Baking Basics

Create a homemade baking powder substitute with simple pantry ingredients. It works well in any recipe! Are you wondering why do I need a baking powder substitute? Why can’t I just use baking soda? While they are both chemical leaveners, they function differently in recipes and have different compositions. Baking soda, also known as sodium …

Homemade dulce de leche is so easy to make. You only need one ingredient to create a delicious confection for your pies, cookies and cakes. What is dulce de leche? It’s typically considered a classic sweet topping or filling from Latin America. It translates in Spanish to “candy (made) of milk.” And, it really does …

You can learn how to make buttermilk from milk and lemon juice at home. This easy recipe will save you a trip to the grocery store. What is buttermilk? It is the leftover liquid from churning cream into butter. But, who has time to churn their own butter, or even time to run to get …

Make a fast and easy graham cracker crust at home. Use with your favorite bake and no-bake desserts. There is nothing better than a classic graham cracker crust. Those sweet American crackers create the perfect base for so many bake and no-bake pie fillings. This recipe uses the perfect ratio of crumbs, sugar and butter. …

This guide will show you how to blind bake pie crust. This technique is also called “pre-baking” and it’s the process of baking and empty pie or tart shell. There are times when a recipe may call for baking an empty pie shell, bakers call this blind baking, before the filling is added. This step …

This basic pound cake recipe is buttery, dense, and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. Serve the cake plain, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. I don’t think there can be too many recipes for cake! Especially a sweetly dense cake that is still surprisingly soft. …

Baking powder vs baking soda. Which one to use and when to use both? This article will lay out the basics so you can become a better baker. Baking powder and baking soda are chemical leaveners. Once these leaveners come in contact with moisture or heat, they begin to break down creating a production of …

Baking is a science that relies on the understanding of the basic fundamentals of the baking process. Once you understand how each action you take affects the finished product, you will be able to replicate recipes with greater ease. A degree in chemistry or physics isn’t needed to be a good baker but a good …

Learn how to make chocolate ganache with this easy tutorial. This simple ganache recipe requires just two ingredients and you can have different consistencies by varying the ratio of each ingredient. The process takes just 5 minutes! Chocolate ganache almost sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? I used to think there was some complicated technique for making …

Do you have leftover buttermilk and don’t want it to go to waste? You can freeze buttermilk to save for use at a later date! Let me show you how. Can you freeze buttermilk? A reader recently asked for recipes using buttermilk because she always has some leftover. Blueberry buttermilk scones, parmesan buttermilk drop biscuits, …

An in-depth tutorial on how to toast coconut flakes three different ways — In the microwave, on the stovetop, and in the oven. You decide which way is best for you! How to toast coconut flakes There are a few recipes on my blog that call for toasted coconut. White chocolate chips with coconut being …

Homemade vanilla extract can save you so much money and it’s made with just 2 ingredients – vodka and vanilla beans. Simply soak the vanilla beans in vodka for up to 12 months for the best vanilla extract you’ll ever try. I use vanilla extract so frequently. It’s practically in every recipe on my blog. …

Brown Butter Pie Crust is the ultimate pastry to elevate any pie flavor. It’s nutty, sweet, luxuriously rich, buttery, and will become your go-to pie crust. I recently discovered the gloriousness of brown butter pie crust when I decided to make an apple slab pie using this crust. It’s so rich, crisp, and flaky. I …

This Homemade Cake Flour recipe needs only two ingredients! You must add to your arsenal of baking necessities. Quite a few cakes and cupcakes on my blog call for cake flour. It’s the best flour to use for a delicate, tender cake with a fine crumb. My basic vanilla cake calls for this flour and …

This buttery, flaky homemade pie crust recipe is simple to make and completely foolproof! Even beginners can have success with my tried and true tips. I often hear people say how they are intimated to make pie crust from scratch. While I agree the thought can be daunting. The process is actually much simpler than …

There are only a few tools that are essential for baking. While it may be tempting to purchase every kitchen gadget out on the market, it really isn’t necessary. Instead of filling the drawers and cabinets with needless equipment, focus on basic essentials. Below is a list of the most useful baking equipment to get …

Have you ever wondered how to make the perfect cake? Today I’m sharing some simple tips and tricks that will help you achieve success each and every time you bake a cake. The days of dry, tasteless, failed cake recipes will be no more if you follow each of the tips I have laid out …

How to measure flour the right way for precise, accurate measurements and perfect bakes every time! Have you ever followed a baking recipe, only for your sugar cookies or muffins to turn out dry, lumpy, or overly chewy? It’s possible that you followed the recipe exactly right. But you might have made one simple mistake: …

Different flour types serve different purposes. Understanding flour basics will help you along in your baking journey. Basic Flour Information All-Purpose Flour is the most commonly used type of flour for baked goods.  It is a combination of hard and soft wheat flour.  There are all purpose flours that are made with more soft wheat …