Baking/cleaning helps, hints and cheats

Helps/hints

Bake cakes to 206* instead of “till toothpick comes out clean” for a moister cake. 

Butter vs Unsalted butter: 

It’s best to use the type of butter called for in a recipe. But here’s a general rule: reduce or add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup (1/4 lb; 115g; 1 stick) of butter.

Homemade cake flour

How to Turn All-Purpose Flour into Cake Flour:

Step One: Measure out the all-purpose flour that you’ll need for your recipe.

Step Two: For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin. Throw the cup of flour (minus the two tablespoons) into a sifter set over a bowl.

Step Three: Replace the two tablespoons of flour that your removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.

Step Four: Sift the flour and cornstarch together. Sift it again, and again and again. The cornstarch and flour need to be well incorporated and the flour aerated. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture about five times. Look at that! You just made cake flour!

If you use self-rising flour as a substitute for all-purpose flour, remember to omit the extra salt and baking powder called for in the recipe, because it’s already in the flour.

Homemade laundry soap

• 12 cups (A 14 oz box) 20 Mule Team borax
• 8 cups (1 plus box) Arm and Hammer Washing Soap
• 8 cups (4 bars) Fels Naptha soap-grated
• 8 cups regular Baking soda
• One 3 lb box Oxiclean

Mix and store in sealed container Use 2 TBS powder per full load

Baking Secrets You NEED to Know!

Need room temperature eggs? Tip: You get more volume with room temperature eggs than cold eggs. Before beginning, set the eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes to warm them up.

You can ripen bananas in your oven (wha whaaa?!).

Need ripe bananas for a recipe stat? Very ripe bananas are sweeter and softer, making them perfect for baking. Ripen bananas by placing whole, unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the skins are darkened and the fruit is soft.

Keep brown sugar soft.

Add a slice of bread to the bag and seal tight

Butter should be at a COOL room temperature not soft and mushy! 

If your cookies come out like flat puddles or your cakes or cupcakes are dense, flat, or flavorless, it’s because your butter was too warm. Perfect room-temperature butter for cookie baking should:

-Give slightly when pressed with your finger but still hold its shape

-Be flexible without breaking or cracking

-Is at a cool room temperature of about 67°F

No buttermilk on hand? No prob.

1 cup buttermilk can be substituted by 1 scant cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Just let the milk and vinegar mixture stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened with small curdles, before using. You can also use:

3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sour cream + 1/4 cup water

Chocolate chip cookie dough should be marinated. Yes, like meat.

Chilling your cookie dough for at least 24 hours, but up to 72 hours, will seriously enhance the flavor AND texture of your cookies. It’s what bakeries do. Just trust me here, it’s worth the wait!

Want chewy cookies? Add in an egg yolk.

The extra protein in the egg yolk lends a wonderfully chewy and rich bite to any cookie!

Cutting a recipe’s measurements in half doesn’t have to be hard, even if you hated math in school.

Here’s an easy list of trickier conversions :

3/4 cup - (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)

1/3 cup - (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons)

1/4 cup - (2 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons - (1 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoons - (1 1/2 teaspoons)

Cheap teeth whitener

Tiny bit of toothpaste

1 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp peroxide

1/2 tsp water.

Brush teeth for 2 minutes. Do one a week until you have the results you want. Then do one every month or so to maintain

5 Ways to Tell When Your Cake Is Done

1. When the Sides Pull Away

The cake is usually done when you see the sides of the cake just start to pull away from the pan. The outer edges will look dry and you'll see a gap forming between the edge of the cake and the side of the pan.

2. When the Cake Is Springy

The middle of the cake should feel springy and pillowy if you gently press your finger against it. One of my baking instructors used to say that cakes are done when they're so pillowy that you could take a nap on it!

3. When a Cake Tester Comes Out Clean

Any thin skewer can be used as a cake tester, but many bakers just use a simple toothpick. If you insert it into the center of the cake, it should come out clean, with no streaks of batter. A few small crumbs are OK!

How to Make a One-Bowl Vanilla Cake

4. When the Internal Temperature Reads 210°F

If you're in any doubt, you can always take the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The cake is done when the temperature in the middle is about 210°F.

5. When the Cake Stops Sizzling

While it may sound odd, but if you listen to your cake it will tell you when it's done. Put your ear to it and it will sizzle and crackle as it's baking, as the steam from the liquid ingredients is being cooked out. This sound will become softer and slower as the cake gets closer to done and will be just the faintest sound when it's done. If it's completely silent, it could be overcooked, so best to take it out when you hear the softest, slowest sizzle.

Insta-pot helps