# 26 Baking Tips You'll Wish You Knew > 26 baking tips from BuzzFeed Community members to make perfect cookies and cakes. - Title: 26 Baking Tips You'll Wish You Knew · Tasty | Shortify - Summary: 26 baking tips from BuzzFeed Community members to make perfect cookies and cakes. baking, cookies, cakes · reported by Tasty. - Keywords: baking, cookies, cakes, baking tips, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, chocolate, muffins, cupcakes, baking mat - Source: Tasty — https://tasty.co/article/jasminnahar/seriously-useful-baking-tips - Published: 2016-10-18T12:57:42+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: baking, cookies, cakes, baking tips, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, chocolate, muffins, cupcakes, baking mat ## Invest in a silicone baking mat This mat saves pans and cuts cleaning time in half for even baking cookies. > Not only does it save your pans, but it cuts cleaning time in half and I personally think that the mat makes the cookies bake much more evenly. ## Take cookies out when edges harden Remove cookies when edges harden to prevent breaking teeth. > If you wait for them to 'cook all the way through' then they'll break your teeth! ## Use cake release spray Cake release spray prevents sticking without regret. > You won’t regret it. ## Coat fruit and chocolate chips in flour Flour coating prevents sinking and ensures even flavor distribution. > This prevents all the bits from sinking to the bottom and ensures you’ve got an even distribution of flavour. ## Use ice cream scoop for muffins Ice cream scoop gives perfect proportions for muffins and cupcakes. > When I make muffins or cupcakes, I use a small ice cream scoop to fill the liners. It gives me perfect proportions every time. ## Swap vanilla extract for vanilla bean paste Vanilla bean paste gives more authentic flavor with black seeds. > The flavour is more similar to using a real vanilla bean, and you get those little black vanilla seeds as proof of how fancy you and your cake/frosting/whatever you’re making is. ## Spoon flour into measuring cup Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with knife for accuracy. > When measuring flours, don’t scoop with your measuring cup. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife. ## Use grams or pounds instead of cups Recipes in grams or pounds ensure more exact results. > By getting recipes with the ingredients in grams or pounds, you will see more exactness in your final products. ## Don't skip salt in desserts Salt enhances flavor in desserts without making them salty. > People always assume that because it's a dessert it doesn't need salt, I can't stress enough that salt is the missing ingredient in so many dishes! ## Chill butter before using Grate and freeze butter for 1 hour to prevent melting. > When recipes call for chilled butter (pie crust, biscuits, and the like), grate the butter ahead of time and put it in the freezer for an hour or so before incorporating it into the recipe. ## Let cakes cool before icing Cool cakes for 30 minutes before icing to prevent breaking. > They’ll break if you take them out the tin too early and the frosting will melt right off. Basically, let those babies rest for a good 30 minutes before attempting anything ## Key takeaway 26 baking tips from BuzzFeed Community members help improve cookie and cake results.