26 Seriously Useful Baking Tips You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner

"Not only does it save your pans, but it cuts cleaning time in half and I personally think that the mat makes the cookies bake much more evenly."

Submitted by Ashley Steidl, Facebook.

"If you wait for them to 'cook all the way through' then they'll break your teeth!"

Submitted by Izzy Guille, Facebook.

"This prevents all the bits from sinking to the bottom and ensures you’ve got an even distribution of flavour."

Submitted by missmadiejean.

"When I make muffins or cupcakes, I use a small ice cream scoop to fill the liners. It gives me perfect proportions every time."

Submitted by cici10.

"The flavour is more similar to using a real vanilla bean, and you get those little black vanilla seeds as proof of how fancy you and your cake/frosting/whatever you’re making is."

Submitted by kristineAB.

"When measuring flours, don’t scoop with your measuring cup. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife."

Submitted by caitlinb4ee9da6bc.

"By getting recipes with the ingredients in grams or pounds, you will see more exactness in your final products."

Submitted by cawthonkristen.

"People always assume that because it's a dessert it doesn't need salt — I can't stress enough that salt is the missing ingredient in so many dishes! "

Submitted by anissam481196c7c.

"When recipes call for chilled butter (pie crust, biscuits, and the like), grate the butter ahead of time and put it in the freezer for an hour or so before incorporating it into the recipe. Since it's already quite cold and in itty-bitty pieces, you'll handle it less which will prevent the butter from melting and it keeps the fat molecules intact, resulting in flakier pastries."

Submitted by Casey Austin, Facebook.

"They’ll break if you take them out the tin too early and the frosting will melt right off. Basically, let those babies rest for a good 30 minutes before attempting anything".

Submitted by rattlethestars.

"I know it seems like such a superfluous, tiny step, but it really does create a world of difference in the quality of your final cake, pie, bread, or whatever other goodie you are making. I used to think that I was not that great with baking, but once I started taking little, easy, quality assurance steps, like sifting flour, or making sure things were baking at the right temperature, my baking really transformed into something."

Submitted by jakem4fe1d7527.

"You’re technically supposed to replace baking soda every month, but if you don’t want to or forget, just add a bit more baking soda than your recipe calls for. Seems simple, but before I knew this, I could never figure out why my cookies kept coming out flat!"

Submitted by natalied47cd09933.

"Very rarely should you ever mix a dough or batter until all of the lumps are gone. Most recipes say “until incorporated” and they mean just that."

Submitted by sarahjanealetam.

"One of the biggest mistakes that new bakers make is not going far enough when creaming the butter and sugar. You want it to turn out pale and fluffy. A lot of beginners only blend it until it’s just combined and still very yellow and gritty."

Submitted by shortyellowcape.

"It’s a great use for the ends of the loafs that no one wants to eat! It works best if you put a small piece of plastic wrap between the bread and cookies, so they don’t get too soft."

Submitted by suet4b291b6c6.

"It will get the big air bubbles out of the batter."

Submitted by kimr4ac3db893.

"It doesn’t make them taste like coffee — it just makes the chocolate taste more like chocolate."

Submitted by northernredwood.

"If pieces stick to the toothpick, it’s not ready yet! Better to set a timer for less than what the recipe says and have to wait a few more minutes than risk over baking and turning everything dry and sad."

Submitted by andromeda7794.

"Just do it people. It is painless and it will make your cookies so so so SO much better."

Submitted by elizabakes.

"Temperature is everything! If the recipe says softened butter – it means soft, as in room temperature. Same goes for cold ingredients. When you’re making any kind of dough that needs to be flaky, make sure everything is super cold. "

Submitted by katem4a15af294.

"When using melting chocolate, add a drop of liquified coconut oil to thin the chocolate and make it more manageable for coating baked goods or making candy. Be sure to add only a drop or two at a time, adding more if needed – being careful not to add too much."

Submitted by whodatv504.

"When making a sponge cake, weigh your eggs and then use that same weight of flour, sugar, and butter."

Submitted by Beth Alice Wood, Facebook.

"It keeps the butter from melting as much in the oven, and thus your cookies or pie crust pieces keep their shape better."

Submitted by Robyn Davis, Facebook.

"If you have trouble finding a warm and dry place in your house for dough to rise, preheat your oven to 200°F (just over 90°C, or 70°C on a fan assisted oven), turn it off, and put the dough in the oven to rise. This works perfectly for me every time!"

Submitted by Abbie Smith, Facebook.

"If you are making whipped cream for a baked item, be sure to refrigerate the beaters from your hand mixer and a metal bowl to whip the cream in. If they are cold, your cream will whip faster!"

Submitted by madelinet47212520d.