Quick Tips for Baking Success

Baking is more art than science sometimes. When you begin, there will be failures, there will be mistakes, and there will be some confusion and hilarity. Learning to bake takes time and experience, there's no way around that. Sure, it's easier if you've been raised around people who were baking, but anyone can learn to bake. Anyone. You can learn to manipulate yeast dough, shape cookies, and produce lovely cakes with a little time and effort.

But you need somewhere to begin When you first start baking, there are a few things you can do to help ensure your success. First, choose recipes that are simple enough and have few directions. Starting small will help you gain the confidence you need to tackle bigger projects. When you are looking for a cookbook or checking out a recipe online, look at the reviews. Are people complaining that it's bland? Are some people saying that the recipe just doesn't work? Maybe move on and pick a different recipe. Choosing a solid recipe is the first step in creating something delicious.

Practice makes perfect, so don't give up on a recipe if it doesn't work the first time. Try again. And again. If you've chosen a good recipe, you'll figure it out. And your first few attempts may not be perfect, but they'll likely still be tasty. Tasty is good, so keep at it.

Read through the entire recipe before you start baking. Make sure you know exactly what ingredients you need and what equipment will be necessary. Also make sure you have enough time to complete the recipe. If it takes 45 minutes to cook but you'll be leaving the house in 30 minutes, you definitely should not start yet. It seems an obvious thing, but it happens a lot.

Review the techniques the recipe calls for. If you don't know how to brown butter but the recipe called for the browning of butter, it's time to learn how before you tackle the recipe itself. Look up those things you're unfamiliar with in order to ensure your success.

Take a few moments before you begin to measure out your ingredients and set out the equipment you'll need. This will make the entire process go a lot smoother. You'll also not have to go looking for an ingredient that you left in the cupboard. 

Most people don't love cleaning, but tidy up as you go. Baking with a mess around you can lead to confusion and mistakes. Place dirty dishes in the sink and put items away as you use them. This will keep you from trying to use an ingredient twice or skipping something unintentionally.

If you've never attempted the recipe before, focus on it and only it. Distractions can lead to mistakes, so make sure you won't be interrupted. This is especially important if you're working on a complex recipe. You don't want to have to start over again.

Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself. Baking should be fun, not frustrating. Take your time, immerse yourself in what you're doing, and don't be afraid to experiment. Recipes are not scripture, after all. They can be altered to suit you.

Specialty Cakes: Dual-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin. Absolutely love it. Cheesecake is also delicious. So if you put the two of them together, you have a treat that is doubly delicious. How can this simple recipe not be a hit.

In this recipe, I've used a prepared graham cracker crust. It's easy enough to make your own if you prefer. It really doesn't matter that much. You can even make this cheesecake without the crust. It is solid enough that it can simply be baked in a pan.

Ingredients

1 prepared graham cracker crust

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ cup pumpkin puree

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cloves

½ cup whipped topping (optional)

cocoa powder for dusting (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla using an electric mixer. Blend in eggs one at a time, making sure the mixture is completely smooth afterwards. Remove 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture and spread it over the prepared graham cracker crust. Set the crust aside for the moment.

To the remaining batter in the bowl add the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir gently until everything is well combined. Then stir again. You want a smooth and consistent batter. Very gently spread the pumpkin batter over the batter that's already in the crust. The point is to have the pumpkin batter above the plain batter, so don't mix the two. Spread gently.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until the center is almost set. A little cracking may occur. This is normal. Remove cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

You can eat the cheesecake as is, or you can top with whipped topping first. Alternatively, use cocoa powder to sprinkle over the top of the cheesecake. I've used a stencil for cocoa powder in the cheesecake in the picture. You can use a stencil or just sprinkle the cocoa as you please.

Specialty Cakes: White Chocolate Sachertorte

There's a lot to be said for a classic dessert. Sachertortes are often a dark chocolate dessert, but if you change it up a bit and use white chocolate, you can have a delicious and satisfying treat that everyone will love. This is my younger son's favorite dessert, so we make it often.

You can change the jam, if you like. Try strawberry, apricot, blackberry, or even blueberry for an entirely different flavor. If you don't want to make your own icing, you can simply warm up some store bought icing so you can pour it over the cake. It will still taste amazing.

Ingredients

For the Cake

6 oz white chocolate

6 large eggs, separated

⅔ cup sugar

1½ tbsp vanilla sugar

⅔ butter, softened (do not use margarine)

¼ icing sugar

1⅛ cup flour

For the Filling and Icing

⅔ cup raspberry jam

1 sheet gelatine

6 oz milk chocolate

½ cup whipping cream

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray the inside of an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease the pan with butter and dust with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. Chop the white chocolate and melt it. You can use the microwave or a pan on the stove, but I prefer to use a small chocolate melter or even fondue pot. You can use whatever you like as long as the chocolate is melted until smooth. Be careful with white chocolate. It's easy to overheat it. Warm it until just melted. Set it aside to cool for a moment.

Whisk the egg whites (the yolk should be in a separate bowl) until they are semi-stiff. Add sugar and vanilla sugar and continue to whisk until glossy and stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter and icing sugar until the mixture is creamy. Add the egg yolk and whisk. Now add the white chocolate and whisk until smooth. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Add flour and fold in again. Gently. You don't want to break down the egg whites.

Pour the batter into the springform pan. Smooth the top and bake for 25 minutes, then turn down the oven to 340°F (170°C) and bake for a further 35 minutes. Do not underbake. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Do not try to remove from pan until the cake has cooled completely.

When the cake is cool, cut it in half horizontally. Set the top half aside. Warm the raspberry jam until you can pour it. Spread about a third of the jam on the bottom half of the cake. Place the other half of the cake on top, almost making a jam sandwich. Brush the remaining jam over the rest of the cake. Don't miss any spots. This will keep the cake moist and enhance the flavor.

Now make the icing. Soak the gelatine sheet in cold water. While it's soaking, chop the milk chocolate. Add the chocolate to the cream and heat until the chocolate melts, being careful not to warm it too much. You want it melted enough to pour, but that's it. As soon as the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and take the gelatine sheet out of the water. It should be pliable and soft by now. Add it to the chocolate, whisking it all together. Allow the icing mix to cool for about 20 minutes, then pour it over the cake.

Let the icing set for at least 6 hours. Overnight is better. When the cake is set, you can decorate it if you like, or you can just leave it covered in chocolate. In the pictures here, I have used a set of plastic stencils to make a bunny pattern. My younger son loves bunnies, and this cake was for him.