Successful baking requires attention to every detail.
Keep these key points in mind before youmake your next cake.
Don’t Overmix Your Batter
The culprit behind what makes a cake tough could beovermixing your flour.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
Flour is the foundation of baked recipes because it provides structure.
When combined with liquid and after mixing, flour’s protein (gluten) begins to develop.
The elastic substance traps and holds air produced byleavening agents(keep an eye on the expiration dates!
Credit: Jason Donnelly
), enabling yourcake to rise.
You know how you have toknead yeast breadto get the best texture?
Yeah, you don’t want to do that if you want a soft cake.
The mixing times on your recipe are there for a reason, so pay attention to those.
Packing too much flour in your recipe will cause a dry cake.
Nonstick or not, they are lightweight and conduct heat well for even baking.
You’ll also want toprep your pans correctly.
Bake your cake at the correct temperature and let it cool for the specified time.
Our Test Kitchen also recommends baking with room-temperature ingredients,especially eggsand liquids.
If you’re ready to bake asap, use our handy tips onsoftening butter.
Consider these possible causes of common cake baking issues.
Start simple with a delicious soft cake recipe such as the classicyellow cake.
Then practice yourbuttercream frostingskills.
