BAKING BASICS - MEASURING INGREDIENTS

To make your baking more successful,

You should own the following basic measuring items
(1) a set of measuring spoons including: a tablespoon, a 1/8, ¼, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 teaspoons
(2) a glass liquid measuring cup
(3) a set of dry ingredient measuring cups with ¼, 1/3, ½ and 1 cups.

Measuring liquid ingredients

(1) use a glass measuring cup
(2) put it on the level surface and pour the liquid in
(3) to measure spoonfuls of liquid, do it over an empty bowl and NOT over the mixing bowl.

Measuring dry ingredients

(1) use a set of plastic or metal measuring spoons or cups with ¼, 1/3, ½, 1 cups
(2) if measuring dry ingredients, which have been sitting around for a little while, stir to aerate it slightly before you measure. Scoop it to overflowing with the ingredient and then use the back of a dinner knife or an offset spatula to level it by pushing the excess off without tamping unless the recipe indicates that it needs to be “packed” like brown sugar.

The last thing, use an oven thermometer to check your oven temperature to see if it works properly. In baking, an electric oven is preferred because the heat is better distributed. I have a gas oven and it is well calibrated, the results are just fine because baking time and doneness are also important.