Just the idea of turning on the oven in the middle of the summer makes me sweat. No matter what you bake, the temperature in your kitchen can either help you or kill you. Warmer weather is great for breads and yeast based dough because it speeds up the proving process ~the dough will rise in half the time. However, the heat can also cause you to over prove your dough, melt the frosting right off a cake, and turn pastry into a buttery mess.
I try to avoid baking on those really hot days, but then a birthday happens during a heatwave and you have to persevere… So here are 6 tips to keep your baking calm, cool and collected.
Tip 1: Keep it Small
The smaller the baked good the easier it is to keep them cool. I opted for cupcakes over a full cake for this reason. You still have the traditional taste of a birthday cake, but you can easily put them in the fridge or freezer to keep them cool.
Tip 2: Keep it Cool
Keep all your ingredients in the fridge until you need them. Typically you want all your ingredients at room temperature, but if your kitchen is warmer then usual, they will warm up much quicker, especially when you start working them together. Keep everything in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Tip 3: Cool Whip
Although you want your butter soft, if it’s too warm you won’t get the right texture when you cream it with sugar. Take it out 30 minutes before you need it, but if it gets too soft pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to thicken it back up. The softer the butter the more dense your cake will be and for cupcakes you want them nice and fluffy.
Tip 4: Cold Bowls
Put your bowls in the freezer before using them. This is especially important for your frosting. You don’t want a warm bowl melting your frosting. As soon as it’s too warm you will loose the stiff fluffiness you need to properly frost your cake or cupcake.
Tip 5: Cool it Down
As usual, you always want to completely cool your cake or cupcakes before frosting. But on a warm day, take it to the next level and keep them in the fridge for 1-2 hours and only take them out right before you frost them. Go the extra mile and put them back in the fridge in-between each decorating step.
Tip 6: Keep it Simple
The warmer it is the harder it is to keep your frosting cold and stiff especially if you try to pipe it on. If you’re warm, the frosting will melt in your hands. I find that it looks better to keep it simple with a messy mound of frosting and some sprinkles.
Let me know if you have any other tips for baking in this heat. I need all the help I can get 😉
KASCHA'S KICTHEN 