For a cake to achieve perfection, you must meet several simple requirements before starting the baking process.

First, mise en place, or lay out all the ingredients. The baking process will be more straightforward if everything is out and ready to go as you read the recipe. Make sure to check all of the expiration dates, ensuring all your raw materials are fresh. Sometimes when the raw material is about to expire, they tend to lose their properties, and as a result, the cake may be altered in a negative way. It is also important that the ingredients to be at room temperature.

When executing the recipe, be sure to measure each ingredient accurately. Measuring cups, spoons, and a kitchen scale are all essential tools. Baking is like chemistry; if one component is off, even by just a little, your end product will be altered.

Lastly, it is always a good rule of thumb to use good quality ingredients, such as butter. The higher the fat content of the butter, the better. Another of my secret tools is the vanilla; Madagascar Bourbon is my favorite variety to incorporate when cooking.

Contributor Information
Carolina (Cay) Samara
Owner of Cay’s Bakery
Cypress, TX