Use a large spoon to stir the flour in the bag or canister to loosen.
Dip the measuring cup into the flour, then use a knife to level the flour in the measuring cup, using a sweeping motion so as not to compress the flour.
measuring by weight
For greater precision, many experienced bakers prefer to measure their ingredients by weight rather than by volume. Here are the weight equivalencies for 1 cup of the most commonly used dry ingredients:
All purpose flour = 4½ ounces
Cake flour = 4 ounces
Whole wheat flour = 5 ounces
Granulated sugar = 7 ounces
Firmly packed brown sugar = 7½ ounces
Powdered sugar = 4 ounces
Cornmeal (regular) = 5½ ounces
measuring liquid ingredients
Use a glass measuring cup with the measurements marked on the side.
Set the cup on a flat counter or surface to fill.
Wait for the liquid to settle, then bend down and read the measurement at eye level for accuracy.
nuts, toasting
Toasting nuts brings out an incredible fragrance and flavor, so you should never skip this step in a recipe: What you might save in time you’ll lose in the quality of the final product.
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Toast the nuts in the oven until slightly darker in color and fragrant. Always cool nuts completely before using them in recipes. Cooking times vary depending on the kind of nuts you’re using:Almonds, sliced: 7 to 10 minutesAlmonds, slivered: 7 to 10 minutesAlmonds, whole: 10 minutesHazelnuts*: 12 to 15 minutesPecans: 12 to 15 minutesPine nuts**Walnuts: 10 to 15 minutes
* Some recipes call for removing the skin of (or “husking”) hazelnuts. After toasting and cooling the hazelnuts slightly, transfer them to the center of a clean dishtowel spread out on a work surface. Gather the towel around the nuts and rub to remove skins (some bits of skin will remain, which is fine).** Because of their high fat content, pine nuts burn very easily. It’s best to toast them on the stovetop, where browning can be monitored. Stir pine nuts in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until they just begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the nuts from the heat and continue stirring until they’re almost cool, to avoid burning.
pastry dough textures
Bon Appétit pie crust and pastry dough recipes use visual descriptions to indicate what the dough should look like at various stages. When first combining the dry ingredients with the fat, the instructions generally say to mix the ingredients until “pea-size pieces” form [1] or until the mixture resembles “coarse meal” [2]. After adding liquid, instructions often say to combine “until moist clumps form” [3].
piping
Decorative piping gives desserts a beautiful bakery-window look—but it’s easier than you’d think. If piping whipped cream, use a large pastry bag fitted with a medium or large star tip. For frostings and buttercream, use desired piping tip and a medium-size pastry bag. (See page 23 for more information on pastry bags.)
Insert the tip into the small end of the bag. Place the bag, tip side down, in a tumbler or a large measuring cup for support (this way, both of your hands are free to fill the bag). Fold the top of the bag over the rim of the tumbler like a cuff so that it stays clean while you fill it with cream or frosting.
Using a large silicone spatula, scoop the whipped cream or frosting into the bag [1]. After the bag is filled, uncuff it from over the tumbler, grab it by the top edge, and shake it gently to release any air pockets and settle the contents.
Twist the top of the bag just above the point where it’s filled. Hold the twist firmly and squeeze to push out a bit of frosting.
Holding the twisted end of the bag closed with one hand, use the other hand to direct the piping tip while applying gentle pressure with the hand at the twisted end [2]. Practice on a clean plate before piping onto the dessert.
vanilla bean, seeding
Place the vanilla bean on a cutting board.
Using a small, sharp knife, slice the pod in half lengthwise, from the stem end to the opposite end [1].
Grasp one end of half of the pod and, using the same knife, scrape down the length of the split pod to remove the tiny, moist seeds [2].
Repeat with the remaining half of the vanilla bean.
Don’t let those leftover vanilla beans go to waste. After you scrape out the seeds, turn the leftover pods into vanilla sugar—it’s great in baked goods or stirred into your morning cup of coffee or tea.
First, dry the pods well, then chop them coarsely.
Blend 3 cups sugar with the pods in a food processor until the pods are finely ground.
Store the vanilla sugar in a covered container at room temperature for at least 2 days and up to a year.
Strain the vanilla sugar through a fine strainer before using.
cakes
pound, angel, bundt & coffee cakes
Classic Pound Cake
Deep Chocolate Pound Cake
Hot Fudge-Banana Pound Cake
Cornmeal Pound Cake with Rosemary Syrup, Poached Pears, and Candied Rosemary
Kumquat-Cardamom Tea Bread
Vanilla Chiffon Cake
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry-Blueberry Sauce
Orange- and Vanilla-Scented Bundt Cake
Apple-Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Maple-Walnut Pound Cake with Maple Glaze
Coconut Bundt Cake with Powdered Sugar Glaze
Raspberry-Yogurt Cake
Almond Butter Crown
Chocolate-Apricot Kugelhopf
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Spiced Crumble Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate-Pecan Streusel
Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Cardamom Streusel
Raisin Streusel Cake
Cherry-Vanilla Tea Cake with Vanilla Sugar
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Chocolate-Pecan Coffee Cake
single-layer cakes
Texas Sheet Cake
Carrot Cake with Buttermilk Glaze and Cinnamon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting
Glazed Lime Cake
Double-Ginger Gingerbread with Orange-Ginger Sauce
Cranberry-Maple Pudding Cake
Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake
Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake
Plum-Blueberry Upside-Down Cake
Pineapple Upside-Down Pumpkin Gingerbread
Upside-Down Spiced Peach Cake with Honey-Sweetened Whipped Cream
Brown Sugar-Almond Cake with Caramel Frosting
Walnut-Orange Cake
Cinnamon-Sugar Plum Cake
Raspberry Cake with Marsala, Crème Fraîche, and Raspberries
Tarte au Sucre
Chocolate Decadence
Chocolate-Pistachio Torte with Warm Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate Gâteau with Lemon, Raisins, Almonds, and Muscat Custard Sauce
layer cakes
Semisweet Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling
Black Bottom Devil’s Food Cake
Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate-Orange Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Stout Cake
Cappuccino-Chocolate Layer Cake
Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel-Caramel Filling
Chocolate Cake with Caramel-Coconut-Almond Filling
Black Pearl Layer Cake
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese and Butterfinger Frosting
Coconut-Chocolate Marjolaine