Top 10 tips for better baking this Christmas

Photography by Western Star

Tiny white chocolate and raspberry mudcakes

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In this month's issue

Eat in, eat out, eat well. Look for the taste liftout on Tuesdays in the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, on Wednesdays in the Adelaide Advertiser, and in Perth’s Sunday Times.

Make the holidays sweeter than ever with these baking secrets.

Baking is both art and science - a seemingly mysterious blend of precision, patience and inspiration. Use these expert techniques from Western Star butter to take the mystery out of baking and add some sweet indulgence to Christmas.

1) Buy an oven thermometer

Oven meters often display a different temperature than an oven's actual internal temperature, and a few degrees up or down can affect a dessert's texture. Use an oven thermometer to ensure an accurate reading.

2) Choose the best ingredients

Even if you follow your recipe to the letter, the right ingredients can still make or break a Christmas treat. Always select top-quality ingredients, from the correct flour to the best butters. For an extra rich final product, use Western Star's award-winning butters for their creamy texture.

3) Know when to soften and when to melt

The temperature of butter affects the texture of the final product - room-temperature butter creates more shapeable dough, and melting makes for an extra chewy consistency.

4) Measure accurately

Measuring cups for liquid ingredients are different than those for dry ingredients, so it's important to match your tool to your ingredient. For dry ingredients, don't pack the measuring cup - just spoon in and level off.

5) Cream correctly

Creaming - beating butter and sugar together - also changes the consistency of baked goods. When creaming, the butter and sugar should be beaten together until almost white, but don't overbeat as this can result in an overly heavy final product. Always cream before adding other ingredients.

6) Chill out

Refrigerating your dough before baking produces a fuller, fluffier biscuit. Chill the dough for at least 20 minutes - the longer it's chilled the fluffier the dough. Dough can be stored up to three months in the freezer.

7) Use the right baking tin

Follow your recipe's instructions carefully when selecting a baking tin - substituting baking pans can result in over-baked desserts. When baking biscuits, choose a tin that is thick at the base but has a minimal edge. For cakes, grease or line the appropriate non-stick pan to prevent the cake from sticking.

8) Know when your cake is done

A cake is ready when it begins to pull away from the tin and when it springs back after being tapped gently. As a final check, insert a toothpick in the cake's centre - the toothpick should come away free of moisture or dough.

9) Cool before flipping

Once a cake is done baking, let it cool before flipping. At least 10 minutes of cooling is recommended for standard cakes, longer for bundts.

10) Time your icing right

Wait until the cake is completely cooled before icing it. For best results, once cooled add a base layer of icing and let the cake set for at least an hour before adding your final decorations.

This is a promotional feature brought to you by taste.com.au and Western Star. Western Star is a trademark of the Fonterra group of companies.