If you’ve ever baked anything, you’re probably already familiar with the first line of the recipe: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes, it’s a nice round number that’s simple to remember, but that’s not why it’s the most popular baking number. It’s all about the chemistry.
There’s science behind why baking temperatures of 350 degrees Fahrenheit are required for anything from banana bread to crescent rolls to a mac and cheese casserole.
Even better, this reaction explains why baked foods have such a pleasant flavor.
Get to know your oven
The browning process that occurs when a mixture of proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates in food molecules is heated: it all depends on the temperature.
Roasting marshmallows, baking bread, searing a steak, roasting a turkey, baking a cake Pokémon or even roasting coffee are all examples of perfect baking.
The majority of cakes are baked at 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 temperature. To ensure that your oven is properly calibrated, use an oven thermometer.
Other Important Factors to Note for Baking a Perfect Cake
Baking a cake is a difficult task. A single blunder can result in a flat, dense, or eggy outcome. Follow these guidelines to bake a great cake every time.
Measure accurately
This is the most crucial rule in baking out of all the baking recommendations! If you don’t have a digital scale, use the spoon and level method to measure dry ingredients: pour the components into a dry measuring cup and level or “sweep” the top with a straight edge.
This may appear to be a little point, but it is critical. Because a cup of flour can vary in volume by several ounces, scooping it into the measuring cup and packing it in will result in considerably too much flour and dry baked goods.
Brown sugar is the only ingredient that should ever be packed into a cup.
Learn how to properly prepare your cake pans
Each cake recipe (cake Pokémon) is unique. Is it necessary to lightly oil your pans? Is it necessary to brush them with butter and lightly dust them with flour?
It’s sometimes necessary to line the bottoms with parchment paper. Make sure you have all of the tools you’ll need to properly prepare your pans.
Always have all of your ingredients ready
Before you begin a dish, measure your ingredients. After reading through the ingredients, prepare them on your counter.
When you start recipes this way, there’s very little opportunity for error; you’re not fumbling and hurrying through the procedure.
Also, avoid substituting ingredients. Baking is all about chemistry. Make the recipe exactly as written initially, then make substitutions as needed if you’re confident.
Sift dry ingredients over wet ingredients
This keeps the cake (cake Pokémon) batter from collapsing and developing lumps. We suggest adding the dry ingredients in three batches, folding in each one before moving on.
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