General Discussion

Every one in my family is a phenomenal baker but i'm not so good at it. I love to bake i want to be a baker
so i thought i would need some help so if you have any baking tips i would love to see them!

@Burningstar

Whenever I'm baking a cake, I pour the batter into the cake pan and then tap the pan on the countertop several times to get rid of any air bubbles that may be hanging around in the batter.

Also, I'd recommend watching a lot of Rosanna Pansino's "Nerdy Nummies" videos. A lot of them involve baking and she has some good tips for baking too!

@candlelit97

Thank you so much and i watch Rosanna Pansino all the time shes one of my favorites as long as Yolanda Gampp's "How To Cake It" videos.

@Burningstar
-Remember that every recipe can be altered, but recognizing how it works helps. All this eventually turns into learning how to make your own recipes from scratch. This knowledge usually comes from a lot of trial and error/experience. And probably some reading.
-Baking has a lot of science behind it, but it's not always an exact science. Duds happen, some mortally embarassing. Don't be discouraged.
-If your oven runs hot, either adjust time or temp accordingly. I know this from experience, mine runs extremely hot but I wouldn't have it any other way. You should probably check this if your family doesn't know the answer about how your oven runs. Here's one method: http://fatdaddios.com/inspiration/it-really-350°-f-my-oven
-Don't be afraid to do mad science experiments in your oven, sometimes they turn out awesome. Just don't try and turn it into a giant robot.

-Don't make your parents angry, scrub your dishes.

@Candlelit97

Gah! Please stop doing that! Cake recipes are designed to PUT air into the batter so that your cake will be light and fluffy. If you tap the pan on the counter, you will end up with a dense and tough cake.

@Burningstar
General baking tips are hard to give since every recipe is different. The best advice I can give to a starting baker is to follow the recipe. Measure your ingredients carefully. Read each recipe twice BEFORE you start.

You said that your family members are good at baking. Ask for a lesson! Pick a recipe that sounds good and bake together. It's an excellent way to bond. I learned from my mother and grandmother. My sister and I would bake together growing up too when we got older. We still bond over new recipes even though we live far apart.

Don't bake desserts on the top rack. Always put them on the middle rack of the oven to prevent it from burning the top! I also always put the dessert pan on a nonstick baking sheet since it'll bake more evenly than putting it directly on the rack. You can get something similar using a water bath in a deeper pan (And some recipes require this).

Also to check if a cake is done I always use a toothpick. Stick it in the center of the cake and if of comes out clean (no batter stuck to it) then the cake is done! Of course you dont want to overcook the cake so I usually test it a little bit before the timer goes off.

Also also! Temper your chocolate. Melt it in a bowl over hot water on the stove so it doesn't seize. If you cant do that then you can microwave it in short intervals (like 30 seconds MAX) with stirring inbetween.

These are just some common things that I know. Definitely ask your family for baking tips, and if you can bake with them that's even better! Most of what I know is just from watching my mom for so many years.

Edit: and it's always good to get an oven thermometer. My oven is less than a year old so it heats accurately, but i still have a separate thermometer inside so I know for sure! You can get a cheap one for a couple dollars that hangs on the rack. You can even use it to find if there are certain hot or cool spots in your oven if it heats unevenly. It's nifty to have.