Never fail dessert tips

• Follow the order given in the recipe. Baking involves many processes, including chemical reactions that won’t take place if not done properly.
• If a recipe calls for cake flour, use cake flour.
• Don’t overbake. Set your timer a few minutes shorter than the recipe’s recommended baking time, then watch carefully.
• When filling a cake, don’t use too much, or it will slide when you frost the layers.
• Most recipes are not written for convection ovens, so if you have one, you’ll need to lower the temperature and possibly reduce the baking time.
• Always sift powdered sugar for frostings to prevent lumps.
• A soggy pie crust means it hasn’t been baked enough. One way to prevent that, especially if you have a fruity filling, is to partially bake the crust before filling. Gates says 10 to 15 minutes should do the trick.
• When you’re storing desserts, don’t forget about humidity in your refrigerator.