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Practice Makes Perfect

June 5, 2012 by Jeanne

Hey folks: I’ve been getting a lot of the same or similar questions from folks, so I thought I would address them in a post in addition to individual replies.

It is celebration season. That means weddings, graduations, and mother’s and father’s days. And many of you are baking celebratory cakes for these things. And I applaud you for that!

But. Many of you are writing to me and asking how to make sure the cake recipe you are making will work on the big day. My answer: practice that recipe before the event. No amount of advice from me is going to substitute for good, old-fashioned experience.

When I was baking wedding cakes for people (I only did this for a short time because it was too stressful for me) I always made a few practice cakes to make sure everything was working correctly before I made the actual cake for the big day. I would never make a wedding cake without making at least one or two practice cakes before the actual wedding. I would have been mortified if I got to the big day and the cake didn’t work for some reason.

I know the ingredients are expensive. And I know it takes time. But you owe it to yourself and to your recipients to make the best darn cake you can and that means doing at least one test run. I know you will have a lot of cake leftover–but that’s not horrible, right?  Your friends, family members, mail deliverer, whoever, will be delighted to be the recipients of practice cake.  There are no sweeter (heh) words to d’Ahub’s ears than “recipe testing day.”

Also, you want to practice on an actual cake. One of my readers practiced on cookies instead of the cake recipe and then wrote to me to say that s/he was worried that the wedding cake would be flat like the cookies. People, people. If you are making cake, then practice on that cake recipe. If you are making cookies, then practice on the cookie recipe.

This rule also works for your everyday baking.  If you have never made something before, and it doesn’t work out the first time–don’t despair.  Do it again (and again) until it does work out.  This is especially true of things that are a bit tricky or that require a bit of experience to do well, like pie crust.

Remember: practicing makes you a better baker. And better bakers make for a sweeter world. Happy baking!


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Filed Under: baking tips Tagged With: gluten-free, glutenfree

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon

    June 6, 2012 at 3:50 am

    I have been struggling with gluten free baking recently. Nothing rises very well, the texture is heavy, etc, etc… It has been frustrating as I have been baking since I was a kid. But you know I had to learn to be a good wheat based baker. After making just ok french sticks last night, it suddenly struck me, I need to be baking more. Everyone at work loves treats! Thanks for such a timely post. The universe really does line up.

    • admin

      June 7, 2012 at 8:57 am

      Sharon: Oh shoot–so sorry baking hasn’t been going well. Are you using my recipes or other recipes? Also–yes, practice does make all the difference, doesn’t it? I have been baking gluten-free for 12 years and I still need to practice!

  2. Kendra

    June 5, 2012 at 8:36 pm

    This is soo true thx for the reminder. I am a gluten free ( and dairy free and soy free) cook due to my kiddos allergies and intolerances. I had Neer successfully baked a loaf of glutne bread. Mt one attmept at yeasted baking was dinner rolls and they came out tough. I didn;t now why so I never baked with yeast again. I now know I over worked the dough.But to suddenlydiscover I had to learn a whole new way of baking and if I wanted edible bread i had to do it myself???? Well practice practice and practice. And thanks to your excellent tips unsights, instructions and recipes I can bake gluten free!!!I refer people to your website all the time. Thank you again

    • admin

      June 7, 2012 at 8:58 am

      Kendra: Thank you so much for the kind words! And yes, gluten-free baking is a whole new world sometimes. Sigh. It takes a bit of time to get used to. I still practice a lot!!

  3. nicole

    June 5, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Agree absolutely. When I first started baking wedding cakes I did about 3 tests (maybe more) of recipe and flavor combinations … as I’ve done more I’ve gotten more confident, but only through practice! It definitely helps lessen the anxiety if you have solid experience behind you to lean against!

    • admin

      June 7, 2012 at 8:59 am

      Nicole: Yes! You are so right. I think anxiety is the source of a lot of people’s baking failures. People get so anxious that they don’t follow directions and they sabotage their own work. I always tell people to relax and practice–and things will be OK!

  4. Sallie

    June 5, 2012 at 8:26 am

    This is so very true!!!! Been working on g/f desserts for a restaurant and have practiced many, many times before delivery. Thank you for the wise reminder…

    • admin

      June 5, 2012 at 11:20 am

      Sallie: I know, right? And you’re welcome!

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All Recipes In Alphabetical Order

My recipes, alphabetical order

Angel Sugar Cookies

Animal Crackers

2 Apple Pie Fillings

Baguettes

Banana Bread

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Bear’s Ginger Oat Muffins

Berry Cake

Best Blueberry Muffins

Bittersweet Mocha Coffee Cake

Blackberry Cobbler

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Blueberry Honey Muffins

Blueberry-Lime Coffee Cake

Blueberry Snack Cake

Bread, Sandwich, Multi-Grain

Bread, Sandwich, Soft

Bread, Sourdough (boule–round loaf)
–Sourdough Starter

Brown Butter Pound Cake

Brownies

Brownies, Bittersweet

Brownie Bark

Butter Cookies (Spritz, Pressed)

Buttermilk Biscuits

Chantilly Meringuée (or Elegant Ice Cream)

Cheese Crackers and Straws

Cheese Straws (made with gluten-free Puff Pastry)

Cherry Pie

Chocolate Almond Cake

Chocolate Bouchons

(Decadent) Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies (dairy-free)

Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Chunk Cookies, 2 Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Shortbread-type (egg-free)

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Chocolate Clementine (orange) Cake

Chocolate Dump (It) Cake

Chocolate Pecan (Tar Heel) Pie

Chocolate Pound Cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake (w/Chocolate Pecan Frosting)

Cinnamon Rolls, with or w/o Cream Cheese Frosting

Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Coffee Chocolate Almond Crunch Bars (egg-free)

Cornbread

Cranberry Cake

Cranberry Sauce

Crazy Cake (dairy-free and egg free)–w/instructions for cupcakes, too

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Truffle Brownie Cookies

Cream Scones

Crullers (donuts) (with a selection of glazes)

Cupcakes (chocolate), use the Fast, Easy, and Elegant Fudge Cake recipe and bake for 30 mins. or the Crazy Cake recipe for a vegan alternative

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Dilly Cottage Cheese Bread

Dinner Rolls (yeasted)–like Parker House Rolls

Doughnuts (cake-style), 2 Recipes (Plain + Pumpkin)

Fast, Easy, and Elegant Fudge Cake

Flour Mix (Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix)

Flour, Self Rising

French Breakfast Muffins

Fruit Drop Cookies

Fruitcake–aka, Country Christmas Cake (the best fruicake you will ever eat!)

Fudge

Garlic Truffle Oil Popcorn

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Gingerbread Cake with Persimmon

Graham Crackers

Hamburger Buns

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

Ho Hos

Hot Cross Buns, Traditional

Hot Cross Buns, Apple Cinnamon

Irish Soda Bread

Italian Chocolate Kiss Cookies (Baci di Cioccolato)–chocolate-almond cookies w/chocolate filling

Jam-Filled Butter Cookies–Thumbprint cookies

Jam-Filled Shortbread Cookies (nut-free Linzer cookies)

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

King Cake

Krumkake (Scandinavian Crisp Cookies)

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Lemon Buttermilk Snack Cake

Lentil-Tomato Pasta Sauce

Linzer Cookie, Giant (nut-free)

Little Tiered Chocolate Cakes

Madeleines (Classic)

Maple Bundt Cake

Marbled Coffee Cake (Viennese-style)–chocolate swirl in a lemon cake

Matzo

Mocha Bundt Cake

Nanaimo Bars

Nut and Jam Snack Bars

Orange and Poppy Seed Quick Bread

Oatmeal Cookies, Salty (like the Teaism cookies)

Oreos

Pan Gravy, Classic

Pancakes

Pancakes and Waffles, Sourdough

Pasta (Homemade)

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Chili, and Bacon

Peach Cake

Pepparkakkor (Swedish Gingersnaps)

Pie Crust, Flaky

Pie Crust Crackers

Pistachio Cookies with White Chocolate Ganache

Pizza Crust (NYC thin-style)

Pizza, Grilled

Pound Cake

Puff Pastry

Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

Puff Pastry Shells (Vols au Vent)

Puff Pastry Turnovers

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Pie (with directions on how to adapt to dairy-free)

Ranch Dressing

Ricotta Pound Cake

Risotto (Easy, cooked in Pressure Cooker)

Rosettes (light and delicate Scandinavian fried cookies)

Salmon (or Halibut) Croquettes w/ Spicy Remoulade Sauce

Salty Oat Cookies–like the Teaism cookies

Shortbread Cookies (w/Oat Flour and Ginger)

Shortcake Biscuits (including recipe for Strawberry Shortcake)

Skordalia (Greek potato-garlic-lemon dip)

S’more Whoopie Pies

Soup with Beans, Turkey, Potatoes, Basil and Cumin

Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Sour Cream Orange Coffee Cake

Sourdough Bread (boule–round loaf)
–Sourdough Starter

Strawberry Cake

Strawberry (or Raspberry) Mascarpone Tart with Pecan Shortbread Crust

Streuselkuchen (yeasted German Crumb Cake)

Tar Heel (Chocolate Pecan) Pie

Texas Sheet Cake

Thin Mint Cookies (like the Girl Scout cookies of the same name)

Toaster (or Portable) Tarts–like Pop Tarts

Tortillas (Flour)

Tres Leches Cake

Tunnel of Fudge CAke

Turkey Meatloaf

Victoria Sponge Cake (Jam-Filled)

Vols au Vent (Puff Pastry Shells)

Waffles (Buttermilk)

Waffles (Sourdough)

Whipped Cream Cake

Zucchini Bread (with or w/o chocolate chips)

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