Baking is fun but it can also be tedious. And let’s face it, many of us simply bake to eat whatever it is that we set out to bake. There isn’t much pressure when all you really care about is stuffing your face with delicious sweets!

But if you find yourself baking for others or large groups, you don’t want to waste any unnecessary time fiddling with mundane things such as panicking that you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge because they need to be room temperature for the recipe.

Fear the kitchen no more. We’re here to help! Here are some baking hacks that hopefully make your time in the kitchen much easier and a bit more fun!

1) Jello-O for food coloring

Need to frost your dessert but forgot the food coloring? Try using Jell-O! It’ll add a bit of a fruity flavor to the frosting as well. You can find the recipe here.

2) Wine bottle rolling pin

If you’re short a rolling pin, use a wine bottle instead! The neck of the bottle makes it easy to grip in order to roll it. Just be careful!

3) Keep your cake moist

Simply, place a slice of bread on top of your unfrosted cake while it’s cooling. It will keep the cake from drying out.

4) Breadcrumbs keep the cake from sticking

Just sprinkle some fine breadcrumbs onto the bottom of the pan. When you’ve finished baking, it should slide right out! Also, breadcrumbs are a great alternative to flour!

5) Powdered sugar designs using lace

If you don’t have frosting, you can use lace to create cool designs for your desserts. Just place the lace on top of the baked item. Then pour a small coating of powdered sugar over it.

6) DIY Buttermilk

There are a ton of baked goods that call for buttermilk. But unless you bake a lot, chances are it’s not in your kitchen. To make your own buttermilk just mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar with a cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

If you don’t have vinegar, you can use a lemon.

7) Keep brown sugar soft

It’s so easy for brown sugar to become rock solid. But don’t fret, there’s a simple solution. Simply put it in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish. Then cover it with a wet paper towel. Microwave it for 20 seconds. It should be much softer now.

8) Make powdered sugar

Does your recipe call for powdered sugar but you don’t have any? You can simply make some! Add 1 cup of regular sugar to a food processor or blender along with 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Then lightly pulse it a few times. Do this until it reaches the desired consistency of powdered sugar!

9) Get rid of air bubbles

Air bubbles can ruin a perfectly smooth batter. To prevent it, hit your pan of batter on the countertop a few times before baking. It should force the air bubbles out of the batter.

10) Avoid sticking

It’s annoying when you’re trying to do nice shapes but the dough constantly sticks to your cookie-cutter! All you have to do is dip your cookie-cutter into flour. It should slice right through the dough! Don’t be shy here. You want the cookie-cutter to be nicely coated.

11) Room temperature eggs

Many baking recipes call for the eggs to be room temperature. But if you’re like me and forget to take them out, just place the uncracked eggs in warm water. Not boiling water! Let them sit for a few minutes and you’re ready to go.

12) Bake the perfect cheesecake

To make sure your cake is baked evenly throughout, take the internal temperature with a cooking thermometer. Once the outside reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit, you can shut the oven off. The heat from the outside should continue cooking the interior.

There you have it! Those 12 tips should be a start on making baking in the kitchen a little less tedious and a lot more fun!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Home Hacks