How to Bake a Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow this easy guide for mixing, prepping and baking a cake



How-To: Cake 101
Follow these easy tips for success every time you bake.


Prep Ingredients
First, set out your ingredients.


Measurements Matter
Take the time to be precise. Accurate measurements mean tastier results.


Bring All Ingredients to Room Temperature
Measure your ingredients while the butter and eggs warm up. Batter mixes best when ingredients are at room temperature.


Check Egg Sizes
Large eggs are the most common for baking.


Preheat
Preheat your oven for at least 20 minutes. Use an oven thermometer so you'll know if your oven is running hot or cold.


Oven Racks
Position racks in the center of the oven.


Sifting
Use a mesh strainer if your recipe calls for sifting. Just tap the sides and take your time.


Parchment-Paper Lining
Trace the cake pan on parchment paper and cut just inside the lines.


Butter the Pan
Butter the pan with softened butter or nonstick spray. Line the pan with parchment paper — this will help your cake release perfectly — and butter the parchment.


Flour the Pan
Coat the sides, bottom and corners of the pan, then remove excess. The butter and flour combination will help the cake come out of the pan easily once baked. Remove excess flour when prepping the pan.


Preparing a Bundt Pan
With Bundt pans, take care to butter all the nooks and crannies, then flour the pan. You're ready to add your batter.


Baking
Only fill the cake pan to 2/3 high. Use the center rack of the oven for even cooking.


Rotate the Pan
Halfway through the cooking time, rotate the pan 180 degrees.


Done
The cake is done when it's firm to the touch.


Toothpick Test
A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.


Cooling
Cool in the pan on a rack for five to 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Be careful — the pan may still be hot.


Bundt Cake Cooling

For a Bundt cake, invert onto a platter. Perfect baking can be a piece of cake!

how to make Green Masala Paplet Fry (pomfret Fry)

A simple fish fry in green masala.. Pomfret is one of the most easiest fish to prepare. I usually dont cook a lot of fish at home, but when I do, it has to be pomfret/ paplet. This recipe is not a traditional or regional one, its just my recipe! my taste :)

Ingredients: 

Pomfret 2

Coriander 1 cup

Pudina leaves 1/2 Cup

Garlic 2 cloves

Salt 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Green chili 1

Oil for frying

Rice flour for coating

Directions: 

In this recipe use a medium sized pomfret and do not cut in half, just give three slits in the centre. My fish monger accidentally cut the small pomfret into two :( But well you can make sure that its not cut it just needs to be slit in center

Slit, clean and wash the fish and set aside

To make the green masala blend together all the above ingredients except oil and rice flour.

Now apply this masala on to the fish, apply generously inside out.

Refrigerate the fish (do not freeze) and leave it in the masala marinade for 30mins

After 30 mins, heat oil for shallow frying.

Take the rice flour in a plate, coat the fish on both sides with the rice flour and add the pcs one by one and cook on both sides for 3 mins each

The fish may take more or less time depending on the size/ thickness.

Serve it hot with dal chawal or just like that as a starter

for dal recipe see here 

Sambar / Amma's Sambar / Regular Sambar