26 Seriously Useful Baking Tips You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner
To help make your bakes the absolute best.
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We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community for their best baking tip that everyone should know. Here are some of their suggestions.
1. Invest in a silicone baking mat.
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2. Take your cookies out when just the edges have hardened.
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4. Coat things like fruit and chocolate chips in flour before adding them to your mix.
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5. Use an ice cream scoop to portion your muffins and cupcakes.
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6. Swap vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste.
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7. Spoon flour into your measuring cup instead of scooping it.
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8. But it's a good idea to look for recipes measured in grams or pounds instead of cups.
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9. Don't be afraid of using salt.
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10. If you need to used chilled butter, grate it and freeze it for about an hour beforehand.
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11. Always let your cakes cool before attempting to ice them.
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12. Small things, like sifting your flour, make a big difference.
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13. Check the expiration date on your bicarbonate of soda.
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14. Know that a lot of the time, you shoudn't over-mix things.
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15. But if you're creaming butter and sugar, make sure it's thoroughly blended.
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16. Keep cookies fresh by putting a slice of bread in the airtight container with them.
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17. Bang your cake pans on the counter a few times before putting them in the oven.
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18. Add some instant coffee to your chocolate brownies.
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19. Test your cakes with a toothpick to check if they're done.
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20. Chill your cookie dough.
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21. Make sure your ingredients are the temperature the recipe specifies.
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22. Add a drop of liquified coconut oil to help to thin melting chocolate.
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23. Use the same weight of eggs, flour, sugar, and butter for a perfect sponge cake.
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24. Freeze your sugar cookies and pie crust pieces for 15 minutes before putting them in the oven.
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25. If you can't find anywhere for your dough to rise, pop it in a preheated oven on a low temperature for a bit (but make sure to turn the oven off before putting the dough in).
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26. Put your beaters and bowl in the fridge before you make whipped cream.
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Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.