5 Quick and Easy Fall Baking Tips
I am getting ready for baking season and love making quick breads and loaves, especially when fall hits. I read a ton of recipes and articles and wanted to share a few fun tips or hacks that I learned in my studies :)
1. Zucchini Bread Tip
Zucchini bread is typically thought of as being a really easy quick bread that turns out fantastic every time, like banana bread or pumpkin bread. One thing that can make the results turn out less than desirable is excess moisture from the zucchini that can make your cake turn out a little soggy. The best way to remove the moisture from the zucchini is to salt your zucchini after you have grated it. Not only does it remove the excess moisture, but it removes any bitterness you might get with overgrown zucchini. Add the grated zucchini to a bowl with about 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes then transfer to a strainer and rinse the zucchini really well under cold water to remove the salt. Let it drain over a bowl or the sink for about 20 minutes to remove any excess moisture . Then proceed with your recipe as written and enjoy perfectly cooked, non-soggy zucchini bread!
Another fun idea for mixing up your typical favorite zucchini bread recipe is that if your recipe calls for crushed walnuts, opt for crushed pecans, mini chocolate chips, or even blueberries instead. Each bring a unique flavor to the same recipe.
2. Picture Perfect Cracks on Loaf Cakes
A great trip from a reader from an allrecipes.com recipe was that her grandmother always did to create perfect cracks on top of loaf cakes is to melt a small pat of butter, dip a butter knife in it and then run the buttered blade down the middle of the cake right before you put it in the oven. Why does this work? These kinds of cakes have quite dense batters where the outside cooks much faster than the inside. The crack happens when the inner batter rises and releases steam through the semi-cooked outer batter. Loaf cakes that don’t have a crack typically end up overly dense and deflated. The fat from the butter that you painted on the cake tells the batter where to crack and pushes the edge of the crack from the middle. It helps the cakes have a more uniform look and helps the batter cook and brown more evenly on top.
3. Baking Pan Type Matters!
Have you gone to make a batch of brownies and wondered whether it really matters or not what type of pan you use--glass or metal? Well, come to find out that it really does matter and metal is the best choice. The most common type of metal baking pan is made from aluminum, which heats up quickly and allows the batter to rise, bake, and crisp at a uniform pace. Martin Phillip, author and baker at King Arthur Flour, says this results in evenly baked, perfectly moist brownies every time. And of course aluminum is lightweight so you have less chance of dropping and breaking a heavy glass dish (been there done that myself!).
4. The Right Tool to Cut Brownies
You likely already know this quick tip, but if you don’t, it’s a great one to remember! The best way to cut brownies, (especially if they are warm because you are impatient and don’t want to wait for them to cool all the way like me!) is to use a plastic knife to cut them. The brownies, even if they are still quite gooey and warm, will not stick to the knife like it would a metal knife. The knife just glides right through like magic!
5. Keep Muffin Tops from Sticking
Who doesn’t love a good muffin top? I don’t know about you, but anytime I think about muffin tops I can’t help but think of that hilarious Seinfeld episode, right? We all love them, but one common thing that is unfortunate about making fat, fluffy muffins at home with big muffin tops, is that they stick to the pan when baking. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner--it feels like such a “Duh!” kind of tip, but spray the whole muffin pan, not just the wells, to keep those muffin tops fat, fluffy, and attached to the whole rest of the muffin!
There you have it! I just love to pass along any helpful tips I find when reading and making recipes that I feel like can benefit all of us--especially as we get into this time of year with a lot more baking! If you have any awesome baking tips or tricks, please let us know in the comments below.
1. Zucchini Bread Tip
Zucchini bread is typically thought of as being a really easy quick bread that turns out fantastic every time, like banana bread or pumpkin bread. One thing that can make the results turn out less than desirable is excess moisture from the zucchini that can make your cake turn out a little soggy. The best way to remove the moisture from the zucchini is to salt your zucchini after you have grated it. Not only does it remove the excess moisture, but it removes any bitterness you might get with overgrown zucchini. Add the grated zucchini to a bowl with about 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes then transfer to a strainer and rinse the zucchini really well under cold water to remove the salt. Let it drain over a bowl or the sink for about 20 minutes to remove any excess moisture . Then proceed with your recipe as written and enjoy perfectly cooked, non-soggy zucchini bread!
Another fun idea for mixing up your typical favorite zucchini bread recipe is that if your recipe calls for crushed walnuts, opt for crushed pecans, mini chocolate chips, or even blueberries instead. Each bring a unique flavor to the same recipe.
2. Picture Perfect Cracks on Loaf Cakes
A great trip from a reader from an allrecipes.com recipe was that her grandmother always did to create perfect cracks on top of loaf cakes is to melt a small pat of butter, dip a butter knife in it and then run the buttered blade down the middle of the cake right before you put it in the oven. Why does this work? These kinds of cakes have quite dense batters where the outside cooks much faster than the inside. The crack happens when the inner batter rises and releases steam through the semi-cooked outer batter. Loaf cakes that don’t have a crack typically end up overly dense and deflated. The fat from the butter that you painted on the cake tells the batter where to crack and pushes the edge of the crack from the middle. It helps the cakes have a more uniform look and helps the batter cook and brown more evenly on top.
3. Baking Pan Type Matters!
Have you gone to make a batch of brownies and wondered whether it really matters or not what type of pan you use--glass or metal? Well, come to find out that it really does matter and metal is the best choice. The most common type of metal baking pan is made from aluminum, which heats up quickly and allows the batter to rise, bake, and crisp at a uniform pace. Martin Phillip, author and baker at King Arthur Flour, says this results in evenly baked, perfectly moist brownies every time. And of course aluminum is lightweight so you have less chance of dropping and breaking a heavy glass dish (been there done that myself!).
4. The Right Tool to Cut Brownies
You likely already know this quick tip, but if you don’t, it’s a great one to remember! The best way to cut brownies, (especially if they are warm because you are impatient and don’t want to wait for them to cool all the way like me!) is to use a plastic knife to cut them. The brownies, even if they are still quite gooey and warm, will not stick to the knife like it would a metal knife. The knife just glides right through like magic!
5. Keep Muffin Tops from Sticking
Who doesn’t love a good muffin top? I don’t know about you, but anytime I think about muffin tops I can’t help but think of that hilarious Seinfeld episode, right? We all love them, but one common thing that is unfortunate about making fat, fluffy muffins at home with big muffin tops, is that they stick to the pan when baking. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner--it feels like such a “Duh!” kind of tip, but spray the whole muffin pan, not just the wells, to keep those muffin tops fat, fluffy, and attached to the whole rest of the muffin!
There you have it! I just love to pass along any helpful tips I find when reading and making recipes that I feel like can benefit all of us--especially as we get into this time of year with a lot more baking! If you have any awesome baking tips or tricks, please let us know in the comments below.
Mary Richardson
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! mary@dvo.com
