The life of a wedding cake designer isn’t all eating buttercream and checking out Pinterest (although these are very nice bits of the job). There are also lots of unglamorous hours of dropped cake batter and copious note making.

After many years as a professional baker I have picked up a few tips to swear by. Although I’m often asked to disclose trade secrets, the best and most effective tips are often the simplest.

Here are my top 4 for brilliant cakes:

  1. Always start with your ingredients at room temperature. Hard to imagine that a few degrees cooler will make a difference… but it will! Hard butter and fridge cold eggs will make a thin, non-fluffy cake and no-one wants that.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar really well until your batter is light, fluffy and very pale. An electric whisk can be an invaluable tool in the kitchen but a wooden spoon or spatula can work just as well it just might take a little longer!
  3. Turn your cake halfway through baking. Even if you have a fan oven, even a fancy Aga..always turn your cake halfway through to ensure an even bake. It will ensure a perfect golden colour across your cake and a great bake!
  4. Your cake should be springy to the touch when done. No need to spoil your beautiful creation by sticking a fork / knife / skewer / any other sharp implement in to see if it’s cooked. If it bounces back when touched your good to go!

I hope these tips help on your baking journey. If you have any family secrets or fail safe tricks you’ve learnt along the way I’d love to hear them. The best thing about baking is there’s always more to learn!

Hannah x

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