#baking101

We’ve all been there: it’s a quiet Sunday and the idea of filling your homely walls with the smells of fresh bakes wafts (pun-intended) through your mind. How about a basic chocolate cake? Can’t go wrong with that right? You pore over every detail in the recipe, and head to the supermarket to get your ingredients. Brimming with excitement, you whip out your trusty Kenwood stand mixer that has always been there for you - and you follow all the recipe instructions to a T. Yet, your creations somehow just look like they popped out of an “expectations VS reality” compilation. It’s just not what you expected! Well, baking requires almost scientific precision, and with some trial and error, common baking issues are easy to rectify. Get enough practice and improve your technique, and you might find that your chocolate cake disaster was nothing more than a fun lesson in baking. Here are some common baking issues you may face in your baking journey, and some tips and tricks to resolve them.

Cracks on the cake

A cake splitting on top is due to the crust forming too early, while the insides of the cake continue to cook and rise. An oven that is too hot is the likely culprit. Using the right-sized baking pan plays a part, too. Too large and the cake batter spread too thinly and heats up too quickly. Too small and the cake is baked unevenly. The trick lies in placing the cake on the middle rack of the oven to prevent cracks from forming. Or if you have a small oven, put some foil over the tin before putting the cake in the oven.

Cake sinks in the middle

There are four possibilities to this problem of cake sinking

A theme park staple, caramel apples are the perfect nostalgic childhood treat. A winning pairing of juicy apple with fragrant caramel, this cupcake takes inspiration from the Autumn treat and is a perfect dessert for Halloween parties. This Homemade Caramel Cupcake recipe is great for gifting neighbours during the "spooktober" season or as a sweet treat to end off your meal with. Try this out with your kids for some baking fun! You'll probably need to use a good stand mixer for this, too. Looking for more cupcake recipes? We've got a classic vanilla cupcake recipe, caramel banana coffee cake recipe & a banana-coffee-oat recipe here for your sheer indulgence. Tell us how it turns out! Without further ado, let's get started! :D

The season for love is coming. This Valentine's Day, sweeten up your date with these melt-in-your-mouth Snowball Truffles. Soft, delicious, and creamy, these sweet treat is a perfect way to show your better half just how they melt your heart.

It’s 2021, and while we can’t wait to bid 2020 goodbye with a little too much enthusiasm, it has been the year where you, your oven and your kitchen grew that little bit closer. While you stayed home and missed the opportunity to travel the world, visit friends and families, and savour delicious baked goods from around the world, it sure didn’t dampen your make the best of the situation and become that skilful home baker you were always destined to be. So don’t go thinking: just how much flour did I go through this year? (The answer is: a lot) Instead, with the upcoming year full of quality time to spend with your kitchen again, think of what you loved to bake, what you want to make this year, and whether you have a community of people celebrating just the same recipes as you. Here are the top 5 recipes our readers just loved in 2020.

Sourdough Loaf

Ah, the good old classic. Sourdough is the ultimate form of bread making. It takes a lot of patience, planning in advance, and many attempts for the perfect loaf. But that also makes the result that much more satisfying for novice home bakers. What are you waiting for? Get started on a starter now!

Puteri Ayu Pandan

Working from home during those warm tropical afternoons definitely gets you restless and craving a yummy snack now and then. It’s no wonder this fragrant pandan-infused mini sponge cakes made the list! Easy to make, perfect for snacking, and a nostalgic favourite of Ramadan bazaar lovers.

Kuih Tapak Kuda

Chocolate-y, fluffy, and delicious. This all-time favourite Raya treat was a hit with our home bakers in 2020. It’s no wonder, when you can switch up the chocolate filling for hazelnut cream, coco

You’ve been invited to a Christmas party and have been put in charge of dessert and snacks. It is then you try to hide the panic on your face - it’s been a long time since you have attempted to make anything from scratch. In this case, making something elaborate is completely out of the question. See also: The Perfect Christmas Snack - Raspberry Marzipan Drops Not to worry – there are simpler and more fuss-free alternatives to the typical Christmas log cake. Furthermore, with Christmas turkey, roasts and deli meats already in the main course, fellow guests may just be too full to try that double chocolate cake that you slaved away in your kitchen for. Here are some light yet impressive sweet treats that are easy to prepare.

Chocolate cookies with mint cream filling

Turning up to dinner with a bag of cookies screams lazy and unenthusiastic. But what if you are really pressed for time or are on a budget? The solution? Jazz things up and make it fancy with this mint flavoured icing that you can use as a sandwich filling between two chocolate chip cookies. If you are really short on time, you can use store-bought cookies (don’t say we told you). Just make sure they are large enough to spread a considerable amount of cream filling. Ingredients:

• 250g icing sugar (adjust for sweetness)
• 57g softened butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Green food colouring (optional)

Method:

1. Combine all icing ingredients. Using a hand whisk or a mixer, beat the mixture until smooth. If you are making the cookies, make sure your cookies are at room temperature before spreading the icing, or it will melt and turn sloppy. Chill the cookie sandwiches before serving.
2. That...that’s it.

Shortbread dipped in

This flourless chocolate cake is packed with rich cocoa flavour, its structure is moist and dense - it's truly the perfect ending to any hearty holiday meal. Also known as chocolate caprese cake, this traditional chocolate cake hails from the island of Capri, in the Campania region of Italy. It calls for ground almonds in place of flour, which results in a wonderfully indulgent cake. What's so good about flourless cakes, you ask? It's not just to tick the 'gluten-free' box. Omitting flour from a cake recipe results in a creamier, silkier cake texture. Generally flourless cakes don't 'rise' to the height of normal cakes, they have a slightly depressed structure in the middle. They are also much more fudgy, especially in the middle. Use a springform pan for this cake, because the absence of flour means less structure for the cake and you don't want it to collapse with a normal pan. Chef's tip: For an added kick, you can also dust espresso powder on top of the cake, which really enhances the flavour profile of chocolate. Love anything chocolate? See: Chocolate souffle, the ultimate chocolate cake, super easy chocolate bread. Want some easy festive baking recipes? See: Quick and easy Christmas treats – perfect for baking beginners

This cake or loaf (if you want to call it that) has delicate orange notes, a warm nutty pistachio flavour and a moist crumb structure. It's delicious with a slab of cold butter and paired with warm tea. A few things to note:

• Beat your butter and sugar using a creaming beater until it is pale and fluffy. Creaming is a proper baking technique that is crucially important in baking cakes. Properly creamed butter and sugar will be pale yellow in color, but not white. Creaming incorporates the maximum amount of air bubbles created by dry sugar mixed with solid fat (butter), so a recipe will rise in the oven and be light in texture when baked.
• If orange flower water is difficult to get, use orange zest or orange juice.
• You can grind pistachios up in your Food Processor - just make sure that the skins are peeled off the pistachios.
• If mascarpone if tough to procure, replace it with a blend of softened cream cheese and butter. Alternatively, you can simply mix powdered caster sugar and orange juice for a thinner, more drippy type of frosting. It should cool and harden with time.
• Lastly, it's very important to let the loaf cool in the tin before popping it out - you don't want to risk the loaf crumbling. Cooling is just as important as any other step in baking!

Love lemon-y recipes? Try these: Classic lemon tart or a Lemon Cheescake.  

Looking for a simple homemade gift to give out this festive season? Here's a simple recipe of ginger marmalade that you can pack into glass jars, tie with a little bit of brown string and baby's breath, ready to go. First off, ginger marmalade you ask? Well, yes. This recipe uses a simple jam-making formula that you can apply to any kind of fruit you like, so if you're not feeling the fiery warmth of ginger, feel free to substitute with strawberries, oranges, or anything else you fancy. Ginger marmalade is special because it combines the spicy warmth of the root cooked down with a sweet hit of sugar. This goes great on fruit-and-nut loaves, sourdough bread, or even on the side of a savoury dish (like lamb or chicken). It's super versatile. Tips on choosing the right ginger for this recipe:

• The fibrous, stringy parts of ginger root won’t soften as much while cooking, so be careful to use new, fresh ginger.
• Once you reach the tough fibrous parts, stop shredding the ginger so they don't end up in your jam

Second, if you're new to jam making, you'll notice a mysterious ingredient in the list. Pectin! What is that? Pectin is a gelling agent routinely used in marmalades, jams, and jellies, because when it's cooked at a high temperature with acid and sugar, it creates a nice gelatinous texture. Once you've got this recipe down pat, go crazy! Add basil, honey, lemon zest, peaches - all these are great condiments to pair with the kick of ginger.

First question: What is Stollen? Some people think it's fruitcake, but it's not. Neither is it a fruit and nut loaf. The best way to describe it is like a light, buttery scone packed with bits of dried fruit and powdered with icing sugar on top. It also has a strong, scented almond flavour thanks to loads of almonds and marzipan going into the dough. This wonderful recipe is made using a Kenwood Chef, which is perfect to chop your almonds, combine your ingredients and give you a smooth, elastic dough to work with. Second question: What is marzipan and where do I get it? Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is sometimes known as almond paste. You can get marzipan in more international supermarkets or e-grocers.

Bread is something many people can’t live without. It is versatile, nutritious, gives you energy for the day and is widely accessible. Sliced sandwich bread available in supermarkets is the go-to option for many of us, but nothing comes as close (and as inexpensive) as homemade bread. Whether it is a humble white loaf or a sourdough made with exotic grains and wild yeast that has been passed down through the years like a precious family heirloom, the flavour difference between homemade bread and store-bought options is dramatic. After making and tasting their first homemade loaf, many people ditch store-bought bread forever. It smells so good and can taste amazing with just butter. Home bakers take some time off for bread making on the weekends, making sure their families have sufficient bread for the week. Furthermore, many store-bought bread brands have added milk and sugar for a richer taste and softer texture – not good things to eat if you are vegan or are trying to avoid added sugars. But it can be daunting for absolute beginners to make their first loaf. They are surrounded by conflicting information and have no idea where to start. Some recipes are geared towards experienced bakers, while others try to run before learning to walk, failing at making more complex bread such as ciabatta and baguettes. They get discouraged and decide to give up their homemade bread goals. The key is to learn the basics, then work up to more adventurous recipes as you get more familiar with the bread-making process. That is the most important lesson I have learned as a home baker of two years. Beginners need to get used to handling bread dough and not give up on their first failure. Let’s get started on your bread-making journey with a recipe you can’t go wrong with: the basic white bread.

What you need to make your first loaf of bread

First, go to the supermarket or a bakers’ supply shop to get the following equipment. Don’t scrimp on these items – they will make you