Holiday Baking and Planning Guide

Getting ready for holiday baking can be stressful. I'm hoping to ease your mind and reduce the stress by providing tips to help you get as prepared as possible. This article includes tips from organizing your kitchen, baking tools, choosing the right ingredients, bakeware, and frequently asked questions in my group, Black Peoples Pound Cakes. This article will be lengthy so let's dive right into it.

Organizing and Prepping your kitchen and pantry

Organizing your kitchen well help with preparing your space for a better flow during the baking process. Deep cleaning is helpful as well. Deep cleaning your kitchen and organizing your pantry can also eliminate stress so you can just focus on the baking process.

This is also a good time to take inventory of baking items that you have available in your pantry. Check how much of each item you have and whether or not you need more of that item. Also, check expiration dates and discard any expired items. You do not want to use any expired items for the best results.

Do the same for your refrigerator. Items such as butter and cream cheese have a longer shelf life than items such as milk, heavy cream etc. so you can buy them a little earlier. I freeze my butter as well.

If you can, start this process at least a couple of weeks in advance so that you have plenty of time to focus and take your time.

Another important tip is to make sure not to overcommit. Holiday baking, especially along with entertaining, is a lot of work and you don't want to be so exhausted that you can't enjoy yourself. Even if you are baking just for customers, it can be very taxing so only do what you can.

Test any new pound cake recipes in advance so you are sure of the result you will get. This is not the time to spring new recipes on your family and friends that you haven't tried before.

Make a List

After you've done your inventory, it's time to make a list of items that you need. For items that have a longer shelf life, it would be great to buy those items at least two weeks in advance. That way you are well prepared, have time to run back to the store if needed, and don't have to deal with last-minute shoppers. For items with shorter shelf life, buy those items as far out as possible.

Ordering items so you don't have to pick them up is a great idea as well. If you don't want the items delivered to your home, most stores offer curb side or parking lot pick up options. Simply pick out the items you want, and reserve a time for them to be delivered to you.

Common Baking Ingredients

Pantry Staples

• Flour: All Purpose, Cake Flour
• Sugar: Granulated sugar, Light and/or Dark Brown sugar, Confectioner's (Powdered) sugar
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Extracts/Emulsions: Vanilla, Almond, Coconut, Rum, etc.
• Cocoa powder or Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• Chocolate chips
• Unsweetened or sweetened coconut
• Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, almonds etc
• Oil: Vegetable oil, Crisco, etc. moist and prevent them from sticking to pans.
• Baking Spray

Refrigerator Staples

• Butter: Salted and/or Unsalted
• Liquids: Whole milk, buttermilk, heavy whipping cream
• Eggs: whole eggs, white or brown

Room Temperature Ingredients

Butter, eggs, liquids (milk, buttermilk, heavy whipping cream) are the most common ingredients that need to be brought to room temperature for a pound cake. The temperature inside of your home will determine how long it will take for your ingredients to come to room temperature. In my home, it typically takes about two hours give or take. Here are some tips to speed up the process:

• Butter. To bring butter up to temperature, pour hot water into a Mason jar and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Once the jar is warm, dump out the water and cover your sticks of butter with it for several minutes. Don't allow the butter to start melting from the wrapper. If that starts happening, of course remove the Mason jar.
• Eggs. To warm up cold eggs, place them in a bowl of warm water (not hot water - we don't want them to cook) for approximately five minutes.
• Milk/other liquids: To bring liquids to room temperature, microwave them on the lowest power setting in ten-second increments until the desired temperature is reached. (This is not my favorite method. I just don't think it produces the same result as letting the liquid come to room temperature, but it is an option).

Choosing your Ingredients

I'm often asked or its asked in the group what is the best flour, flavoring, etc. I'll give you my favorites, but the best brand is your favorite brand. What I like or what others like may not be for you. This will come with time and trial and error.

I prefer name-brand ingredients. I've found they produce the best product, but if you are a beginner, and need budget-friendly options, I recommend buying store-brand items from a store whose products you trust. I myself am a fan of Kroger and Sam's Club.

Flour, Sugars, Butter: I typically buy these items in bulk at Sam's Club due to the volume of baking and mostly use their brands. I use Gold Medal pre-sifted flour. I don't sift my flour at all. I only fluff or whisk it.

Extracts: McCormick, Watkins, and Adams are my favorite brands. I also use LorAnn emulsions and pastes.

Milks and Cream Cheese: I use Kroger or Walmart brands. I have had success with them so unless the name brand item is on sale, I use the store brand.

Spices: McCormick is my favorite brand, but I use Kroger brand is well.

My favorite pan prep: Baker's Joy (I know they've had can issues lately, but I rarely have any issues with my pound cakes sticking using their product).

How to Measure Ingredients

Using a kitchen scale

Place your empty bowl, plate, etc on the scale. Zero out or tare your scale before placing anything on your bowl or plate. Then add your ingredients to weigh the item.

Measuring dry ingredients without a kitchen scale

Pour or scoop ingredients into your measuring cup or spoon. Run the back of a butter knife across the surface to level the ingredients.

Measuring liquid ingredients without a kitchen scale

Use a liquid measuring cup to measure liquids. Make sure to place the measuring cup on a flat surface so that it is level. Then, get down to eye level with the liquid measuring cup so that you can read the most accurate measurement.

Essential Baking Tools

Measuring cups

There are two different kinds of measuring cups. One is a handled cup that is used to measure dry ingredients. Another is a liquid measuring cup, used to measure liquid ingredients.

Measuring spoons

Measuring spoons are for measuring wet and dry ingredients and typically range from ⅛ teaspoon up to a tablespoon.

Kitchen scale

Kitchen scales can be either digital or analog and are used for weighing ingredients.

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are used for mixing ingredients especially when using a hand mixer. Every baker needs a few mixing bowls in different sizes.

Silicone spatula

Silicone spatulas come in several sizes and are great for mixing batter and for using to scrape down the sides of your bowl. I prefer to use the large size spatulas.

Icing spatula

Icing spatulas (also known as a frosting spatula or offset spatula) are great for frosting your pound cake. I use the larger spatula as it fits my hand best and covers a larger area.

Whisk

Whisks help blend ingredients. They are especially helpful when mixing icing by hand to break up and blend the ingredients at the same time.

Wooden spoons

Wooden spoons are sturdy spoons that are made of wood and come in different sizes for simple stirring and mixing.

Oven Thermometer

Oven thermometers are a great tool to ensure that your oven is of proper temperature.

Kitchen Appliances and helpful tools

Hand or stand mixer

Hand mixers and stand mixers are used to blend ingredients together. Either or are great tools for preparing pound cake batters and icing, glazes etc.

Bakeware

Regular Bundt Pan: Always use quality bakeware. My favorite brand is Nordicware. I recommend using a 12-cup bundt pan because it will fit most regular pound cakes.

Mile High Bundt Pan: My favorite is the Nordicware Procast Angel Food bundt pan. This pan is commonly used for Mile High (18-cup) pound cakes.

Find more popular bundt pans in my store.

Loaf pan

Loaf pans are rectangular with high sides for shaping and baking loaf cakes etc. Loaf pans come in various sizes. Some prefer to bake their pound cakes in a loaf pan.

Wire cooling rack

Wire racks are metal racks that allow air to reach all around the pound cake and assist with faster cooling.

Lazy Susan: I love using this tool to make it easier to add my batter in the pan and glaze/frost my pound cakes.

Storing your Pound Cake

• Cake Keeper: This is my favorite way to store my pound cakes, rather if I am leaving them on the counter, or refrigerating them. Always follow food safety guidelines, but I generally leave my cakes at room temperature on the counter for up to five days unless they contain fruit. I refrigerate those containing fruit. They should be frozen or discarded after five days.
• Freezing your Pound Cakes: To freeze pound cake slices, allow the cake to completely cool, cut your slices as desired, wrap them in heavy-duty foil, and place them in a ziplock bag. To freeze the cake whole, wrap it in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil, preferably heavy duty. Freeze the pound cake for up to three months for the best freshness. They are fine frozen glazed, iced, and all. If freezing temporarily, you may decide to apply any glazes or icing after thawing. See my guide for further details and video.

Avoid Common Baking Mistakes

1. Read the recipe entirely before you start. Make sure to always read the recipe thoroughly before shopping for your ingredients. This will help you prepare and prevent surprises along the way.
2. Follow the recipe. This is especially important if you are a beginner. Follow the recipe the first time baking a new pound cake recipe. With time and experience, you can start making adjustments. And if you don't have a particular ingredient on hand, I recommend waiting until you are able to get that ingredient.
3. Use an oven thermometer. Often times the oven is not of temperature when the oven alerts you that the oven is preheated. And some ovens need calibration. Using an oven thermometer will provide you with an accurate reading and help with potentially under or overcooking your pound cake.
4. Accurately measure. Baking is a science. It's important to always measure accurately and not eyeball ingredients. Using your measuring cups and spoons will help you with accuracy.
5. Let your pound cake cool completely before cutting and/or storing. If you cut your cake while it's still warm, you risk it falling apart or not having a nice cut. If you store your cake before it has cooled, you risk it becoming rubbery and/or hard.
6. Take care great of your baking pans. Don't use any sharp objects in your bundt pan. Do not use any scouring pads to clean it to avoid scratches. I usually soak my pan in soapy water if not cleaning it right away. Otherwise, I recommend cleaning it right away to avoid any food residue hardening in the pan making it harder to clean.

Follow The Recipe

Again, for the people in the back! This is very important! You don't want to be in the middle of making a recipe and realize that you are missing an ingredient or unsure about a step. Also, pay close attention to instructions regarding room temperature ingredients. Avoid substitutions.

 Not All Ovens Are Created Equal

While a recipe may call for a pound cake to be baked at 325º, note that your oven may be a few degrees off, which could affect baking time. Using an oven thermometer provides you with a more accurate reading of your oven temperature. It’s always a good practice to check your baked goods a few minutes before the cooking time listed in the recipe. 

Other Frequently Asked Questions from the group:

Which type of butter should I use in my recipe?
Salted or unsalted butter can be used. When using salted butter, avoid using any additional salt in the batter. (Using salted butter is a preference. I use unsalted butter because I like to control the salt in my batter).

How far advance cake I bake for the holiday?
Always follow USDA food safety guidelines. Pound Cakes generally last for five days. After that time they should be discarded or frozen. I recommend baking your pound cake at least one day in advance before serving because they are even better a day or two after baking. If baking for the holiday, keep in mind that guests continue to indulge in goodies after the event.

Pound Cakes can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to three months. If freezing to serve later I recommend waiting to glaze pound cake after removing it from the freezer.

What type of mixer should I use?
The kind you like and that is available. A hand or stand mixer will work fine. You don't need a stand mixer to bake a pound cake. They are a great convenience and I recommend graduating to using one if you bake on a regular basis.

What are common issues that cause my pound cake to fall?
Opening the oven during the baking process. Most ovens have a window to look through. Use this as a tool and only open the oven when the cake is almost done. I generally bake my regular pound cakes for an hour and 15 minutes. I only open the oven after the hour mark, usually the hour and 10 minute mark unless I think the cake is baking faster than usual.

Another reason is not smoothing the batter properly. See my videos. I add my batter in two layers to avoid any uneven areas in my pound cake batter. This has eliminated tunnels that were occurring in my cake after I cut it.

Removing the pound cake from the pan when it's too hot. I generally allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Can I prepare my glazes and frosting in advance?
Some of them do well being prepared in advance and some don't. I would do some testing prior to doing so. Powdered sugar glazes and frosting tend to do well pre-prepped.

What oven temperature should I bake at?
My sweet spot is 325 degrees. That may work for you and again it may not. All ovens are different and we all have different preferences. Some like to bake as low as 300 and some like to bake as high as 350. Follow the recipe is my best advice. If the recipe does not specify, 325 or 350 are my recommended temperatures.

Should I use a different temperature depending on if I have a gas or an electric stove?
Not necessarily. I've used both types of ovens and have used the same temperatures with both. I make adjustments according to the oven I'm using, not the type of oven. Except in the case of conventional ovens. I've never used one, but those who have shared information about them have said to drop the temperature 15-25 degrees lower than you would bake in other ovens.

Should I use the cold oven method or preheat my oven?
This method is preference. I would follow the recipe if you are a beginner. With time and experience, experiment with both and determine which one you like the best. I've had better success with preheating my oven.

How long should I cream my butter and sugar?
I cream mine for about five minutes or until it's light and fluffy. Some cream their butter and sugar longer.

What speed should I set my stand mixer on?
I don't move my speed up higher than a 2 when mixing my batter. Sometimes I may bump it up to a 3 when creaming my butter and sugar, otherwise, it is at a 2. My speed varies when I am making glazes, frosting, and icings. Generally my speed still isn't higher than a 2.

What is the process for mixing your ingredients?
I usually start with my butter and sugar, then add my extracts, then my eggs and then my flour and liquids. That's for most recipes, not all. Always follow the recipe. See my Butter Vanilla Pound Cake recipe. It is a great beginner's recipe with video to refer to.

Should I use a cake thermometer?
You can, but the toothpick test or using a skewer is still a great method. You should have minimal crumbs and the toothpick or skewer should not be wet when removing it from the pound cake.

What are your tips for baking in a high-altitude area?
I'm not well-versed in that area, but here are two articles from reputable websites:
Find them here and here.

How should I prepare my pan?
Use your favorite method. Not everything works for everyone. I use baking spray. Some spray their pan then refridgerate it while preparing the batter. Some use the butter and flour method. Some use cake goop. Do whatever keeps your cake from sticking. Using a good method along with a quality, well-kept pan is a recipe for success.

More Baking Guides:

• How to make a moist Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Essential Tools
• Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
• How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
• How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners
• Pound Cake Baking Guide
• How to freeze a pound cake