Our Top 10 Baking Hacks

Baking wisdom straight from the kitchens of our amazing community: we're turning the spotlight on you guys for this one! We're uncovering the secrets, tips and tricks that make your bakes nothing short of extraordinary! Here are our Top 10 baking hacks from you!

"When covering your cake in frosting...Heat your metal smoother (under hot water) for a silky bubble-free finish 🎂" - @meetcutecakes_

This is a Colour Mill tried, tested and approved hack! Run your scraper under hot water before smoothing your buttercream. The warm tool will slightly melt the outer layer of the buttercream, reducing the drag of the buttercream and resulting in a more polished and shiny finish! Be careful not to overheat your tool as this can soften your buttercream too much!

"Don't be afraid of experimenting with flavours and good quality ingredients - sometimes those little details make you stand out in the crowd" - @sweet_events_by_mary

Good quality ingredients make all the difference in your baked goods! Be sure to invest in high-quality products to achieve the tastiest results. Don't be afraid to experiment with unusual flavour pairings and combos. Researching and staying on top of the current flavour trends is key here!

"Add cocoa powder to dark-coloured buttercream to help achieve a darker colour" - @bakesbyzaahira

We love this hack! Black cocoa powder is the perfect way to take your black buttercream to a whole other level. For best results, add Black Oil Blend and black cocoa powder to your buttercream to achieve a deep and rich black buttercream. When wanting to achieve a rich cocoa colour, Chocolate Oil Blend is the perfect pigment to create a super rich and velvety colour.

"When your cookies are still warm or fresh out of the oven, use a circle cutter to shape them nicely or a fondant smoother to gently flatten the tops." - @baked_by_imogen

We've been seeing a lot of this lately! When your cookies are fresh out of the oven, take a circle cookie cutter or a small bowl and place it over the warm cookie. Swirl around in a circular motion for a few seconds. This will re-shape them into the most perfectly round cookies!

"A little mixing of colours makes your cakes stand out" - @sweet_events_by_mary

Mix two or more pigments to achieve custom colours that are sure to make you stand out from the crowd! Understanding the colour theory is important as it will get you familiar with the relationship between colours and the fundamentals of colour mixing. Unleash your creativity and discover the endless possibilities of custom colours!

"Putting cake batter into a piping bag & piping it into cupcake cases = perfect cupcakes" - @katiescakesandbakesx

Goodbye, messy cupcake trays and ice cream scoops! Simply fill your piping bag with your cake batter and pipe it into your cupcake cases for a mess-free process. We recommend using 15-inch Piping Bags so you can jam-pack as much batter into your piping bag at once!

"Wrap cake pans with wet cloth or cake cooling strips to avoid domed cakes" - @nalascrib_

Forget about trimming your cake tops off and try this technique! Wrapping a wet cloth or cooling strips around your cake pan creates an even distribution temperature, promotes gentle heating and allows for a more consistent heat transfer to the sides of the cake pan. By slowing down the cooking process on the outer edges of the cake, it allows the centre of the cake to catch up, resulting in a more even baking process and less chance of getting a domed cake top.

"Use two piping bags - 1 for buttercream and 1 for the nozzle. Easy clean and quick nozzle change ❤️" - @sarah_chatburn89

This hack is a true time-saver and minimises a messy kitchen:

1. Fill one piping bag with buttercream and snip the end off.

2. With another piping bag, add the piping tip of your choice and cut the tip of the piping bag off so that the tip comes out at the end.

3. Place the buttercream-filled piping bags inside the piping bag with the piping tip.

This allows for an easy exchange for either a new piping tip or changing to different coloured buttercreams.

"Trust the process of cake making. Make sure every layer is cooled properly before decorating." - @__bbakes__

Good things come to those who wait (including a perfectly frosted cake)! Before stacking and decorating your cake, make sure all cake layers have completely cooled. Because of the butter in buttercream, applying it to a warm cake will not only soften the buttercream ruining its stability and structure, but it will also cause a crumby mess!

"Add a little salt to your chocolate batter as it compliments the flavour! 🤌🏼" - @reginasbakes

Adding salt to your chocolate cake batter or buttercream enhances the flavour in several ways. Salt has the ability to balance and enhance sweetness and can also mask the bitterness of dark chocolate or cocoa powder. Salt is known for enhancing the overall flavour of food, and adding just a touch to your choccy mixture will heighten the chocolate flavour, intensifying its richness and depth.