Collection: Baking Recipes

Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping, which packs in extra flour and can make baked goods dry. For the most consistent results, use a kitchen scale: one cup of all-purpose flour weighs about 120 to 125 grams.

Softened butter traps tiny air pockets when it's creamed with sugar, which helps cakes and cookies rise and stay tender. Cold eggs can make a creamed batter look curdled and bake up denser. Set butter and eggs out about 30 to 60 minutes before you start.

Not directly. Baking soda needs an acid like buttermilk, yogurt, or brown sugar to work, and it's about three times stronger than baking powder. In a pinch, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar can replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

The usual causes are butter that was too soft or melted, dough that got too warm, or baking sheets still hot from the last batch. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking and using cool baking sheets helps cookies hold their shape.

For cake, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the top should spring back when lightly pressed. For bread, an instant-read thermometer is the surest test: about 190°F for soft, enriched breads and 200 to 210°F for crusty loaves.