Kek asks: If I would like to substitute butter for oil in a cake recipe (whether it be from scratch or a box mix), how do I do a proper measurement conversion from working with oil to working with butter?
Baking S.O.S. says: Butter measures the same (by volume and by weight) regardless of what form [...]
Beth asks: I love to bake, but mostly stick to the basics. On occasion, I want to try a recipe that calls for bread flour or self-rising flour. Is there something I can add to all-purpose flour as a substitute?
Baking S.O.S. says: You CAN substitute all-purpose flour for self-rising flour with the following adjustments: For [...]
Anthea asks: Regarding flour for cakes: what’s better to use, all-purpose or self-rising? I baked humming bird cake recently with self-rising flour + baking powder (no baking soda). The cake ended up play dough-ish. I live in Australia, and my local supermarket doesn’t sell/stock all-purpose flour. How does one make all-purpose flour?
Baking S.O.S. says: I [...]
Quick Tip of the Day: If you don’t have time to make frosting and decorate sugar cookies with elaborate icing techniques, try using colored sugar sprinkles instead. To help the sugar sprinkles adhere to the cookies, lightly spritz the unbaked cookies with water from a spray bottle, then sprinkle with colored sugars. This will help [...]
Cut-out sugar cookies
Andrea asks: I am looking for any tips or advice on sugar cookie cut-outs. Whenever I make these, the cookies spread so much in the oven that the shapes become puffy-looking. Is there anything I can do to keep the shapes cleaner?
Baking S.O.S. says: There are a number of things [...]
Marcia asks: I just purchased a biscotti pan made by Chicago Metallic. It came with a recipe that I wasn’t crazy about: It used oatmeal and advised you to form a loaf and place it in the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
From going to different recipe sites for biscotti, some say to shape into [...]
Barb asks: Why is it when I make English Toffee, after cooling in the refrigerator, the chocolate wafers that I melt on top of the caramel and spread smooth…ends up separating off the caramel entirely when I break it into pieces? I waste so much each year. Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated.
Baking S.O.S. [...]
Dee says: Hi BakingSOS, I desperately need some help. I have tried to bake the Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake for my mom because she loves chocolate. I have tried this recipe to a T for 3 times, and the cake turns out heavy, wet, rubbery and absolutely disappointing. On the website, the cakes looks [...]
Nina asks: I love decorating cookies but I am concerned about the additives in food dye, especially for children. Have you had any experience or do you know of any “natural” food dyes?
Baking S.O.S. says: Good question, Nina. There is growing concern about the effects of artificial food dyes as we learn more about its [...]
Chef Asata asks: I don’t bake. What is the interchangeability of baking powder and baking soda? Can I substitute one for the other?
Baking S.O.S. says: It’s interesting you asked this question. My first class in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales was Beginning Baking, and we had to write a research paper on something related [...]