Baking Essentials: Equipment

Baking is a science, so having the correct measurements is key! You’ll want to have a set of measuring cups and spoons, plus a liquid measuring cup.

When baking, using precise measurements is essential. A kitchen scale will guarantee the weight of ingredients is just right

A sturdy wooden rolling pin is necessary for rolling out a variety of doughs, from pie crust to yeasted dough for cinnamon rolls

Most recipes require multiple bowls—typically one for wet ingredients and one for dry.

Obviously, a KitchenAid mixer is quite the investment, so a handheld mixer is a great alternative. Most recipes start by beating butter and sugar together, which is hard to do with just a spoon and some elbow grease.

Once your baked goods come out of the oven, you typically let them cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack. If you leave them in the hot pan or on a hot baking sheet they will continue to cook and become overdone. A cooling rack allows air to get under the cookies, cake, etc., and helps cool them faster and evenly.

The baking pans and sheets you use can have a big impact on how your treats turn out.

Parchment paper is perfect for lining cake pans and baking sheets so that your baked goods don’t stick. Silicone baking mats, like this Silpat baking mat, also work well.

All ovens are different, so just because you set it to 350F doesn’t mean it’s actually 350F. It’s important to understand your oven and adjust the digital temperature setting accordingly.

Basically, every recipe you make will require a rubber spatula. Typically, you use them for scraping down the sides and bottom of a standing mixer in between additions to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. You’ll also need it to get all of the batter out of the mixing bowl.

You’ll need a whisk for all sorts of things!

 Sifting helps your batter and buttercream be free of lumps. Plus it makes measuring more accurate since there aren’t any dense clumps. I find it especially necessary when using cocoa powder since it ends up getting packed down in the container. You could use a hand held sifter with the crank or a fine mesh sieve.