I can't bake

I married a farmer as a big city girl. My mom cooked everything from a box. That first year I made gravy every day, most of the time it was horrendous. But I got better, my gravy would make your mouth water. Take your time,and practice. I think you are trying too difficult recipes. Spend some time watching the food network. Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa is a great teacher. Bobby Flay is fabulous at baking believe or not, his biscuit recipe is the best I have found. Paula Deen is a good baker too. They all take their time, measure carefully and the recipes can be printed out easily. They rate them on ease of making the recipe. Temp is extremely important as well. I think you are just too nervous, calm down and relax. Have a glass of Tea!

Judy is absolutely on the money! You can't wing it with baking, your measurements must be correct and proper tools help. Latisha's right about the thermometer, too. An oven that's off can ruin your baking. I grew up baking but still have failures, so don't be discouraged, it happens to all of us. Just keep trying, easy stuff first. You'll have great cakes before you know it!

Hi Leila, I have owned a bakery for 26 years, and have taught professional baking and culinary arts classes for 18 years. There are 2 basic mistakes beginners make: inaccurate measuring, and a lack of understanding of baking terms (such as "knead", "cream together", "fold", etc.). When measuring dry ingredients (flour, etc.), spoon the ingredient into a cup intended for dry ingredients. These are the plastic and metal graduated cups with handles. Using a knife, level the top. That is an accurate dry measure, NOT heaped, NOT packed, NOT below the top rim of the cup. Tablespoons and teaspoons are also measured level. For liquid measure you need to use a glass or plastic cup you can see in to, with a pouring spout. They have measurement lines on the outside. A liquid measure cup has headroom at the top so you won't spill. Put the measure cup on a level surface, fill to the correct line without tilting the cup. A lot of baking books these days have lots of information, not just recipes. Find one with good instructions. A baking textbook such as "Professional Baking" by Gisslen, or "On Baking" by Labensky would be a big help for understanding how ingredients function. The more knowledge you have , the fewer mistakes you will make. I have taught a lot of culinary students, and those who have problems baking have trouble being precise. Cooking is much more flexible, baking is less forgiving. Good luck!

Absolutely! Practice makes perfect, and try different things. I know I like to! In fact, I am thinking about trying yet another recipe I found in More magazine for a Chocolate Pecan Pie. It will be a challenge, but it looks too good on the picture for me not to make it :)

I used to never even come near a kitchen, but I must say, it has improved. The reason why? PRACTICE! Don't be afraid to try and come up with completely burnt cupcakes hard as a rock. It's all part of the learning process. Start off with simple things, even those Pillsbury dough things that only require you to stick it in the oven for a few minutes. Then, you can move on to things that require a little more attention. You'll be fine. Try cookies first. They're the easiest. Then do cakes next! Yum!!!

The first thing I would say is, you just have to do it, girl! Practice makes perfect. The second thing is, make sure your oven is accurate and consistent. Get an oven thermometer and check. Finally, I find that baking is like chemistry (more than other types of cooking). If you're just starting out, it really is important to measure everything precisely and follow recipe directions closely. Finally, don't give up, just keep trying! I would start with bread, that will teach you a lot of things. Cookies are easy, too.