NO FRET!!
Every baker must begin somewhere..but alas! the science of baking interferes every single time. If you're an enthu, impatient baker like me you'll know exactly what I'm saying!
Hi! I'm Palak..an avid baker who happens to turn the kitchen into a lab every time I bake. Thanks to family and friends who've played guinea pig for every experiment, my years of baking has given way to some worthwhile bakes.
While baking truly is science clubbed with art and creativity, most of us as beginners focus on the latter two in order to whip up a beauty, or lets say I made that mistake more often than not as a beginner. With the internet as my guide and guru, especially since I'am an eggless baker self learning had its share of burnt cakes (even insects wouldn't eat..pests I tell you!), broken bowls, microwave in flames (not kidding) and needless to say lots of wasted ingredients. Of course looking back it was all worth it!
So, while I'll try and avoid sounding like a genius who knows it all (after all one can learn forever and still not be perfect), I would in fact try and make baking look less petrifying to those of you who have had failures and shrieking house mates run after them just like me!!
As clichéd as it may sound, and trust me I learnt it the hard way- one must stick to the recipe. As a beginner its important to get the basics right, (coz well..no cake no art!). So when all the 'How to bake a simple cake' recipe sites and blogs tell you to stick to the recipe...trust them..they mean it. Once I mastered the baking of a basic sponge cake life became so much easier.
That brings me to just HOW important those unassuming measuring cups and spoons are. Never thought those little rascals could be so revengeful! After all I never measured my chai patti (tea leaves) and sugar before brewing my tea! But then we are talking science here and exact measurements are more essential than the whole process of baking combined. Appreciate the grand importance of measurements and do not take it for granted..its the best boon ever.
Another hard lesson I learnt over several baking experiments was the significance of fresh ingredients. As a proud Indian one tends to use ingredients adorning our shelves and fridges for months, at least for our first time experiments, as we're pretty sure of going wrong and want to avoid wastage. Very faithful right? Nope! Brace yourself for this one- More often than not your bakes fail perhaps because of the use of old baking sodas/ baking powders, flour that is not so fresh, vanilla that has lost its flavor and vinegar that just wouldn't be itself when needed. Try and ensure all your ingredients are fresh when you bake...and VOILA! you'd have eliminated 60% chances of a failed bake!
Coming to the point where I was the proud recipient of the- 'Crockery breaker of the year' award. You may want to thank me for this tip later- Do not use 'microwave friendly' glass cookware for your baking. Unless you want glass chips instead of chocolate chips in your cake spare the à la mode crockery. Also as safe as you may want to play, avoid using silicone bakeware as a beginner, as it tends to mess up with the temperatures mentioned in the recipe since they heat faster. Using metal is always a good idea.
My final and most important tip for now, to all you bakers here is- Do not fear baking. No matter how many cakes you burn, how many muffins stay under baked and gooey, number of bowls that melt or break, ingredients that go right in the bin and disappointment strikes again and again..its all worth it in the end! This one is straight out of experience ;) Don't be afraid to take whisks! Oops risks. After all..super powers take time to develop!
I'll be happy to share some of my other tips, tricks, experiments and eggless baking recipes I follow. Till then..HAPPY BAKING!
P.S- Some of the recipe blogs I follow for some superb eggless baking:
