutes to gently increase the temperature of the buttercream before beating/whisking. Again, if the buttercream doesn’t come back together after beating/whisking for a minute or so, repeat the warming process before trying again. If using this technique, make sure the water isn't too warm or the butter will start to melt which can cause your buttercream to then become 'soupy'… more on the solution for that problem another time!

There are endless ways to decorate pastry tops for pies and this one, for fruit mince pies, is dead-easy, effective and festive!

Simply press the end of a #11 (11mm) star piping tube into the pastry lids to imprint a star pattern before placing over the pies and baking.

Chilling the pastry lids for 20-30 minutes before stamping them will mean that the pattern will be more defined once baked.

Bundt cakes benefit greatly from tapping the tin on the bench top a few times before baking. This will settle the cake batter into the tin (especially when they have intricate designs), removing any large air pockets and/or gaps between the tin and the batter which can appear as small holes on the surface of the cake once baked.

This Bundt cake wasn’t tapped before baking and you can clearly see the holes the air pockets have left.

Jam swirls can make a very easy, effective, and of course yummy decoration that gives an almost 'painted' look for your cakes, cupcakes and pavlovas. First warm 1-2 tablespoons jam of your choice (here I have used raspberry for its vibrant colour and slight tartness to contrast with the sweetness of the white chocolate buttercream on this cake), pass it through a sieve to remove any seeds and then let it cool. Use the back of a tablespoon or teaspoon to give a swirl texture to your buttercream, ganache or cream. Use a clean teaspoon or tablespoon to dot the cooled jam (sparingly) into the hollows and then use the spoon again to gently spread the jam, following the swirls.

Less is more with this technique – always use less jam than you think you will need and don’t overdo the swirling as the more you ‘play’ with it the more likely the pattern will become less striking and somewhat messy.

There are a number of good reasons why you would preserve your sourdough starter by drying it, including if you can’t (or don’t) want to use and/or feed it for a long period of time; you’d like to put some aside for ‘insurance’ just in case your sourdough starter dies (oops!); or you simply want to send it to someone in the post.

Drying sourdough starter is super simple to do:

1. Start with a well-fed, active starter and use a palette knife to spread it in a thin layer over an oven tray that has been lined with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Allow it to stand at room temperature (the warmer and less humid it is the quicker it will dry) until it is crisp and completely dried through.
3. Then break the starter into small pieces (you can also coarsely crush it), place in an airtight jar (or seal in plastic bags if you are going to send it in the post) and label.
4. It will store in a cool dry, dark place for up to 1 year.⁠

1. Add the same amount of water and unbleached plain flour by weight to the crushed starter (30g/1oz is a perfect amount to start with).
2. Stand for 12 hours in a warm place (about 23°C/73.5°F is good).
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 two more times.
4. On the fourth feed, first discard half the starter mixture and then add the water and flour and continue to repeat this discarding and feeding every 12 hours until it doubles in size in under 8 hours. Your reactivated starter will then be ready to use!⁠

Have you ever noticed a grey-like liquid forming on the top of your sourdough starter but didn't know what it was or if your starter is still OK to use?⁠

This liquid (which also often has a strong aroma) is an indication that an excess of alcohol has been produced as a by-product of the yeast fermentation in your starter. It often appears if the starter is ‘hungry’ because it has been left for long periods of time without feeding or if it just requires more frequent feeding (which is usually because it is fermenting at a faster rate due to being kept at higher temperatures than usual).⁠

If there is only a thin layer, you can either stir this liquid back into the sourdough starter or drain it away before feeding it again. If you stir it through, it will add a sharper, more intense flavour to your sourdough starter and, in turn, your sourdough bread. If there is a thick layer, it is best to discard it before feeding.⁠

Your starter will usually be fine to use again (if you haven't left it for too long and it has 'died') but it may need some extra attention and love to get it back on track over the next few days with feeding it as you normally would.⁠

Temperature has a big effect on how your cupcakes and cakes will rise during baking. When your oven temperature is too high for the type of batter you are using, your cupcakes or cake will peak/dome and crack during baking. But did you know that foil cupcake cases can have a similar effect?

Foil cases retain more heat than paper ones and this extra heat is then transferred to the batter causing it to peak and crack during baking. You can see here how the cupcake baked in the foil case (left) has risen more dramatically when compared to the cupcake baked in the paper case (right), which has risen evenly and without peaking.

The good news is that foil cases are still fine to use, but if you would prefer a more even, less ‘peaky’ rise, just drop your oven temperature by about 10°C and this will reduced the heat transferred by the foil cases.

When rolling biscuit dough into individual portions it is sometimes hard to get them all a similar size, especially if you have to team them up with a ‘partner’ when sandwiching them.

There are two easy ways to do this:

1. Measure the total quantity of dough by weight and divide by the number of biscuits the recipe makes. Then weight each portion before you roll it. It does take a little longer, but your biscuits will be guaranteed to be the same size.

2. Alternatively, use a teaspoon or tablespoon measure or a small ice cream scoop (depending on the size you are making) to scoop the mixture, level the surface with the back of a butter knife or your finger and then shape as required.

You will also find the more biscuits you shape, the better you will get at recognising how a particular sized portion feels in the palm of your hands as you roll them. Therefore, once you have made a certain amount you will be able to portion the remaining dough just by feel.

There are two main types of commercially available yeast used for making yeasted breads – instant dried yeast and fresh or compressed yeast. Dried yeast is reliable and convenient while I believe that fresh yeast can give a better texture and flavour, especially to rich yeasted breads. Fresh yeast is also great for doughs that require a long, slow proving time as it stays active for longer than dried yeast.

Instant dried yeast can be added directly to the other dough ingredients without the need to activate it first like fresh yeast. It is available in sealed individual sachets, which can be stored at room temperature, or sealed canisters that are best stored in the fridge or freezer once opened. Generally dried yeast will keep for a year or more – just check the used by date on the packaging.

Fresh yeast is generally sold by weight and is available from selected delicatessens, health food stores and bakeries. When using fresh yeast it will first need to be activated by before adding to the dry ingredients. To activate fresh yeast:

1. Crumble the yeast and dissolve it in a small portion of the lukewarm water or milk specified in the recipe’s ingredients list (for 14g fresh yeast add about 2 tablespoons of the water). It’s also a good idea to stir in a small portion of the flour (about 2 teaspoons) and sugar (about 1 teaspoon) to help activate it more quickly.
2. Then set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form on the top and the mixture is foamy.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the remaining lukewarm liquid before continuing with the recipe.

These two types of yeast are interchangeable in recipes, but remember that you need to use twice as much fresh yeast (by weight) than dry. Therefore, if a recipe asks for 7g dried yeast you will need to use 14g of fresh or compressed yeast and vice versa.

Melt-and-mix cakes (those that are simply made by combining heated, melted ingredients with the dry ingredients) are one of the easiest types of cakes to bake, but there is one main thing that you need to keep in mind when making them – you need to cool the liquid ingredients to room temperature before adding the self-raising flour!

The main reason for this is because the baking powder, a chemical leavener contained in the self-raising flour, can be prematurely activated by the heat of the liquid ingredients as soon as they come into contact with each other. This also applies if the recipe contains extra bicarbonate of soda or baking powder added separately to the flour.

If triggered by the heat of the melted ingredients before the cake goes into the oven, the chemical leavener can ‘run out’ of leavening ability before the structure of the cake is set, causing the cake to sink in the centre before it has finished baking.

This is often the reason for melt-and-mix cakes to sink badly, especially if the recipe doesn't specify to cool the mixture to room temperature before combining it will the dry ingredients containing the chemical leavener.

Christmas-time often has us creating gorgeous baked treats and confectionery, like panforte and nougat, as festive gifts. And when making them, confectionery rice paper, also known as edible wafer paper, can become your best friend when lining the tins as it seals the sticky surface and gives a lovely finish to your treats, while also being edible.

Confectionery rice paper isn’t the same as the rice paper rounds found in the Asian section of your supermarket and used to make traditional fresh rice paper rolls or spring rolls. It is actually made from potato starch, water and oil and is a paper-like, see-through, flexible sheet that has no flavour and can be easily cut to size (as we did here to line these small tart tins to make individual panforte). It usually comes in packs with 10 sheets or more and you will find it at specialty food, cake decorating and Asian food stores.

Tinting buttercream so that it becomes a ‘true’ black colour can be a little difficult but here are a few tricks to make it not only achievable, but also easy:

1. Use a gel colour. Gel colours are more concentrated than liquid colours and therefore you don’t need to use as much to achieve the same intensity of colour – too much added liquid (in the form of food colouring) can make your buttercream curdled in appearance and sloppy in consistency, making it hard to pipe and spread.
2. I have found that American buttercream (the type based on beating butter and icing sugar) takes on a black colour more quickly than a meringue-based buttercream (like a Swiss meringue buttercream) and therefore you don’t have to use as much gel colour to achieve the same colour intensity. So American buttercream, like the one in this recipe, is my pick when wanting a black buttercream.
3. Start with a chocolate buttercream. This will give you a head start with the tinting and will mean you won’t need to use as much gel colour.
4. Tint the buttercream the day before you want to use it. When first tinted your buttercream will likely have a murky dark grey colour but will deepen and intensify on standing.