3 Baking Tips from the Cake Mix Doctor

[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi, “Guideposts.” I’m Anne Byrn, the Cake Mix Doctor. Throughout my career and my life as a mom, I have baked hundreds, maybe 1,000 cakes. And I’m going to share with you three of my favorite baking tips. The first one is to read through the recipe. Believe it or not, a lot of people don’t read the recipe. And you don’t have the right ingredients. You don’t preheat the oven to the right temperature. You don’t get the right measuring cups out. And so things don’t work in the recipe. Read the recipe first. 

Second tip is to know how your oven bakes. Does it bake cold? Does it bake hot? Have it checked by an appliance repair person, and then you can always get an oven thermometer from the grocery store or hardware store. Stick it in the oven and see if it’s the right temperature. Cakes that are not baked at the right temperature tend to be too pale, or they’re too brown. 

And my third baking tip is to use your senses to tell when a cake is done. Leave the oven light on and use your eyes. Look in there. A light colored cake is going to turn golden when it’s ready to come out of the oven. Chocolate’s a little bit more difficult. You have to use your nose. Sometimes chocolate just smells done. And then use your touch. You can actually open the oven door, put your fingertips on the top of a cake that’s nearly done, and press. And if it springs back lightly, it’s done. I’m Anne Byrn, the Cake Mix Doctor. Happy baking! 

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