#bakinghacks

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

It looks like we are not out of the Covid-19 woods yet, and we can’t quite let our hair down and enjoy the festivities like we used to. With social distancing regulations limiting only 8 people for Lunar New Year gatherings, this year’s celebrations will be muted and minimalist. But to some, it can be a refreshing change from the yearly toiling in the kitchens, just to cook up a multi-course feast for guests who can’t finish their food. Snacks and small bites that can be easily prepared for a low-key crowd are key to keeping the festive spirit alive, especially in these challenging times. Here is a list of easy to make snacks that can be whipped up in an hour or less.

Quick pineapple tarts

Instead of making the pineapple paste from scratch, you could get ready-made from baking supplies shops such as Phoon Huat. *Makes 40 Ingredients for pastry dough:

• 200g of all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon of water
• 100g of butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Instructions:

1. Rub the butter into the flour. Add egg, salt and water. Mix well to create a smooth dough ball.
2. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and leave the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You could prepare the dough the night before and c

We live in a world of instant gratification, where 24/7 connectivity breeds the need for instant results at your fingertips. The rapid exchange of information has shaped our daily lives, right down to what and how we cook – gone are the days where aspiring cooks read bible-sized cookbooks from cover to cover. Instead, they look to the internet for bite-sized kitchen tips. Not surprisingly, social media foodies, particularly those on Tiktok and Instagram, have found ways to garner fame and followings through so-called kitchen hacks, which are meant to make food prep easy for people who have never cooked anything from scratch in their lives. But do these kitchen hacks even work? Or have they been staged to work just that one time, for the sake of social media validation? Love Wholesome tries out 8 viral kitchen hacks to separate the duds from the hits.

1. Squeezing the juice from a lemon without a knife

In this hack, a skewer is used to poke a hole through the lemon to squeeze the juice out. It is meant to keep your lemon fresh if you are after just a little juice, as sliced lemons dry out in the fridge. Simply roll the lemon with your hand on the kitchen top, poke a hole in it with a skewer, toothpick, or a screwdriver, and gather whatever wrist strength you have to squeeze the juice out. Did it work? In short, this trick works, but

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

Carving pumpkins are a must during Halloween. But after you've dug out all that creamy and delicious pumpkin filling, don't throw it away! Try our Pumpkin, Cheese and Leek Tart recipe, and delight your family with this festive dish. Homemade tarts are a great way to prepare dishes ahead of time during the day and pop them into the oven when you're craving a tasty hearty snack. Make these yummy tarts for much-needed fuel after a night of trick or treating. You might also like: Tomato and Cheese Tarts!

It is safe to say that no cookie maker has matched what Wally Amos, the American founder of Famous Amos, has created. From the company’s beginnings in 1975, the brand’s signature cookies and its omnipotent aromas have turned it into a global operation. The smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through the air is unmistakable, and many customers have stopped by the cookie stand just to get a bag before going on their way. But the recipe for Famous Amos cookies is a closely-guarded secret. Many have tried to replicate the cookie, with reasonable success. One lady from Malaysia named Baizura Muhammed seems to have cracked the cookie code with her recipe – posted on Facebook six months ago, it went nuts (pun intended) throughout Malaysia and Singapore for being the closest to the real thing yet. Love Wholesome has some theories as to why Madam Baizura could end up giving Famous Amos a run for its money if she plans to make a business out of it.

1. The cookie dough is made by hand

You may be better off making cookie dough by hand if you are new to baking cookies. While using a stand mixer will produce faster results, it is easy to over-mix if you are not careful. Over-mixed batter or dough, whether it is cake, biscuits, cookies or even bread, will break down the gluten structures in the flour. So your baked goodies will not rise or will even spread sideways, and your cookie will end up hard, dense, with not much crunch. The cookie dough comes together rather quickly, so you don’t need to go through the trouble of setting up a stand mixer for a process that takes about 10 minutes.

2. Butter at room temperature (or slightly colder)

Melted butter will produce a runny dough that is hard to work with. Do not melt the butter into a liquid with the microwave. Instead, take the butter out of the refrigerator and leave it to stand for about 20 minutes before using it. The butter must be softened with th

Well, Tiktok is at it again - giving us simple, delicious baking recipes that you can make in under an hour. This time, it's a jiggly, wobbly, sweet, and almost custard-like baked milk! With only four main ingredients, this recipe is an absolute breeze to make. Don't forget to factor in refrigeration time as this sweet milky mixture will need to harden before baking. : Recipe credits with some alterations Is Tiktok your new recipe guide? We've been taking some inspiration too. See our recipes for frozen prata egg tarts, cloud

Unlike an oven, this recipe by Push Button Kitchen calls on the rice cooker’s steaming function. Steaming allows your brownies to cook through, and creates that gooey texture we love and crave. Not to mention, it’s moist and delicious, and very, very much worth trying. You will need aluminium foil and cooking spray, as well as a brownie mix - any kind will do.

Almond milk is also a flavourful substitute for dairy milk in baked goods, and so is perfect for vegans or those who want to avoid dairy products. Its creamy consistency and rich taste make for delicious ice-cream, cakes, cookies and pastries. (Read more: How to make your own almond milk!) Homemade almond milk is the best substitute because its texture is the most similar to cow’s milk. This means you should get the same results and don’t have to tweak the recipe. It’s also the most suitable alternative for lattes and other milk coffees, as almost milk can with withstand high temperatures from steaming without producing a burnt taste. Below is a simple brownie recipe that uses almond milk. If you use cake mix kits, you can simply replace the amount of water specified with almond milk for tastier results.

Love all things chocolate? Us too. Check out this simple brownie recipe, super easy chocolate bread, banana-choco peanut cake, a decadent chocolate cake recipe, or how about a coffee-chocolate log cake?

Let’s say you have decided to make some brownies for a birthday party the next day. You bought the necessary ingredients from the supermarket and are getting ready to start mixing and baking. But something isn’t right. You sense that you have left something out of your shopping, and true enough, you have forgotten to buy the milk that your brownie recipe needs. Frankly, nobody wants to make a special trip down to the supermarket just to get some eggs or milk. So what can we use around the kitchen that are viable substitutes for common baking ingredients that will not make a noticeable difference in the end result? Let’s have a look at what can be substituted, what can’t, and what possible replacements there are.

Flour

Most baked goods require flour, and different recipes call for different types of flour. For instance, bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, as bread requires gluten for its open, airy crumb and its shape. Cake flour has lower gluten levels, so you can’t use it to make bread. If your recipe requires cake flour, it is possible to add two tablespoons of cornstarch to a cup (128 grams) of all-purpose flour, to make the cake denser. It is also possible to use all-purpose flour to replace bread flour, but your bread may end up less chewy. If this is your first few times baking, it is best to stick to what the recipe requires.

Milk

Baking requires full concentration and when we’re tired or moody, mistakes can happen. I forgot to add milk to my marble cake batter just last week. Luckily, nobody could taste the difference in the end result. Forgetting the milk does not turn out bland and lifeless cakes. It could taste a little dry but to most people, the wonderful aromas of a cake in the oven will mask the lack of milk. You could use any type of nut milk, coconut milk or even soy milk. You could also use heavy cream, sour cream or yoghurt – just dilute it with a little water before using it as these replacements