Essential Baking Tips for Beginner Home Bakers
If you’ve arrived here, that means you’re just starting your journey at baking at home or looking for cake baking tips to improve your skills.
Baking at home doesn’t need to be complicated. With the right knowledge and the proper materials, anyone can become a great home baker.
In this guide, I share several tips for beginner bakers that I wish I had known when I started. So, if you’re ready to learn to bake, let’s get started!
Start with an easy recipe
Start with an easy recipe, like French yogurt cake or muffins.
Learn the basics first, or you might find the process overwhelming for more complex recipes. Plus, once you master the basics, you’ll realize that most complex recipes are just combinations of simple ones. For example, a layer cake is usually made of 2 to 3 basic recipes, with the most challenging part being assembly and decoration.
Read the recipe first
Read the recipe first to make sure you understand the process and don’t miss a step while baking.
Vocabulary
Learn basic baking terms like sift, stir, fold, and cream…
Folding batter is often used to avoid deflating the air in the mixture: gently scooping from the bottom and folding over the top.
This is different from stirring, which is mainly used to mix ingredients together.
Use the Right Ingredients
Stick to the ingredients listed in the recipe.
Prepare all the ingredients and materials needed.
Use room-temperature ingredients for better mixing, unless the recipe states otherwise.
Sift your dry ingredients like flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder for better mixing and to avoid lumps.
Measure Accurately
Use a kitchen scale for better accuracy, especially for flour. A cup of flour can vary significantly, ranging from 110g to 150g.
Oven
Always preheat your oven to the correct temperature before baking. Don’t bake your cake in a cold oven; by the time it reaches the right temperature, you could ruin your batter.
Know your oven. The baking time in the recipe is just a guideline. If you think your oven’s temperature is inconsistent, invest in an oven thermometer to check.
By default, recipes are baked on the middle rack for even heat distribution. So, unless stated otherwise, bake your cake on the middle rack.
Check if the recipe specifies fan or no fan. I always include this in my recipes.
Prepare Your Cake Pans Properly
Grease or line your cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Greasing vs. Lining: It’s up to you. I find lining with baking parchment much easier for removing the cake, and it eliminates the need for excessive greasing.
Greasing with Butter: Use a piece of paper towel or your fingers to rub a thin layer of softened butter all over the inside of the pan, including the sides.
Lightly dust with flour (or cocoa powder for a chocolate cake) after greasing, if needed.
Greasing with Oil: Pour a small amount of oil into the pan and use a brush or paper towel to spread it evenly over the surface.
Whichever method you choose, make sure to grease both the bottom and sides of the pan.
Another option is to use a cake release spray.
For a Bundt cake, greasing is the only option: apply soft, almost melted butter with a pastry brush and coat every nook and cranny.
Take your time to line your cake pan properly—it makes a big difference in how your cake looks. At first, we all struggle with folding and creasing parchment paper to make it fit in the pan, which can result in a wrinkled cake.
The right cake pan
Use the same size cake pan mentioned in the recipe; otherwise, you will need to adjust the baking temperature and time, which could lead to unexpected results.
A shallower pan will cause the cake to bake faster and may dry it out, while a deeper pan will take longer to bake and could result in an undercooked center.
The most common cake pan sizes are 8-inch (20cm) and 9-inch (23cm) round pans.
Materials
Use a whisk, spoon, or spatula as stated. A whisk incorporates more air, while a spatula is better when you need to fold.
Don’t Overmix or Undermix the batter.
Overmixing can lead to dense cakes; undermixing can cause uneven textures.
Mix until ingredients are just combined unless the recipe stated something else.
Don’t Let the Batter Rest on Your Countertop
Once your batter is ready and the oven is preheated, bake it right away. Once the leavening agents come into contact with the wet ingredients, they begin to activate.
There are only a few recipes that require resting, such as chocolate madeleines or some muffin recipes, as this helps create a nice bump. Otherwise, bake your cake immediately.
Avoid Opening the Oven Too Early
Opening the oven before the cake is set can cause it to collapse.
Wait at least until ¾ of the baking time has passed before checking.
Test to Know When the Cake is Baked
Follow the instructions in the recipe. For most cakes, insert a toothpick into the center—if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Lightly press the cake; it should spring back.
There are some exceptions, such as cakes with fruit, where you should check the color and use the spring-back method, or brownies, where a slight jiggle in the center is wanted.
Let It Cool Properly
Let cakes cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack—unless the recipe says otherwise.
Why? Taking a cake out too soon can cause it to break apart. Letting it cool in the pan also prevents a sudden temperature change.
Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting to prevent melting.
Cake Decorations
Start with simple decorations. As a beginner, you may want to decorate cakes but have little experience using piping tips. There are plenty of easy options to decorate a cake.
First, remember that your frosting doesn’t need to be perfect or super smooth, for example, this Nutella chocolate cake is still mouthwatering.
You can frost a cake with chocolate spread and add some sprinkles.
You can also decorate with a cake topper or buy edible decorations.
Community
Join a Facebook group. There are plenty of communities ready to help you if you have questions.
Bonus Tips
If you live in a high altitude, you may need to adjust your leavening agents and baking time. Try to find bloggers or resources that specialize in high-altitude baking for specific tips and adjustments that work best for your area.
Have Fun and Don’t Give Up
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn—baking is a process of learning. You’ll see that once you master the basics of baking, a huge world of creativity and possibilities will open to you.
I hope these Essential Baking Tips for Beginner Home Bakers will help you build confidence and create delicious cakes with ease.
To go a little further in your learning, check out how to avoid dry cakes.