Hiya everyone!
I apologize for not updating BakingBoutique with a new blog post last week- I was actually in the process of re-decorating my room(I'll be posting pictures on my Google+ profile soon).
To me, being a baker isn't just about how good your bakes taste or whether you've followed a recipe to the letter, it's also about how professional your bakes look, having your own style and letting your creativity flow. That is why this week's recipe is about baking techniques. After all, bakers will always have room for practise, precision and perfection.
Really, I get baking tips everywhere- from recipe books to professional TV programmes- I learn new tips everywhere! My first baking tip to anyone is actually from a recipe book called "HummingBird Bakery" They are a EXTREMELY popular, branched bakery that bake and sell superb cakes,muffins,pies,pastries and just...everything you can imagine. Maybe one day I'll visit their bakery in London and try one of their chocolatey cupcakes!
My first baking tip to anyone from the source "HummingBird Bakery Cupcakes and Muffins" is something a lot of people
generally don't do- when creaming butter and sugar together, always do this for at least five minutes. Before I discovered this recipe book, I'd either cream the butter and sugar for less than five minutes or far more than five minutes. I suppose that explains why my fairy cakes never ended with a good finishing result!
The second tip I have for bakers is from a website called: Sally's Baking Addiction- the
picture to the top right is her recipe book (link to her website: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/04/27/top-10-baking-tips/). One of the tips that I found very important was to always prepare your ingredients. There was this one time when I wanted to make some chocolate cupcakes. I didn't bother finding out whether I had all the ingredients. I just kind of opened cupboards and fridge doors and pulled out ingredients. I didn't think to find out if I had the most important ingredient- cocoa powder. I left all the ingredients on my kitchen surface for a hour whilst I went to a supermarket to buy some cocoa powder. When I arrived back into the kitchen I was afraid that my cupcakes wouldn't taste appealing because I'd left the ingredients out for soo long- luckily they didn't end in a disaster. Therefore, please check to see if you have all required ingredients (sugar,butter,flour,eggs and so on...) for whatever recipe rather than rush to the shops to buy missing ingredients for your cupboards like I did.
Baking Tip #3 is again from HummingBird Bakery Cupcakes and Muffins. Do NOT substitute self-raising flour for plain flour-this WILL affect the recipe! My friend once came round my house to bake some muffins for school and well... she wasn't very good at baking at the time so she didn't really stick to the recipe. For example, rather than sifting SELF-RAISING flour, she sifted plain flour! Believe me when I say...it did affect the muffins... alot!
Baking Tip #4 more is an icing tip but is important if you want your bakes to look pretty and professional. When making icing,
please use a balanced amount of icing sugar and milk/water. Especially if you're whipping up butter cream icing- make sure the consistency is thick therefore your cupcakes look very nice and precise rather than an messy, under-age rated cupcake.
Baking Tip #5 is quite important to me only because I bake a great deal and then showcase it onto this blog. When baking, make sure you equipped with the right supplies. To help, lay out all your equipment to see whether you have everything or if you don't need something.
Baking Tip #6 is once again from my own edition of Cake Decorating Book and is for when mixing eggs and flour. Make sure you beat eggs well in between additions or else the mixture will curdle(if you do not know what this looks like, head to Google Images and search the word "curdle"). If your mixture looks as if it might, add a spoonful of your measured flour into the mix. Folding preserves the air you've beaten into the mix. Using a large metal spoon and a figure of eight motion, lift and fold the mixture over until there are no specks of flour whatsoever.
I do hope that these top SIX tips are very useful. All sources that I have mentioned are good sources that you should check out.
Please +1 or comment this week's post. Or, if you have any baking tips you'll like to share, please e-mail me to: chocolatecupcakes08@gmail.com.
Hope all of you have an awesome time baking!
#sweetreats xxxx
Happy New Year to all!
I hope you've had an awesome time so far taking in and celebrating the New Year as much as possible and also trying out my New Year's Special recipe. Please +1 my last recipe post of 2015 if you liked it.
This week's recipe is .... Ginger Sponge Cake. It's a very simple-to-make teatime sweet treat that I've eaten maybe once or twice but have never made. If you guys also haven't attempted to bake a Ginger Sponge cake then don't worry - we're all in the same boat.
In order to bake this sponge cake, you'll need the following:
- 200g/7oz of self-raising flour
-200g/7oz of sugar
-1 tsp of ground ginger
-55g/2oz of margarine (NOT butter) and a litter extra for greasing
-1 free-range egg, beaten
-1 tbsp of golden syrup (hmm! Sticky and sweet)!
-240ml/9floz of hot water
Equipment needed:
Mixing Bowl
Free-standing mixer
Wooden spoon if you like to mix things the old-fashioned way
28cm x 18cm or 11in x 7in baking tin
Method to baking this sweet treat:
As always, pre-heat the oven to180c/350F Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the baking tin with baking or greaseproof paper.
Mix together the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate soda in a bowl until combined together. (the picture to the right isn't exactly what the mixture is supposed to look like).
Add in the beaten egg, syrup and hot water and mix well.
Then, pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in your pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and springy to touch.
Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into squares and serving.
To watch this cake being made, visit the BBC Food website.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ginger_sponge_cake_51697
I hope you've enjoyed this week's recipe. Please do comment and +1 today's recipe below. You can also email me to the address : chocolatecupcakes08@gmail.com.
Happy baking!
#sweetreats xxx
Baking Tip #5 is quite important to me only because I bake a great deal and then showcase it onto this blog. When baking, make sure you equipped with the right supplies. To help, lay out all your equipment to see whether you have everything or if you don't need something.
