Baking is fun and relaxing! You get to bake your cake and eat it and you feel good about it. Whatever you're baking, in the end, you'll have this sense of accomplishment too. However, not all steps are easy to do and it can make baking stressful at times. No matter what type of baking equipment you have, there are things that really need more effort to perform. What then are some baking hacks you should know to make baking a breeze?
Room Temperature Butter
Sometimes, the recipe will ask for room temperature butter. But you didn't know and you're in a hurry. So what to do? The trick to getting the perfect stick of softened butter is power level 2. Stick the butter in the microwave for 8 to 10 seconds on power level 2 then flip it over and do another 5 seconds.
Cookie Cutters
Cookie cutters can be used in so many ways. If you're having a hard time decorating a cake, cookie cutters or molds of different shapes can help! Place the decorative cookie cutter gently on top of the frosted cake. Fill the cookie cutter with sprinkles then lift gently.
DIY Cake-Release Mix
Combine half a cup of vegetable shortening, half a cup of vegetable oil, and half a cup of all-purpose flour in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly until everything is incorporated and smooth then store in an airtight container at room temperature. To use, dip a pastry brush into the mixture and spread a thin layer over the bottom and sides of your cake pans.
Frosting Bag Alternatives
Instead of using frosting bags, you can use syringes to decorate your cake with frosting. Carefully remove the attached needle and dispose it properly. Fill the the empty syringe with your frosting and decorate away! Other alternatives are empty Ziploc bags and plastic wraps.
Non-Stick Hands
Sometimes you will have to use your hands like when kneading dough. Sometimes, the dough can be so sticky though and its annoying when it sticks to your hands. You can prevent this by wetting your hands first. The food won’t stick to your wet hands, making it much easier for you to shape the food how you want.
Colored Frosting
You might find it hard to look for food coloring or there might not be an available color that you need. Good news is, you can use Jell-O as food coloring! To do this, just mix together vanilla frosting and your favorite flavor Jell-O packet. The Jell-O will create cool colors and fun flavors too! Mix and match as desired.
