Equipment and Tools Before you start baking, there are a few essential things you need and then there are some tools which are not must-have but more a nice-to-have to make your baking journey easier. I have listed only the essentials based on my opinion and experience.
An Oven – although there are methods to make cake without an oven like this pressure cooker cakes, this microwave cake recipe and this steamed chocolate cake, baking in an oven is still the most conventional and convenient methods to bake a cake Electric beater – while this is not completely mandatory and there are lots of cake recipes you can successfully follow without an electric beater or stand mixer, it’s good to have one to aerate your batter more. Invest in a basic handheld one for a start and see how you go. This is a good option to get started Other tools – here’s a post detailing the baking essentials for beginner bakers which includes mixing bowls, spatula, measuring cups and spoons, etc with pictures
A kitchen scale is a good idea once you bake for a while and realise you enjoy it. Weighing ingredients is usually more preferable as it’s more accurate and less prone to mistakes like scooping too much flour, or not using a level measure when using a cup, etc. I am often lazy to weigh my ingredients when baking a basic cake but have definitely found that I get more consistent results when I weigh ingredients. In fact, my mom used to even weigh eggs when baking because if you are using, say, an American cake recipe, the size of their eggs may be larger so if the recipe calls for 2 eggs, we may need to add 3 Indian eggs. Recipes The recipes you choose to make cake in your early days of baking will really define your success and failure. Pick one that’s basic, a single layer, a flavour you and your family/friends like, and doesn’t need frosting or any fancy techniques. Pin Basic cake recipes for beginners
Tuffi frutti cake (picture above) Lemon diva cake One bowl chocolate cake Orange cake Marble cake Basic pound cake
If you are wondering how to make cake without eggs, then check out this post for a list of eggless cake recipes and here are some cupcake recipes if you want to try them. Pin 8 Things to Keep in Mind When You Bake Cakes Other topics in the Basics of Baking series:
How to choose an oven How to preheat an oven Baking essentials for beginners Pressure cooker cake
I’ll be back with more baking 101 for the basics of baking series, so stay tuned! If you enjoyed this post on how to make cake: baking 101 and would like to see more, please leave a comment below and share with your friends on social media. I appreciate the support! For tips and tricks on how to make cake in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Malayalam, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar. Please note this post on how to make cake contains affiliate links. I only endorse or recommend products I believe are good.
