The way you measure 1 cup of flour will determine whether you're destined for heaven or hell it weighs 115 grams or 140. And that difference adds up: Too much flour can result in dense cakes, dry cookies, and dough that refuses to come together. Instead of the classic dip-and-scoop method, we prefer the spoon-and-level, which makes for a less compacted cup. It’s what we use to develop recipes in the Test Kitchen (and it yields a cup between 120 and 125 grams). Here’s how to do it:
Use a fork to rake through your flour (yes, even if it’s in a bag) to lighten it up
Spoon it gently into a cup, taking care not to compact
With the back of a knife, level off the top in one straight sweep
And if all that sounds annoying, kindly refer back to point 1
Parchment is a baker’s best friend
Nonstick, heat-resistant, and altogether miraculous, parchment paper ensures that your finished product will release from the baking dish with minimal resistance (and zero begging or pleading). Most of the time, we like to lightly grease the pan with butter, oil, or nonstick spray, then use that slick to adhere the parchment, which we’ve trimmed to fit. Here’s how to cut it without frustration:
For a round pan:
Use a pen or pencil to trace the bottom of the pan onto parchment paper
Fold the circle in half, to make a semicircle, again to make a quarter circle, and one last time to make an eighth of a circle
Cut the arc, then unfold the paper to reveal a perfect circle
Place pen-side down in pan
For a square pan:
Rip or cut a piece of parchment paper that’s approximately 13x18 (the size of a half-sheet tray)
Fold it in half lengthwise, then cut so you have two 13x9 rectangles
Place them in the pan in opposite directions, criss-crossing, so that there's enough parchment paper that you'll have a good grip on every side
Once your bars are baked and cooled, use the overhang as a sling to lift them out
For a 9x13:
Rip or cut a piece of parchment paper that’s approximately 13x18 (the size of a half-sheet tray)
Place the pan on the parchment and make four marks at its four corners
Use scissors or a knife to make a straight slash from the four corners of the paper to the four marks
Nestle the parchment paper in the pan, pressing it into the edges, so the slashes fold up to make neat intersections
Gear up
Kitchen drawers are small, sacred spaces where no useless tools (cough, egg slicers) are welcome. But the following five will earn their keep:
A good whisk: A fork won’t do! Not only do whisks eliminate lumps, but they also aerate, turning eggs and cream into wondrous fluff. Opt for a French-style stainless steel whisk: Sturdy and narrow, it will fit into nearly any bowl/jar/pot.
Buy it: Norpro 9-inch Stainless Steel Whisk; $14, amazon.com
A flexible rubber spatula: Move over wooden spoons, these are multitalented and can reach corners and crevices. Use to stir butter as it browns, scrape batter from a bowl, and spread filling over cinnamon rolls.
Buy it:
GIR Premium Silicone Spatula; $13, amazon.com
A mini offset spatula: Perfect for unlatching blondies from the pan, transferring cookies from baking sheet to wire rack, making photo-worthy frosting swoops, and even prying open a can of paint? (I've done it!) Once you have one, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Buy it: Ateco 1305 Offset Spatula; $5, amazon.com
A rolling pin: Sure, you could use an empty wine bottle—but a fully fledged rolling pin gives you more control and consistency. Our preferred pin—wooden, French-style—is essentially a glorified stick, and it also comes in handy for crushing ice, smashing graham crackers, and fending off intruders.
Buy it: J.K. Adams Maple French Rolling Pin; $20, amazon.com
A bench scraper: For times when you wish your hands were wider, stronger, and/or nonstick. A flexible plastic one comes in handy for working with sticky doughs or transferring a pile of chopped nuts or chocolate from cutting board to bowl. A sturdy metal one is better for heavy-duty tasks like dividing bread dough or scraping a grimy surface clean.
Buy it
Ateco 1303 Scraper; $6 for set of two, amazon.com
Buy it: Norpro Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper; $6, amazon.com
“Room temperature” is a mandate, not a suggestion
You know how it is: Your butter is fridge-cold but you want to bake a cake...now. Don’t turn a blind eye and proceed anyway: The temperature of the butter—or the eggs or the milk/cream/random dairy product—affects how it breaks down and mingles with the other components. Chilled butter won’t properly cream (see point 6), which means it won’t become airy and voluminous, and your cake will suffer. Cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle and collapse, and your cake will suffer. The list goes on. The good news? These workarounds will get cold ingredients to room temperature quickly:
Butter: Cut the cold butter into 1-inch cubes to increase its surface area for more even softening, then place it on a plate in an even layer and position it near the preheating oven, monitoring closely. Or, microwave a whole stick in 10-second increments, turning over between each. Proper room temperature butter is soft enough that you can make an impression with your finger but not so warm that it’s shiny, greasy, or slumping.
Eggs: Place whole eggs in a small or medium bowl, then fill the bowl with warm tap water and let the eggs hang out as you prep the rest of the recipe.
Cream/Milk/Buttermilk: Microwave at low power in 10-second intervals or heat over low heat in a small saucepan.
Verbs matter
Jogging and sprinting are both technically “running,” but they mean entirely different things. The same goes for “mixing.” While all of the verbs below fall under the mixing umbrella, they require different equipment, force, and patience to master. Learn them once, reduce the chances of overmixing, undermixing, deflating, undercreaming, or overcreaming forever:
Stir: mix with a spatula or spoon until ingredients are incorporated; to avoid overmixing, do the minimum needed to achieve a homogenous dough (as in, no streaks of flour or globs of egg)
Fold: use a rubber spatula to make broad strokes down the inside of the bowl and up around the sides, lifting the mixture at the bottom up and over; the goal is to incorporate gingerly without deflating—you can even stop when there are a few streaks left
Beat: mix with gusto, using an electric mixer or a utensil (spoon/spat/whisk) and arm strength in order to incorporate air and smooth out lumps
Cream: slam together solid fat (butter, coconut oil, shortening) and sugar with an electric mixer for several minutes until light (i.e. paler in color) and fluffy, with the sugar granules dissolved; this forces air into the butter, which is a critical step for leavening; over-creamed butter (it’s possible!) will be dense, greasy, and warm
Whip: whisk vigorously in order to stiffen and aerate; it usually applies to egg whites and cream, which can be whipped to soft peaks that flop at the top or to stiff peaks that hold their pointy tops
Seriously, set a timer
When a recipe tells you to whisk for 1 minute or beat for 5, hold yourself accountable. Set a timer and don’t stop ‘til it dings. Click here to read more about why we love this small, inexpensive, incredibly durable, multifunctional timer better than all the rest.
Buy it: CDN TM8 Digital Timer and Clock; $13, amazon.com
Babysit your baked goods
Just like your parents around your significant other, your baked goods need to be closely monitored. To prevent disaster and promote even baking, check halfway through and give your pan a 180° spin (and if you’re using multiple oven racks, rotate top-to-bottom and vice versa). Set your timer for a few minutes earlier than the recipe instructs—you can always keep baking (see next slide!) but you can never go back.
Bake to the indicator, not the time
The timer dinged but your cake is still jiggly in the center or your scones are anemic. Don’t panic and pull them out: Cook to the qualitative indicator (as in, “the scones are golden-brown all over” or “the cake springs back when you prod it” or “the cookies are set around the edges”), even if it means adding another five minutes to the clock.
The waiting is the hardest part
Tom Petty said it best! With a few exceptions (like biscuits), you’ll want to wait until your creation is completely cool or set, no matter how much it pains you, for the sake of structure, texture, and flavor. You’ll be rewarded for your patience.
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