Baking Secrets

What makes a cake fluffy and moist? What’s the best way to knead yeast dough? What kind of cookie sheet should cookies be baked on? At Better Homes and Gardens, we’ve been answering questions like these since 1922. In fact, we’ve taught generations of readers how to bake, publishing thousands of recipes that are guaranteed to work. So you can bet we know a good recipe when we see one. So does our reader. But now we’re going to explain how and why these baked recipes work, including what can go wrong and how to avoid common mistakes. We’ve added the real secrets to the success of recipes that readers want to bake during the holidays, advice that will make even the best bakers better. Included are classics like the best chocolate truffle cake, creamy pumpkin pie, fluffy cinnamon rolls, cheesecakes, and fudgy brownies, plus fun new favorites such as black forest yule log cake, red velvet cake ball cake, salted caramel cheesecake, and more. These recipes and their secrets are guaranteed to make the holidays as delicious as possible.