Baking measurements must be right. When you are baking ingredients they must be measured accurately for everything to work out right. If you do not use the right tool or neglect measuring correctly, you will not get the results that you were expecting. One of the most common causes of baking failure is not measuring ingredients properly. You can use the best ingredients in the world, but if they are not the exact amount, the recipe will not come out right. Perhaps you were very careful and measured everything level and accurately. Were you using the right tool?
Dry Ingredients Need Dry Measuring Cups
There are two types of measuring cups; graduated measuring cups for dry ingredients, and glass measuring cups for liquids. These are NOT interchangeable. A well-tooled kitchen must have both sets.
Dry measuring cups generally are made of metal or plastic and come in sizes from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Use these when you are measuring dry ingredients like flour, sugar, and oats. These should also be used for solid fats like butter, margarine and shortening.
When measuring dry goods, spoon the ingredient lightly into the cup, then level it off with a metal spatula or knife. For solid fats and cheeses, spoon into the cup and pat down lightly. Make sure it is level. Graduated measuring cups are for dry ingredients and solid fats.
Tip: Before measuring honey or molasses, lightly grease your measuring cup with vegetable oil for easy release and clean up.
Liquids Are Measured in Glass
All recipes are developed using a glass or clear plastic measuring cup for liquids. Unlike the solids, it is hard to level a liquid. When using the glass cups, place it on a flat surface and read the measurement at eye level.
Put Down the Soup Spoon
When you are measuring smaller amounts, always use measuring spoons not the same spoon you use to eat soup. For liquid, pour into the measuring spoon until full. For dry ingredients, pour into spoon until full and level off with a spatula or knife. It is handy to have two sets of measuring spoons. One for dry ingredients and one for the liquids.