Whether you are an avid baker or just a beginner, you will love these brilliant baking tips and tricks! These hacks will save time, money, and clean up next time you are baking so you can enjoy it even more. I searched all over to find the best baking tips and tricks I think you’ll love.
1. Put bread slices on the ends of a sliced cake to keep it fresh.
There is always leftover cake, but how do you keep it as moist and fresh as when you first cut into it? Secure sliced bread to the exposed ends using toothpicks. The bread will get stale, but the cake will remain soft and fresh. (via Tidy Mom)
2. To give your icing a glossy finish, use your hair dryer.
Put your hair dryer on a low, warm setting to slightly melt the icing and give it an amazing sheen. (via This Week for Dinner)
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3. Use a colander to hold your cake pops or truffles while they dry.
Ever wondered how you could let cake pops or truffles dry without having a flat side where it laid? Well, here’s a hack on how to do it using a colander you already have in your kitchen! (via Iowa Girl Eats)
4. Use aluminum foil to resize your baking tray or tart pan.
Ever been reading a recipe that calls for a different size baking tray then you have and you panic that you are going to have to run to the store? Well, you don’t have to. Instead, you can use an aluminum foil border that you can expand to create a one size fits all baking tray. (via Food52)
5. Store cookies with a slice of bread to keep them soft.
I don’t know about you, but I want my cookies to be super soft and chewy. So, to keep them as soft as when they are freshly baked, you can store them with a slice of bread. (via The Krazy Coupon Lady)
6. Use a paper plate as a splatter shield when using your hand mixer.
All you have to do is poke holes in a paper plate and stick the beaters through them before attaching to the mixer. It’s quick and easy and will save you some cleanup and laundry challenges. (via SELF)
7. Use a toothpick to create a guide before writing on a cake.
We’ve all been there. You are piping “Happy Birthday” on a cake and it’s all going well until you realize you don’t have room to fit the whole word or it is going to be off center! Save yourself the hassle and trace where each letter goes using a toothpick. (via Lauren Conrad)
8. Use a cookie cutter as a sprinkles stencil to decorate your cake like a pro.
There’s something very special and thoughtful about a homemade birthday cake, but the decorating can be tricky. This hack makes in a breeze, though! The cookie cutter acts as a stencil to create whatever shape or number you’d like. Then, if you want to make sure it stays put, you can spray it with warm sugar water to set it in place. (via Reddit)
9. Use marshmallows as an easy icing alternative.
Icing can be a bit of a hassle to make and dirties one more bowl. If you’re looking for a quick alternative or are making a S’more cupcake, use a marshmallow instead! Simply top each cupcake with a marshmallow 5 minutes before they are finished baking. (via Toni Spilsbury)
10. Keep all your chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom by coating them in flour first.
If you are baking with chocolate chips, you may notice that they all seem to sink to the bottom. Well, to keep them from sinking, you can coat them in flour first. This hack also works for chopped up nuts and other baking add-ins. (via Cake Whiz)
11. Use mason jar lids to hold cupcake liners…
Don’t have a
muffin tin? This is a perfect alternative. (via The Kitchn) Now, if you don’t have cupcake liners, stay tuned for one of our baking tips and tricks coming up below.
…or to make mini pies
I love mini desserts. They are just adorable and they allow you to indulge without going overboard. These mini cakes that are baked using mason car lids are the cutest! You can even use jam as the filling.
I am constantly amazed at just how versatile a mason jar is – it can be used for just about anything! Check out our kitchen hacks post for even more ideas. Keep thinking you need to buy some mason jars? Quickly order some off Amazon here.
12. Don’t have a rolling pin? Use a wine bottle in a pinch.
Simply sandwich your dough between sheets of plastic wrap and use a wine bottle to roll out your dough. (via Real Simple)
13. Make your own 3-ingredient colored fondant.
All you need is powdered sugar, Jell-O, and marshmallows to easily make your own fondant at home. (via Instructables)
14. For easy cleanup, make cupcake batter in the blender.
For a quick & easy way to bake cupcakes, simply mix everything in your blender. Then, easily pour into the cupcake liners, rinse, and stick in the dishwasher. Done! (via The Hedonista)
15. Use unflavored dental floss to evenly slice cake or baked goods.
This baking tip is especially helpful for the difficult task of cutting cake layers in half:
Make sure to stock some unflavored floss in your kitchen as well as your bathroom. It is sure to come in handy when cutting cakes, cinnamon rolls, and cookie dough. This may not be what your dentist had in mind when he told you to put your floss to good use, but hey it is pretty brilliant!
16. Use a potato peeler and a chocolate bar to make a gourmet chocolate garnish.
This may be my favorite of the baking tips and tricks. The chocolate peel garnish looks so fancy and it couldn’t be easier! I can’t wait to use this on my next homemade dessert. (via Krazy Coupon Lady)
17. Create edible cookie ice cream bowls using a muffin tin.
This is like the sourdough bread bowl of desserts. Both are great on their own, but so much better together. This delicious cookie bowl also has the added benefit of helping you control your ice cream portion without thinking. Your muffin tin seen better days? Pick up one for less than $5 here. (via Dreyer’s)
18. If you don’t have cupcake liners, use parchment paper instead.
I actually like the look of these parchment paper muffin liners even better! They look like they are straight from the bakery. (via The Kitchn)
19. Use this magic cake pan release for perfect bundt cakes every time.
Leave no crumb behind with this genius homemade cake pan release using just 3 ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. (via If You Give a Blonde A Kitchen)
Speaking of nonstick baking hacks, if you haven’t picked up a set of silpats yet, they are a must have for any baker.
20. Use masking tape on any container to level spoons without the mess.
With baking, it is so important to make all of your measurements precise. So, an easy way to do this is to add a scoop scraper to your dry ingredient containers using masking tape in just seconds. (via The Kitchn)
21. Avoid the mess and easily fill up your piping bag using a cup.
It can get messy when you are filling up a pastry bag with icing because it can stick to the sides and you end up wasting some of it. Instead, use a cup to easily fill your pastry bag every time. (via Creations by Kara)
22. Wet your finger before fishing for a stray eggshell piece to easily remove it.
Ever try to fish out eggshell and it seems like it takes forever chasing it around. Well, this trick lets you fish it out in the fraction of the time by simply wetting your finger. (via BrightSide)
23. Dust your cakes or cupcakes with powdered sugar sprinkled through lace.
Your guests will be blown away by these lace cupcakes that look so elegant and difficult to make. However, in reality, they are beyond easy! All you need is to sift powdered sugar through a piece of lace that acts as a stencil to create this gorgeous design. (via Sweet Verbena)
24. Use a heating pad to make frozen dough rise faster.
Rather than wait all day for your dough to rise, use this brilliant hack to have homemade bread ready in a fraction of the time using a heating pad. (via Lifehacker)
What to Read Next: 31 Best Kitchen Hacks Nobody Told You About
Hope you enjoyed these baking tips and tricks and at least one or two of them were new to you. What other life hacks posts what you like to see next?
