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“Which Flour Should I Use?”

Swans Down Cake Flour

** This post also contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you purchase a product after clicking on a link at no extra cost to you. Thank you!


If you have ever asked the question, “Which Flour Should I Use?” Trust me, you are not alone. Today we are going to focus on Self-Rising Flour, Plain Flour, and Cake Flour.

Why does it matter which flour I use? I was recently asked this question and immediately thought, “It depends on what I’m making.”

For one recipe it could be all-purpose flour, and for another time it could be self-rising or cake flour. But why do I need to use a specific flour for each recipe? This is a simple answer, but worth exploring.

Let’s look at three commonly available flours that bakers need to know about: Self-Rising Flour, Plain Flour, and Cake Flour. Now that being said, after years of baking, I do have the favorites that I will share with you later in this post.

In the article, “Which Flour Should I Use?” I am going to help you learn about each of these types of flour and the best way to use it so that your desserts will be perfect.

Flour is a staple ingredient in my kitchen. I use at least one type of flour in all my cooking and baking. And as with all things, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever asked the question, “Which flour do I use?”


Three Main Flours any Baker Should Have in Their Kitchen


1. Self-Rising Flour

White Lily Unbleached Self-Rising Flour part of my "Which Flour Should I Use?"

Self-rising Flour is a mixture of flour and leavening agents. In the United States, this type of flour is marketed under the names: Self-Rising Flour, Self-Rising Cake Flour, or All-Purpose Flour. In other countries, it’s called Self-rising Flour or Raising Flour.


2. Plain Flour

White Lily All Purpose Flour another of "Which Flour Should I Use?"

All-Purpose Flour is exactly as the name implies. It is plain and does not contain any leavening agents. It is an excellent choice for items that you do not want to rise such as roux or batter for fried foods. 


3. Cake Flour

Pillsbury Soft Silk Cake Flour part of "Which Flour Should I Use?"

Cake Flour is a soft flour with low protein content, typically 12-15%. It produces tender cakes because of its low protein content. I use this to make my pound cakes.


Let’s Look at What Each One is Best Used for


1. Self-Rising Flour

Marhta White Self-Rising Flour another of my "Which Flour Should I Use?"

Self-Rising Flour is best used for (low protein) products that should be light, like biscuits, pie crust, muffins, and most cakes.


2. All-Purpose Flour

Martha White All-Purpose Flour one of my "Which Flour Should I Use?"

All-Purpose Flour is best used for (medium protein) products that will be handled during baking like cakes, cookies, and pie crust. Personally, I like all-purpose flour best for my pie crust.


3. Cake Flour

Swans Down Cake Flour part of "Which Flour Should I Use?"

Cake Flour (high protein) is for products that should be tender and fine like angel food cake, sponge cake, and pound cake.

Conclusion of “Which Flour Should I Use?”

I hope you enjoyed reading “Which Flour Should I Use?” and that it has cleared up any questions you may have had.

Now that you are educated on these three types of flour, get baking! Let me know what you think. Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you!


No time to bake? Let me do it for you! Visit Nana’s Bakery and place your order(s).

Thank you for supporting my small business!

Nana 👩‍🍳

Nana’s Bakery (To Place Your Orders)

nana@bakewithnana.com 

bakewithnana.com 

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6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake


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6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

Anniversary Cake Nana Made

** This post also contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you purchase a product after clicking on a link at no extra cost to you. Thank you!


I have been baking cakes since I was a little girl, but I still love learning new techniques and experimenting with assorted flavors. In this article, I share my 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake.

Today I am going to share with you “6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake” Yup, that’s right. Just like all your favorite recipes. Are you ready to find out what they are? Well, first, I am a lover of all things sweet. I just love desserts and treats. I have to say this is my favorite thing about baking and creating cakes and cookies.

Many people make the mistake of choosing a cake mix because it is “easier”. However, what they don’t realize is that cake mixes are full of preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients that will make your cake dense and dry.

Do you know why Sara Lee uses a cake mix for their cakes? The answer is simple: convenience. It takes longer to prepare a homemade cake or cupcakes than it does a store-bought cake. But homemade cakes and cupcakes are so much more enjoyable than store-bought ones.

The ones you buy from the bakeries, you don’t really know how long they have been frozen before they are thawed out and decorated.


6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake


1. Follow the Recipe

Follow the Recipe Part of my 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

This is as important as the ingredients you use in your cakes. Follow the recipe just as it instructs you to do. Do not try and cut corners! This will end in disaster!

For example, if it tells you to add your eggs one at a time and mix well after each one, you need to do that. Speaking of eggs, I prefer to use brown eggs in my cakes.


2. Choose the Right Recipe

Choose the Right Recipe is a Crucial part of 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

There are many recipes out there for making the perfect cake. However, not every recipe will work well for everyone.

If you do not have the time to bake a cake, let me do it for you! Visit >> Nana’s Bakery<< and order a homemade cake instead.


3. Choose the Right Ingredients

Gather The Ingredients is another important part of 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

Choosing the right ingredients is crucial for your cake to turn out moist and delicious. I personally love White-Lily Unbleached Self-Rising flour for my cakes. It truly makes your cakes lite and fluffy.

I also prefer Bordens Whole Buttermilk when my recipes call for it and I really like using Blue Plate Mayonnaise in my cakes instead of oil.

The reason for the mayonnaise is it really does make the cake moist and delicious. You use the same amount of mayonnaise that you would oil for your recipes.


4. Prepare the Ingredients

Prepare The Ingredients is a vital step in my 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

To make sure your cake turns out perfectly, follow these steps before starting to bake.
1) Measure the ingredients. You need to measure the dry ingredients first because they affect how much liquid you add later.
2) Mix the dry ingredients together.
3) Add the wet ingredients.
4) Bake the cake.
5) Cool the cake.

FYI: Don’t over-mix your cake batter, mix until ingredients are well incorporated.


5. Bake at the Proper Temperature

Preheated Oven is another of my 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

If you use an oven thermometer, you will know when your cake is done. However, there are other ways to tell if your cake is ready.

One method is to check the consistency of the batter. It should be thick enough to hold its shape, but not so thick that it won’t spread evenly across the pan.

Another test is to stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. When it comes out clean, then the cake is done. Don’t overcook!


6. Let it Cool Before Frosting

Cooling the Cake is part of 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool completely on cooling racks before frosting it. This allows the cake to be set up properly, preventing the frosting from sliding off the cake.

Typically, it takes a cake about one hour to cool off. If you are in a bit of a hurry, you can turn a fan on the cake layers to cool them off faster.


Conclusion of 6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake

COFFEE AND CAKE

If you follow my “6 Tips for Making the Perfect Cake”, you will be on your way to making moist and delicious cakes for your family and friends. There is nothing like making cakes from scratch and rewarding your family and yourself with their tasty goodness.

Yes, it may take a little more time to make cakes, cookies, pies, etc. homemade, but the rewards far out way the time it takes. And really once you get the hang of it, you will be making them faster than you ever thought you could.

How about this weekend you try it and make a cake right from scratch and see if you and your family don’t appreciate the soft moist deliciousness. 🧁

I know you can do it! So, get your baking on! 😊 Oh, don’t forget the coffee


No time to bake? Let me do it for you! Visit Nana’s Bakery and place your order(s).


Thank you for supporting my small business!

Nana 🍰

Nana’s Bakery (To Place Your Orders)

nana@bakewithnana.com 

bakewithnana.com 

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Six of the Best Cake Mixers

Kitchen Aid Mixer

** This post also contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you purchase a product after clicking on a link at no extra cost to you. Thank you!


Featuring Six of the Best Cake Mixers, they are excellent quality mixers and are essential when making cakes to ensure that the batter is mixed evenly and thoroughly.

Six of the Best Cake Mixers for baking are KitchenAid, Aucma , Cuisinart, Cooklee, Hamilton Beach, and Dash Go.

Read about each one carefully and decide which one is best for your needs. You may not need one of the bigger mixers, it just depends on how much you bake and what you bake. So, before you purchase one of these stand mixers, check each one out.

These mixers will help to create a smooth cake with no lumps or dry spots.

So, sit back, read, and enjoy. Oh, and don’t forget your coffee. ☕


#1 KitchenAid Classic KP26M1XER 6 Qt.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

I absolutely love my KitchenAid and use it for just more than mixing up cakes, pies, and cookies. I use the dough hook for mixing up my biscuits and cornbread. Plus, I have extra attachments for slicing, coarse shredding, and medium shredding. The KitchenAid has a lot more accessories that you can buy. So, really check this out before you decide.

FEATURES:

  • 10 different attachments
  • 6-quart stainless steel bowl with comfortable handle
  • Bowl-lift design
  • 10 different speeds, powerful enough for any task or recipe
  • Includes: burnished flat beater, power knead spiral dough hook, wire whip. Electrical:60 Hz
  • Available in 22 awesome colors

#2 Aucma Stand Mixer 6.5-QT 660W

Acuma Stand Mixer is another one of my 6 Best Cake Mixers

Is one of Amazon’s best sellers. It is extremely easy to use and meets all your kitchen needs for mixing cakes, cookies, pies, bread, muffins, and more. It has a 660W high-performance pure copper motor with lower noise.

FEATURES:

  • Powerful motor & variable speed control
  • 6.5Qt Large capacity bowl with handles
  • Tilt-Head & outside design
  • Comes with 3 mixing accessories: whisk, dough hook, mixing beater
  • It has a splash guard with access hatch that helps add ingredients without making a mess
  • Available in 10 beautiful colors

#3 Cuisinart 50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer

Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer of my 6 Best Cake Mixers

This is a nice mixer that has a large mixing bowl that can easily handle full and double batches. This mixer has the capacity to mix large batches of cookies and large cakes. Need 5 batches of cookies? No worries, this mixer can handle it with no problem.

FEATURES:

  • Polished stainless steel 5.5-quart capacity
  • Powerful 500-watt motor with die cast metal construction
  • Tilt back head for easy access to bowl
  • 12 speeds for precision mixing
  • Chef’s whisk, dough hook, and flat mixing paddle, splash guard w/pour spout
  • Available in 12 lovely colors

#4 COOKLEE Stand Mixer, 9.5 Qt. 660W

COOKLEE Stand Mixer, 9.5 Qt. 660W on of my 6 Best Cake Mixers

This mixer has a large enough capacity for mixing bread dough, thick batters, meringues, and whipping cream, plus lower speeds for stirring and finessing your most delicate concoctions. It also has a pulse setting for faster blitzing (a fancy word for chopping, or pureeing food all at once) of nuts, parsley, etc.

FEATURES:

  • 9.5 Quart high capacity stainless steel mixing bowl
  • 10 speeds to handle any size recipe
  • Easy clean up- all the attachments are dishwasher safe
  • Available in 5 colors

#5 Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer

Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer another of my 6 Best Cake Mixers

Another nice mixer that is made to help you get the job done fast and efficiently. Capable of handling a variety of mixes and batters such as thick cookie dough, sticky bread dough, and even delicate meringues. It has the same mixing action as the KitchenAid stand mixers.

FEATURES:

  • Tilt-up head for adding ingredients and ease of changing attachments
  • Complete bowl coverage: No scraping necessary
  • Mix hands-free with excellent results every time
  • 300W powerful motor for mixing thick batters
  • 4-Quart stainless steel bowl
  • Dough hook, flat beater, whisk, splash guard
  • 7 speeds and includes a mixing guide
  • Available in 5 awesome colors

#6 Dash Go Everyday Mixer

Dash Go Everyday Mixer of my 6 Best Cake Mixers

If you are looking for a simple yet powerful mixer that doesn’t take up a lot of space, then look at this one. This compact mixer may be small, but it packs a powerful punch for mixing, whipping, beating, or kneading with even, uniform results.

FEATURES:

  • Lightweight, portable, and compact
  • 6 preset speeds
  • 2 dough hooks and 2 beaters
  • A revolving bowl can be adjusted for better mixing
  • Can be stored under your kitchen cabinets
  • Available in 9 pretty colors

Conclusion of 6 Best Cake Mixers

Now that you are well informed about the Six of the Best Cake Mixers, I’m confident that you will be able to pick out one that suits your needs.

You are well on your way to becoming an awesome baker. So, what are you waiting for, get baking!

No time to bake? Let me do it for you! Visit Nana’s Bakery and place your order(s).


Thank you for supporting my small business!

Nana 🍰

Nana’s Bakery (To Place Your Orders)

nana@bakewithnana.com 

bakewithnana.com 

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“Which Flour Should I Use?”

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6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

Christmas Cupcakes

** This post also contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you purchase a product after clicking on a link at no extra cost to you. Thank you!


6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes will answer the question you may be asking yourself, “What is the secret to delicious cupcakes?” The simple answer to this question is moistness, of course!

I have produced 6 tips that I think will help you with your cupcakes and hopefully, you will enjoy this simple recipe. Read on and enjoy! 😉


1. Start with a Moist Delicious Cake Recipe

Yellow Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Icing- 6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

I used my favorite Yellow Butter Cake Recipe for this batch of cupcakes. And since they were butter flavored, I decided to use some chocolate buttercream icing. It was awesome and my sister and our guest loved it! Download My Favorite Yellow Butter Cake for FREE at the end of this post.


2. Follow the Recipe

Follow the Recipe is Key for  6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

I know you have read this in some of my other posts before and I know what you are thinking, “Well duh.” But I promise you out of all the tips I can give you, this is the most important one of all!

Always, always follow your recipe step by step. Don’t try and cut corners or you will end up with a not-so-great experience with whatever dessert or dish you are making. So, remember this if you remember nothing else, ok? 😳


3. Gather Your Ingredients

Gather the Ingredients for 6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

To save yourself a lot of time, after reading the recipe go ahead, and get your ingredients together. Then you can begin measuring out and mixing your ingredients.

Ingredients you will need: Self-Rising Flour, Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Milk, Sour Cream, Peanut Butter (Only If you are making a Peanut Butter Cake).

Oh, and if your recipe calls for butter at room temperature, go ahead and lay it out for about 30 minutes along with the eggs. This will help the eggs and butter mix up nicely with your other ingredients.


4. Don’t Overmix or Undermix

Don't Overmix or Undermix

This is a mistake that a lot of bakers make. If you overmix your cupcake batter it will make them tough and crumbly. Undermixing will make them sink in the middle. Mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated, and your batter is not lumpy. 😉


5. Choose the Right Pan

Choose The Right Pan for  6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

Always use the right baking pan size. If you use a pan that is too big, the batter will spread out too far, creating a dense cupcake with little or no filling.

If you use a pan that is too small, your cupcake batter will overflow while baking, and it will be flat on top. When using cupcakes pans, always fill each cavity no more than 2/3 full, otherwise, your baked batter will spill over the edges. 😖


6. Don’t Overbake

Overbaked Cupcakes is Part of  6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. or whatever the recipe calls for. If the recipe states to cook 15-20 minutes, start off with the lower time and increase it in 5-minute intervals.

Overcooking will dry your cupcakes out and make them crumbly. Undercooking them will cause them to sink in the middle. 😝


Conclusion on 6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did share ” 6 Tips for Making the Best Cupcakes.” If you follow my tips, you will be baking delicious moist cupcakes in no time.

Don’t forget to download your FREE Recipe My Favorite Yellow Butter Cake!


**No Time to Bake? Let me do it for you! Visit Nana’s Bakery and place your order. **

Thank you for supporting my small business!

Nana🧁

Nana’s Bakery (To Place Your Order)

nana@bakewithnana.com

bakewithnana.com

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9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits

Delicious Homemade Biscuits

** This post also contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you purchase a product after clicking on a link at no extra cost to you. Thank you!


9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits is a great start for you to learn how. Read on to find out how to achieve this goal! You can do this!

Making homemade biscuits takes me back to my childhood days. I remember my mom fixing homemade biscuits on the weekends when I was a little girl. We couldn’t wait for her to get the dough mixed up and the biscuits cut out and put in the pan and into the oven. I swear I can smell them cooking now!

She would put real butter inside those delicious biscuits. After the butter was all melted, then she would call us to eat breakfast and we would put grape jelly, apple butter, or apple jelly inside those b-i-s-c-u-i-t-s and honey we would eat like we had right mind!! Of course, we had to have bacon or sausage to go with the biscuits as well. 🤤 Ok, back to reality!


Now that I have you nice and hungry

I am going to share with you “9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits.”

Baking biscuits is quite easy and doesn’t take much time. As a Southern girl, I love my bread and sweets! You know, it’s a Southern Thang, Ya’ll.

To make all the sweet and savory goodness possible, we need some tools that are excellent quality and that will last a long time. A heavy-duty stand mixer makes all the difference when baking delicious homemade biscuits. I know they can be expensive, but they are worth their weight in gold.

Of course, if you prefer you can do like I used to do and mix everything up with your hands. That’s what my oldest granddaughter loves to do (she just turned 11). She says she likes to get her hands in there and mix it up good. I used to, but my hands won’t let me do that anymore. ☹️


NOTE: Download and enjoy my Southern Buttermilk Biscuits at the end of this post!

1. Tools for Baking Biscuits

KitchenAid Stand Mixer for Mixing My 9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits

As I have said before I love my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. For me it is a life saver and time saver. When I make my biscuits, I also use a “dough blender” before I use my dough hook on my KitchenAid. This helps to get the butter flavored Crisco mixed into the flour before I add the other ingredients.


2. The Dough Blender

Spring Chef Dough Blender Helps in Mixing My 9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits

The Dough Blender is excellent for blending Crisco sticks or butter into your dough before using your dough hook on your stand mixer. I have a dough blender that I really love. It is old and I bought it at an antique store close to me for about $1.50 a couple of years ago. You can use a fork to do this, but personally, I like the dough blender better. You won’t have to work as hard to get the job done.


3. Get Yo Self a Good Biscuit Recipe

A Good Biscuit Recipe For 9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits

Get yourself a good recipe for biscuits. This is an especially crucial step to baking delicious soft and flakey biscuits. I have your back on this one as well. I have a recipe that is soooo good for my delicious biscuit recipe that you can download for free at the end of this post. This is the only recipe you will ever need! 🤤


4. Follow the Recipe

Follow The Recipe

I know I have said this before and I am saying it again, follow the recipe! It is the most major step of all. If you take this one simple step, it will save you a lot of time and money and you will go on to be a wonderful baker with any dish you want to create.


5. Gather the Ingredients

White Lily Flour, and Crisco

Get your White Lily Self-Rising Unbleached Flour, (or whatever flour you use), Butter Flavored Crisco Stick(s), Whole Buttermilk, and real butter to melt and put on top of biscuits and inside of them.


6. Measure the Ingredients

Measure Out Your Ingredients

It’s better to go ahead and measure out everything before you start the mixing process. This helps to save you time and ensures that you are following the recipe correctly and make mistakes less likely to happen. Trust me, once you start doing this process, it will become second nature to you, and you will be glad that you did.


7. Mixing Everything Together

KitchenAid Stand Mixer With Dough Hook

Now comes the best part, mixing it all together one ingredient at a time. First, you want to pour the measured out White Lily Self-Rising Unbleached flour into your mixing bowl, Second, add the butter flavored Crisco, now take a dough blender, and mix it into the flour until it’s crumbly. Doing this before using a mixer will help it to mix up better. Third, add the whole buttermilk and mix until well incorporated. This is where I like to use my KitchenAid mixer with dough hook attachment, especially if I am fixing a lot of biscuits.


8. Roll the Dough and Cut it Out

Roll Out The Dough

Now that you have everything all mixed up it’s time to roll out the dough and cut it with a biscuit cutter. Once you get the dough all rolled out and the biscuits cut out, it’s time to spray Pam cooking spray or Baker’s Joy cooking spray on the iron skillet. Pre-heat your oven from 450 degrees F. to 500 degrees F. Now place the biscuits in the iron skillet of your choice and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Once they are done butter the biscuits and add jelly, apple butter or whatever you like. Enjoy!


9. Get an Iron Skillet

Cast Iron Skillets With Lids

You must have an iron skillet if you want your biscuits to be soft and fluffy. I have several iron skillets of assorted sizes and I have a couple of Dutch ovens too. If you like, you can purchase these at an antique store. In fact, some of the iron skillets I have purchased at my local antique store. You can buy a set as well.


Conclusion to my “9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits

COFFEE

It has been my pleasure to draft this article for you and I hope you enjoyed it. If you follow these five simple steps, you will be on your way to knowing “9 Steps to Delicious Homemade Biscuits.”

I will be honest with you, it may take you a few times to make these, but PLEASE don’t be discouraged and give up! You know the old saying “Practice makes perfect” and there is a lot of truth to this statement.


Tips from Nana’s Kitchen

Tip #1 If your dough is a little sticky, (and it will be) put a little flour on your hands and that will keep it from sticking to you. Also, if you opt to roll them out, you will need to dust your surface with a little flour as well and put some on your rolling pin.

Tip #2 The less you handle your biscuit dough the lighter and flakier your biscuits will be.

FYI: The most expensive thing you will buy is going to be the stand mixer, but if you are just starting out, get one that will fit your budget and your needs. I started out with a Black and Decker handheld mixer. It was good for me at the time and then I decided I wanted a KitchenAid, so I got it.

Always do what is best for you and suits your needs! If you don’t want a complete set of Iron skillets, go to an Antique store, and get the size that best suits you. Most of all enjoy baking. You are going to make mistakes, so what? I’ve been baking for 47 years and still mess up. Use the mistakes as learning tools and keep on baking! 😉


Download your FREE Southern Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe Below and Enjoy!


**No time to bake? Let me do it for you! Visit Nana’s Bakery to place your order(s). **

Thank you for supporting my small business!

Nana👩‍🍳

Nana’s Bakery (To Place Your Orders)

nana@bakewithnana.com

bakewithnana.com

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