The Foodalicious Foodette

thecakebar:

40 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks

Here is a large assortment of tips I’ve accumulated over the years. Keep in mind different recipes will provide different results, but overall I’ve found these do noticeably improve most recipes or make things easier.

Some recipes success depend on a specific ingredient or action. If one of these tips contradicts your recipe, your best bet is to follow what you have.

Enhancers:

• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of meringue powder to your mix to help it rise a bit higher and make it a bit lighter in texture.
• Add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin to the batter, helps prevent the surface from splitting or cracking.
• First add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the butter and sugar called for before mixing the rest of the ingredients. Helps make the cake lighter.
• Take your time creaming the butter, beat/cream for at least 5 minutes to get lots of air into the butter. Add the sugar and beat/cream really well again.

• Separate eggs first–beat yolks till golden and creamy then add to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat the egg whites until light and frothy before folding them into the butter mixture.

Moister:

• Chocolate: Before adding the bicarb required, mix it with a teaspoon of vinegar.
• Dense or Fruit Cakes: Keep a heatproof dish full of water in the oven while baking (replace water if needed to keep it topped up).
• Substitute oil for unsweetened applesauce or plain yogurt. Your measure can be 1:1 or 50/50. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. Different types of cakes will offer different results for texture and taste, but a good start would try the 50/50. Not only helps for moister results, also cuts fat.

Sifting:

• Measure all ingredients to exact amounts first, then sift.

Prepping Tins:

Homemade Magic Pan Grease: You can buy Magic Grease or make your own. This is used as a substitute to greasing then dusting with flour when directed to do so. Keep unused portion in an airtight container and refrigerate to use next time.

• First Version: Mix 1 cup shortening (like Crisco), 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and apply evenly with a pastry brush.
• Second: 2 cups of Crisco and 1 cup of flour

More greasing tips:

• Apply with a paper cupcake holder, a paper towel, a piece of wax paper, the butter wrapper paper or a plastic baggy. You could also use a pastry brush.
• Try dusting the tins with a bit of the dry cake mix or cocoa (for chocolate) instead of flour.
• Apply shortening then line with a piece of wax paper to fit the bottom. Re-grease the top of the wax paper. Pour in the batter. To get the wax paper to size, you can either trace the bottom of the tin and cut it out, or after greasing, smooth a sheet of wax paper into the pan (pressing all around the creases), remove the wax paper and cut out along the crease. This is kinda messy though, better to trace then cut it out.
• To cut fat, try baking without greasing even if the recipe instructs to do so. You can just place a waxed paper liner to fit the bottom, then pour in the batter. This will also help remove the finished product cleanly. For high varieties, you’ll want to still grease and flour sides of pans if specified.

~~~~ FOR MORE TIPS ClICK ON LINK! :) 

(via recipesfromgram)

oooeygooeygoodness:

Hang a magazine rack under your cupboards to store lids. 

oooeygooeygoodness:

Herbs and Spices Uses

Basil- Sweet, warm flavor with an aromatic odor. Use whole or ground. Good with lamb, fish, roast, stews, beef, vegetables, dressing, and omlets. 

Bay Leaves- Pungent flavor. Use whole leaf but remove before serving. Good in vegetable dishes, seafood, stews, and pickles. 

Caraway- Spicy taste and aromatic smell. Use in cakes, breads, soups, cheese, and sauerkraut. 

Celery Seed- Strong taste which resembles the vegetable. Can be used sparingly in pickles and chutney, meat and fish dishes, salads, bread, marinades, dressing, and dips. 

Chives- Sweet, mild flavor like that of an onion. Excellent in salads, fish, soups, and potatoes. 

Cilantro- Use fresh if possible. Excellent in salads, fish, chicken, rice, beans, and Mexican dishes. 

Cinnamon- Sweet, pungent flavor. Widely used in many sweet baked goods, chocolate dishes, cheesecakes, pickles, chutneys, and hot drinks. 

Coriander- Mild, sweet, orangy flavor and available whole or ground. Common in curry powders and pickling spice and also used in chutney, meat dishes, casseroles, Greek-style dishes, apple pies, and baked goods. 

Curry Powder- Spices are combined to proper proportions to give a distinct flavor to meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables. 

Dill- Both seeds and leaves are flavorful. Leaves may be used as a garnish or cooked with fish, soup, dressings, potatoes, and beans. Leaves or the whole plant may be used to flavor pickles. 

Fennel- Sweet, hot flavor. Both seeds and leaves are used. Use in small quantities in pies and baked goods. Leaves can be boiled with fish. 

Ginger- A pungent root, this aromatic spice is sold fresh, dried, or ground. Use in pickles, preserves, cakes, cookies, soups, and meat dishes. 

Marjoram- May be used both dried or green. Use to flavor fish, poultry, omelets, lamb, stew, stuffing, and tomato juice. 

Mint- Aromatic with a cool flavor. Excellent in beverages, fish, lamb, cheese, soup, peas, carrots, and fruit desserts. 

Nutmeg- Whole or ground. Used in chicken and cream soups, cheese dishes, fish cakes, and with chicken and veal. Excellent in custards, milk puddings, pies, and cakes. 

Oregano- Strong, aromatic odor. Use whole or ground in tomato juice, fish, eggs, pizza, omelets, chili, stew, gravy, poultry, and vegetables. 

Paprika- A bright red pepper, this spice is used in meat, vegetables, and soups or as a garnish for potatoes, salads, and eggs. 

Parsley- Best when used fresh, but can be used dried as a garnish or as a seasoning. Try in fish, omelets, soup, meat, stuffing, and mixed greens. 

Rosemary- Very aromatic. Can be used fresh or dried. Season fish, stuffing, beef, lamb, poultry, onions, eggs, bread, and potatoes. Great in dressings. 

Saffron- Aromatic, slightly bitter taste. Only a pinch needed to flavor and color dishes such as bouillabaisse, chicken soup, rice, paella, fish sauces, buns, and cakes. Very expensive, so where a touch of color is needed use tumeric instead, but the flavor will not be the same. 

Sage- Use fresh or dried. The flowers are sometimes used in salads. May be used in tomato juice, fish, omelets, beef, poultry, stuffing, cheese spreads, and breads. 

Tarragon- Leaves have a pungent, hot taste. Use to flavor sauces, salads, fish, poultry, tomatoes, eggs, green beans, carrots, and dressings. 

Thyme- Sprinkle leaves on fish or poultry before broiling or baking. Throw a few sprigs directly on coals shortly before meat is finished grilling. 

Tumeric-Aromatic, slightly bitter flavor. Should be used sparingly in curry powder and relishes and to color cakes and rice dishes.

This is James’ amazing “feel better soon” dinner. Yep.