Top Baking Questions Answered

Marge Perry, the voice of culinary wisdom behind our "Ask the Expert" franchise, is an award-winning food writer and instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City.  Read on for her expert advice on the most common questions about baking substitutions, freezing cookie dough, and how to prevent a cake from sinking in the middle.

When you want to increase yield in recipes for cakes, muffins, cookies and other baked goods, you should be mathematically precise when you double (or triple) the ingredients, but not the cooking times. When you double the batter....How do I double or triple a recipe?

Baking in a glass is different than baking in metal. The heat distribution in a glass pan is very uniform, but metal conducts heat better, so...What's the difference between baking in a glass versus metal pan?

A 13 x 9-inch baking ban is just about equal to two 9-inch round cake pans in volume, so the amount of batter should be about right for a sheet cake pan. If you double your recipe you will have enough batter for two 13 x 9-inch sheet cakes.The depth of both size pans is about the same (2 inches) so the baking times will be fairly similar...Can I use a layer cake recipe to make a sheet cake?

Baking powder and baking soda are both leaveners: that is, both help baked goods rise.Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is four times as strong as baking powder and is actually...What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?

A cake that puffs up as it bakes and deflates as it cools has usually had air beaten into the batter too quickly or vigorously. Here are a few tips to prevent sinking cakes...What causes my cake to sink?

For cakes, muffins and other quick breads, and tarts that have fruit, toss the fruit with just enough flour to coat it well before you add it to the batter. Also, the lighter the pieces are, the less likely they are to sink through the batter...How can I keep berries and raisins from sinking to the bottom of cakes and muffins?

Don't be worried about that gray–white cloudy covering on your chocolate called "bloom." It's simply the result of being stored for a while at a somewhat warm temperature...What is the gray coating on the surface of my baking chocolate?

To keep chocolate from burning, take it away from the heat before it's completely melted, and keep stirring until it is. When you melt chocolate on the stovetop, place it...How can I prevent chocolate from burning when I ment it?

When you add warm melted chocolate to cold cream, it instantly hardens. Either melt the chocolate with the liquid...How can I prevent chocolate from hardening when I add it to cream?

Unsweetened chocolate, as its name indicates, contains absolutely no added sugar, while bittersweet chocolate has anywhere from about 10% to 50% sugar. Because of the difference in sugar content, these two types of chocolate are not interchangeable in recipes...Can I substitute unsweetened chocolate for bittersweet chocolate?

Nearly all kinds of cookie doughs freeze well for up to three months. Form the dough into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic...Does all cookie dough freeze well?

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, for three to five days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, freeze the dough...How long can I keep cookie dough in the fridge before baking?

Before substituting oil for butter in a cake, cookie, or pie recipe, it's important to understand what each does and does not contribute to the outcome.Can you substitute oil for butter or margarine when baking?

Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. To make your own, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt...What can I substitute for self-rising flour?

When you're making quick breads and muffins you can use frozen egg substitute: one-fourth cup of egg substitute is equal to...What can I substitute for eggs when baking?

To use honey in place of 1 cup of sugar, use 2 tablespoons less honey, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and reduce another liquid in the recipe by...Can I substitute honey for sugar?