General baking tips from The Cupcake Nerd

Okay, here's a few pieces of advice that I've gotten along the way in my baking adventures that are not as commonly known as they should be:

1. Yeast: the liquid you activate active dry yeast in should be between 105 and 115 degrees F or you will ruin the yeast and your dough will not rise.  A thermometer is a must.

2. Eggs: should be a room temp. when baking: since we don't have "farm fresh eggs" we tend to refrigerate them and this can change the effects of a recipe (such as make it curdle, as can cold milk).  So when you pull your butter out to room temp., pull the eggs out too!  Brown eggs or farm fresh are preferred.

3. Vanilla: you can never add too much vanilla.  I'm very guilty of even doubling or more the vanilla in most recipes.  Also, quality does matter.  I guarantee you'll be able to taste the difference between store brand imitation vanilla and organic Madagascar vanilla.

4. Flour: self rising has the rising and salt agents in it already, you cannot substitute all purpose for self rising.  Cake flour has a different texture all together and is hard to find.  Try either the flour section or, oddly enough, the cake mix section in supermarkets.  Wheat flour is a great substitute in recipes but don't substitute all of it or your dough won't bind correctly.  I recommend about a half substitution.

5. Butter: margarine is NOT okay to substitute if the recipe calls for butter.  You will taste a difference.  When using cold butter for biscuits or crusts the Kitchenaid stand mixer is capable of blending it into the dry ingredients if you don't have a food processor.  And the organic stuff tastes the best!

6. Sugar: superfine sugar dissolves better into cake batter, but if you're using a stand mixer then you really can just use regular sugar.  Sugar in the Raw is my preferred regular sugar thanks to Ashley who loves to use it and Caitlin who can't eat the white, overly processed sugar.  Sugar in the Raw can easily be substituted for white sugar, and tastes a whole lot better.  Brown sugar: the darker, the more moisture it can hold, so better for cookies, but you might need a wire sieve because the molasses in it can make it clump.  Light brown sugar makes for a richer flavor in recipes and I love including it.

Those are my best starting tips for now.  Check back later for more or feel free to ask questions about anything I haven't covered!