Kitchen Tips: Love Baking Cakes? Here’s The List Of Baking Ingredients One Must Have At Home

Does that sweet smell of a freshly baked cake bring smile on your face and spark in the eyes? If yes, have you ever thought of baking fresh sweet treats at home? Baking cakes and cookies at home can not only get you fresh cakes, but can also be fun and relaxing. Yes, baking as per experts is therapeutic. As per a study by the researchers at University of Auckland, cooking provide a unique means for adolescents to develop life skills and contribute positively to their families. Another study, published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, it was found that a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and culinary therapy can help in treating people undergoing depression.

One must always remember that baking and patience go hand-in-hand. Good baking is possible only when you give time and care to each of your ingredients well. The list of ingredients differs from dessert to dessert and also depends on their flavours. Some need chocolates, whereas some need fruits; some need nuts and raisins, whereas some needs vanilla essence. But, there are few basic ingredients one must have at home for baking any kind of cake or cookie.

Here's The List of Five Basic Ingredients That One Must Have At Home to Bake A Cake:

1. Egg-

Egg  plays an important role in baking. It works as a binder and helps give structure to the batter of a cake. It also adds glaze and moisture to the dessert. Egg whites help in making the cake moist; whereas the yolk adds flavour to it.

2. Flour-

We generally use all-purpose flour (maida) at home for baking. It is one of the base ingredients for baking. As per an article by University of Toronto, "When flour protein is combined with moisture and heat, it develops into gluten." Different types of flours are used for different types of baking- whole-wheat, rye, buckwheat or spelt flour are few of the flours which are combined with white flour to bake breads.

3. Milk-

This ingredient helps to soften the baked dishes. The fat and sugar content in the milk helps to add flavour and taste in the dish. The protein content in the milk also contributes in giving a good structure to the batter or the dough.

4. Baking Powder-

Have you ever thought what makes the cake fluffy? It's the baking powder. As per the Toronto University article, baking powder is a leavening agent, which helps the batter to rise. The role of a leavener is to enlarge the bubbles present in the batter through creaming of the ingredients. One must also remember, usage of excessive baking powder can make the food taste bitter; so use it in the right quantity.

5. Sugar-

How can a sweet cake be complete without sugar? It adds texture, flavour, moist and most importantly crunch to a cake. It also helps in deepening the colour of a cake or cookie.