Category: #cupcakehour baking tips

#cupcakehoue baking tips

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tips on the perfect sorbet

Therein lies the golden rule of great sorbet: start with good fruit and don’t screw it up

Sugar doesn’t just sweeten sorbet—it’s also responsible for sorbet’s structure

When you dissolve sugar in water you get a syrup with a lower freezing point than water alone

Remember the golden rule of sorbet? Use good fruit. No, scratch that—use the best fruit you can find

Fruit high in pectin (berries, stone fruit, and grapes) or fiber (mangoes, pears, and bananas) are high in viscosity and full of body

That’s because pectin and fiber act as thickeners

Also pay attention to how much sugar your chosen fruit brings to a sorbet. Sweet strawberry purée needs less added sugar than tart lemon juice

Four cups fruit purée to one cup sugar. That’s really all you need to know

You’ll also have to add acid (lemon or lime juice are best) and salt to taste

This ratio is simply a starting point; use your own taste as your ultimate guide

cooking fruit concentrates flavor, drives off water for a creamier final texture

But when I make sorbet I want it to taste like nothing but fresh fruit at its absolute best

#cupcakehour baking tips

macroons

Use a Mat: If you can, buy a Moule Macaron, a silicon mat designed specifically for making macarons

Coloured Macarons: For coloured macarons, use food colouring paste not a liquid; using a liquid alters the macaron texture

Chocolate macarons are slightly different find a good recipe for it

Be Prepared: Weigh and measure all your ingredients before you start and always sieve the icing sugar and the ground almond

Clean and Sparkly: Use egg whites that are a few days old and at room temperature. Before whisking make sure your whisk and bowl are sparkling clean and grease free

Slowly Does it: Don’t add all the sugar to the egg whites in one go, in three parts is usually best. Whisk the egg whites really, really well, they should be so stiff you can turn the bowl upside down, and they will not fall out

Do not be heavy-handed: When mixing the almond / icing sugar to the beaten egg whites, use a slim spatula and fold quickly and gently

Less is More: Use a simple round nozzle in your piping bag, anything fancier is a waste of time

Tap and Wait: Once piped, tap the baking sheet sharply on the work top to remove any air bubbles and to help the mixture settle

Waft, Waft: Half way through cooking, open the oven door and quickly waft it a few times to allow any steam to escape

#cupcakehour baking tips

this week its all about choux pastry

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Bring the liquid just to a full boil: Cut the butter into pieces so that it will melt completely by the time the liquid just hits a full boil

Add the flour right away and all at once so that you don’t boil off too much liquid

Cook the dough: When the mass of dough comes together in the pan it will look a bit like mashed potatoes, but it’s important to continue to cook it for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat

You’ll know it’s ready when it really cleans the side of the pan and a thin dry film forms on the bottom of the pan

the cooking process also helps break down the starch and develop the gluten

Cool the dough slightly before adding the eggs: If you add the eggs right away, the hot dough will cook them

Add the eggs one at a time: Don’t overwhelm the dough with all the eggs at once

Add them one at a time and beat the mixture until each egg is incorporated before adding the next

However many eggs your recipe calls for, add all but one of them, then test the dough

Form even-sized mounds: The easiest way to form consistent mounds is to use a pastry bag with a large plain tip

bake the puffs with a pan of hot water on the bottom of the oven

#cubcakehour icing tips

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1. Your icing will dry out very quickly so it is important to work quickly to avoid your icing becoming cracked and difficult to use 

 

2. When you are not using your icing (even for a minute) put it in a plastic bag or cover it with vinyl to avoid it drying out 

 

Cool your hands under cold water and keep your corn flour to a light sprinkle. 

 

Weather will affect your fondant icing – humidity will make the icing sticky and very cold weather will make it as hard as rock

NEVER EVER refrigerate your icing when it is on a cake. Fondant will sweat in the fridge 

 

Your excess fondant icing is best stored in a sealed bag or container 

 

Always work the icing in small amounts and try and get above your icing when you knead it on the bench 

 

Never cover a cake straight from the fridge. To achieve a professional finish only cover cakes at room temperature 

 

Never use icing that is too dry or over kneaded. This will make the corners crack very easily

    

 

When making dark colours (such as red, black, brown, purple) make them the day before so the icing has time to relax and rest.

#CUPCAKEHOUR BAKING TIPS

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1. Check that the shelves in your oven are in the correct position before turning on your oven. Bake your cake on the middle shelf, with the top of the cake sitting in the centre of the oven 

 

Make sure the oven has reached the required preheated temperature before you bake your cake. Every oven is different, but most will reach the correct temperature in about 15-20 minutes.

 
 

Always measure your ingredients accurately. If you don’t have any measuring cups and spoons,

 
 

Bring ingredients such as butter and eggs to room temperature before using them. This will make them easier to incorporate into the mixture and the batter will be less likely to curdle or separate during beating

 
 

Use the tin size and the quantities of ingredients stated in the recipe – getting it right is essential for success

 
 

. Opt for a stand mixer when beating and whisking the cake batter – it’s the easiest method. A hand-held electric beater is also a good option, but it will take slightly longer to bring the mixture to the desired consistency

    

 

Don’t crack eggs directly into the batter or you may drop eggshells in it. Instead, simply crack them into a cup, then add to the batter. If you get a small piece of eggshell in the cup, scoop it out with another piece of eggshell – it acts like a magnet

    

 

Line your cake tin neatly – it’s essential for a good-looking cake

 
 

To test if your cake is cooked, pull out the oven rack halfway towards you and insert a skewer into the centre. Insert it all the way to the base of the tin, ensuring you don’t place it through a crack in the cake. Gently remove the skewer – the cake is cooked when it comes out clean

    

chef noel

stand your cake in the tin for five minutes after baking, then turn it out onto a wire rack, right-side up, to cool completely

#cupcakehour baking tips

flour

1 baking with flour is all about gluten alot for bread not much for cakes

2 if using an American recipe you will need less liquid our flour has more moisture

3 white flour is easier to store the oils in whole wheat go rancid

4 canadian flour is considered the best in the world

5 mix flour with cold water before adding to hot liquid

6 store white flour in air tight containers

7 wheat flour shoukd be refrigerated or frozen

8 when using whole wheat flour let the batter before baking

9 if using coconut flour you need less flour(1/3) but much more liquid

chocolate tips

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Chocolate is best kept between 13 & 15 c

Do not store chocolate in a fridge

Chocolate absorbs strong smells keep away from anything strong smelling Properly wrapped & stored it will last for a year

To tempure chocolate bring it to 43c no higher If dipping fruit in chocolate it must be clean and dry first

If moulding chocolate make sure the mould is at room temperature

If icing a cake with chocolate never chill below 10c Dry all untinles completely water causes chocolate to go lumpy

 

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