These awesome baking hacks will ensure that you never make any failed cakes, egg-shell cookies or burnt scones ever again!

1. REMOVE BROKEN EGG SHELLS

Got a pesky piece of egg shell in your mixture? Use an empty egg shell half to retrieve it. It magically acts as a magnet. Easy as that!

2. MAKE YOUR OWN ICING SUGAR

Place 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp cornflour in a blender. Blitz until it has reached a powdery consistency. Pass it through a fine sieve to remove any larger pieces. You don’t have to add cornflour, but doing so will help to prevent lumps.

3. EVEN COOKING

Bake your cake on the middle rack of the oven for the best heat circulation, resulting in an evenly baked sponge.

4. NO BUTTER?

Want to cut down on pricey butter? Swap every 1 cup butter in the recipe for a ¾ cup oil (use neutral canola for baking).

5. WHAT’S THE SCOOP?

Want all your cupcakes or muffins to be exactly the same size? Use an ice cream scoop to measure out your batter.

6. WHIP IT. WHIP IT REAL GOOD

Whenever you have to whip cream or egg whites, whip them in a jar. The confined space means that your beaters will be in contact with more of the liquid at once, making the process much swifter. Just ensure your jar is deep enough for when the peaks begin to form.

7. GO COCONUTS!

Instead of using milk or cream in your baking recipe, you can replace it with coconut milk. Just remember to use light coconut milk if the recipe uses low-fat milk, and regular coconut milk if it calls for full-cream.

8. VEGAN EGGS

Swap out eggs for flax eggs to make a recipe vegan. For every egg required, simply mix 2 tbsp ground flaxseed and 5 tsp water. Leave for 5 minutes before using.

9. PUFF-PASTRY CROISSANTS

Have croissants on the table in a jiffy with some store-bought puff pastry. Roll out the pastry and cut it into small triangles, then simply roll up and bake until puffy and golden brown. You can even spread the dough with Nutella, flavoured butter or your favourite nut butter before rolling.

10. DIY BUTTERMILK

In a bowl, combine 1 cup milk with EITHER 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice OR 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. Stir well to combine and leave to curdle before using.

Image: Pixabay