Baking Know-How
A Cake Tin Can Brown the Edges Before the Centre Is Ready
Cake-tin colour and material can change edge browning. Compare pans carefully before adjusting a recipe that used to work.
From the baking notebook
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Pastry Notes
Choux Pastry: Let the Dough Decide How Much Egg It Needs
Learn what to observe between egg additions in choux pastry, why a temporarily split mixture is normal, and when to stop before piping.
Cake Skills
Freeze Cake in Portions You Will Actually Serve
Plan cake portions, wrapping and labels before freezing so you can bring out what you need and follow the recipe’s thawing instructions.
Cake Skills
A Parchment Sling Makes the Last Step of Baking Easier
Fit a parchment sling to your baking pan so a cooled loaf or traybake can come out cleanly without awkward pulling or oversized paper.
Recipe skills
Half a Recipe, Half an Egg: Scale the Ingredients That Matter
Halve a baking recipe without guessing at eggs or losing track of small ingredients, and distinguish ingredient scaling from baking-time decisions.
Oven skills
The Oven Says 180°C. Your Cake May Tell a Different Story
Uneven cakes and dark cookie edges can reveal oven behaviour. Use temperature observations and a baking log before changing a reliable recipe.