There’s nothing more satisfying than a scrumptious cake that you’ve lovingly made from scratch. But, when it comes to baking, even the most experienced bakers can make mistakes. From soggy bottoms to dry sponges, it’s so easy to have a baking disaster. Happily, most of these pitfalls can easily be avoided by following a few handy hacks. Whether you're a complete novice or a keen baker who wants to improve, our simple tricks and tips will help you achieve cake perfection every time. 

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the timeless baking hacks you’ll use again and again, counting down to the most game-changing of them all.

We get it, you’re curious to see how your cake is getting along, but opening the oven door when it’s cooking is a sure-fire way to ruin it completely because it allows heat to escape. This sudden drop in temperature can cause the cake to sink in the middle, leading to uneven baking. Additionally, opening the door can disturb the cake's structure before it’s fully set, especially during the first half of baking when the cake is rising. So, as tempting as it is, avoid opening the oven until the baking time is up.

Unlike cooking, where you can improvise and put your own spin on recipes, altering key components in baking – like flour, leavening agents or sugar – can dramatically change the texture, rise and flavour of the final product. Remember that baking is a precise science that relies on specific ingredient ratios and techniques, so don’t be tempted to swap demerara sugar for white if that’s all you’ve got in the cupboard. To avoid this, ensure you have all the ingredients listed in the recipe before you start cooking.

Use soft flour for cakes rather than strong or bread flours, which contain a high amount of gluten and will make your cake tough. If you don't bake on a regular basis, buy flour in smaller quantities and store in a sealed container. Flour left open for too long will attract flour weevils. If you can, buy organic flour, which hasn't been sprayed. And remember that self-raising flour already has a raising agent added. 

It doesn’t sound very appetising, but adding a splash of white vinegar to buttercream is a handy hack that professional bakers swear by. Not only does it stop buttery frosting from cracking when it sets, it helps stabilise it, making it smoother, silkier and easier to spread. Although you won’t notice the taste, the acidity of vinegar also cuts through the rich, sugary flavour of the buttercream, creating a more balanced and less overwhelmingly sweet taste.

For a while now there's been a trend towards incorporating nuts and seeds in cakes, together with wholemeal flour, to add a bit of feel-good factor with extra minerals, fibre and nutrients. They can still taste great, too, with the right recipe. To reduce the refined sugar content, you can also use alternatives like honey, maple syrup, or mashed bananas to sweeten your cakes. And try swapping thick icing and heavy buttercream for Greek yogurt infused with a little honey for a lighter frosting.

Baking powder is not the same as baking soda (also called bicarbonate of soda) and cooks are often confused. The former is a combination of bicarbonate of soda, an acid, cream of tartar and something like cornflour which acts as a filler. Check if you are on a gluten-free diet. Baking powder reacts when added to liquid to create carbon dioxide which makes the mixture expand. You should get your cake into the oven quickly once added. Make plain flour self-raising by adding a level teaspoon to 110g (4oz) flour.

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is an alkali used as a raising agent for soda bread and robust cakes such as gingerbread, carrot cake or fruit cake. You'll see it combined with an acid, such as buttermilk or yogurt, which helps to activate it and give off carbon dioxide to make a lighter cake. Always use the amount specified as overuse can give a strong, bitter flavour and your cake may collapse or peak too high.

Baking is no different from other types of cooking in that you should always have your ingredients ready to go before you start – there's nothing more annoying than realising you've run out of eggs or milk halfway through a bake. Weigh or measure everything out, have tins prepared and preheat the oven to the correct temperature. When baking cakes, you need to put the mixture straight into the oven once it's ready as the raising agents begin their chemical reaction. If you leave it hanging around for too long, you may have a sunken centre, or the cake won't rise sufficiently.

Who can resist a home-baked carrot cake? It's such a forgiving cake which doesn't require much technical skill, but the trick is to get the frosting right. Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese as anything else goes to liquid once you add the icing sugar. Also use the best butter you can – cheaper butters contain more water and won't make a thick, rich icing.

Of course, if you bake often, there's no better investment than a stand mixer. Whether you're making perfectly fluffy meringues or whisking butter and sugar together, they're worth their weight in gold. Although pricey, they'll last for years and look rather lovely on your kitchen countertop. If the budget doesn't stretch that far, a good quality electric hand whisk will also do the job. If you are using a hand whisk, put your bowl on a damp kitchen cloth or tea towel to prevent it sliding around your worktop. 

A genoise is an Italian sponge which contains no raising agent. The light texture is achieved by beating eggs and sugar until pale and thick. You will definitely need an electric hand whisk for this one! The trick to getting it as light as possible is to beat the eggs and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water, without the bowl touching the water. The gentle heat makes the eggs foam up and results in a wonderfully light cake.

Butter and eggs are such an integral part of baking, so it's a challenge to make vegan cakes – but by no means impossible. Butter can be replaced by a light oil such as sunflower or coconut, cows' milk can be swapped for oat or almond, while aquafaba (chickpea water) is a fantastic egg alternative, and makes amazing meringues. Just check that any chocolate used in a recipe is labelled as suitable for vegans, because some may contain animal fats.

Everyone loves a drizzle cake with glacé icing (a mix of icing sugar and liquid of some sort). It's easy to make but sift the icing sugar thoroughly to remove any lumps. If your sieve isn't fine enough, you may have to do it a couple of times to avoid unsightly lumps over your perfect cake. Add the liquid (often water) gradually to ensure it isn't too runny. For an extra citrusy note, use lemon juice and zest in your glaze instead of water. You could also experiment with other tangy citrus fruits like grapefruit, lime or even yuzu for a twist on the classic cake.

Incorporating foraged ingredients into cakes offers a fresh, seasonal touch that elevates both the flavour and appearance. Edible flowers, such as violets or nasturtiums, add vibrant colours and subtle floral notes to cake batters or as decorative toppings. Wild fruits like blackberries, elderberries or crab apples provide bursts of natural sweetness and tartness, perfect for fillings or compotes. You could even make use of nettles if you’re feeling adventurous. Simply add a purée of blanched nettles (the boiling water removes the sting) to your sponge for a burst of goodness and vibrant green colour.

Almonds, when used in the form of almond flour or ground almonds, can help create a dense but wonderfully moist texture in cakes and biscuits. Almond flour has a higher fat content than regular wheat flour, which adds moisture and a rich, slightly nutty flavour to the cake. It’s also naturally gluten-free, making it ideal for coeliacs or those avoiding wheat flour. The nutty flavour pairs beautifully with coconut, chocolate, berries and citrus fruits.

Can you do a straight swap of wheat flour for gluten-free flour? Well, it depends on the recipe. For cookies, it just makes them softer. However, in cakes, it may change the structure and the rise. You're better off tracking down a recipe which has been developed using gluten-free flour. There are plenty to choose from, including almond, rice and buckwheat, all with slightly different properties. Often, you'll find the best recipes use a mix of a few types of gluten-free flour.

A bundt or ring cake is a thing of beauty and something to attempt when you have a little more confidence in your baking. The tins can be notoriously tricky due to their shape, with so many nooks and crannies to thoroughly grease. The best way to avoid bits of the cake sticking to the tin is to use a cake release spray which does the job perfectly.

When your tasty bake is ready to come out of the oven, it’s tempting to want to work with it straight away. But if you transfer your cake to a tin or airtight container before it has cooled completely, condensation will form, giving it a sticky surface. This is something you’ll find with traditional fruit cakes in particular, as they retain a lot of heat due to the high sugar content. To avoid this, just be patient and wait until your cake is completely cold to touch before storing or decorating.

If you're looking for a cake for larger numbers, whether you're catering for a party or a bake sale, you can’t go wrong with a sheet cake. Simple, versatile and thrifty, there are endless possibilities for different fillings and decorations, and the rectangular shape allows for easy portioning, ensuring consistent slices for everyone. Just be sure not to overfill your tin to allow room for the cake to rise, and avoid overbaking by checking it a few minutes before the suggested time – it can be harder to judge doneness when you’re working with a big cake.

Cake recipes inspired by Middle Eastern cooking often contain olive oil instead of butter. The oil gives a more dense, heavy texture but it also results in a very moist, squidgy cake. Just remember that you can't simply swap in olive oil in a cake where butter has been used without several attempts to get it right. It's better to use a tried and trusted recipe specifically developed using olive oil.

Whichever shape of cake you want to bake, always use the size and depth of the tin specified in the recipe. Most recipes use 18cm (7in), 20cm (8in) or 23cm (9in) round tins, sandwich tins (which are shallower for making layer cakes) or spring-form for deeper cakes. Loaf tins tend to be 450g (16oz) or 900g (32oz). It's worth building up a small stock of the most usual tins. If the tin is too big or too small, the cake may burn but be raw in the middle, be undercooked or too thin. 

Cracked cake? It could be the wrong-sized tin or a too-hot oven. Sunk in the middle? There could be too much raising agent in the mixture, or you've opened the oven too often. Soggy in the middle? The oven could be too hot, or perhaps you didn't check it was cooked through with a skewer. Too dense and heavy? Probably not enough air beaten into it. Alternatively, you bashed out the air by being too heavy-handed when folding in the flour or banged the side of the bowl with your whisk. When it comes to baking, plenty can go wrong – all you can do is learn from your mistakes.

Using parchment paper to line your cake tins serves two purposes. Firstly, it prevents the cake from sticking so it's easier to get it out of the tin. Secondly, lining the sides of the tin prevents the cake from becoming too dark. Brush the tin with a flavourless oil such as sunflower. Then trace out the base on parchment paper and cut out the shape, then cut a long strip for the sides. If that's too much of a faff, you can buy pre-cut and measured liners from specialist kitchenware stores.

You can get away with an uneven oven for roasting and casseroles but for baking, an oven thermometer (which you pop onto the top shelf of your oven) is worth the small investment. Ovens can be over or under the specified temperature and it's often the case that one side may be hotter than the other. Don't crowd cake tins side by side either. It's best to put them in the centre of each shelf then swap them around halfway through cooking. 

If you’re aiming for evenly portioned cupcakes every time, use an ice cream scoop. The scoop allows you to easily get the right amount of batter in each cupcake liner, resulting in a perfectly precise batch every time. The uniform size also means the cakes will cook more evenly too, preventing them from being overcooked or undercooked.

Pure vanilla is pricey but you use such small amounts, it's worth splashing out. Vanilla essence is a synthetic flavouring and lacks the complexity of extract. Vanilla is a 'balancer" like salt or lemon juice, which brings out other flavours in a recipe. It's often used in chocolate cakes to enhance the richness of the chocolate. A great way of making a small amount of vanilla go a long way is making your own vanilla sugar. To do this, simply slice vanilla pods in half lengthways, add to a large jar of sugar and leave to infuse.

Just as a good cook's knife makes chopping easier and faster, a few bits of the right kit will help your baking – and you don't need to spend a fortune either. A silicone spatula helps to fold in flour and can scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed together. Likewise, measuring spoons are a must – all recipes use them for accuracy and consistency. They're especially important if you're measuring raising agents or spices. A decent set of digital scales will also be more accurate than balance scales.

To test if your cake is fully cooked through, it should be slightly shrunk away from the sides and springy to the touch. Double-check with a thin skewer through the centre, which should come out clean. If it's the correct colour on the outside but still a little raw in the centre, use a piece of foil to lightly cover the cake and continue to bake, checking it every five minutes or so. Open the oven door as little as possible to keep the heat constant.

Before you begin to make your cake, it's so important to have all your ingredients at room temperature. Take eggs and butter out of the fridge ahead of time, though how long depends on how hot it is in the kitchen. If the butter is too hard, weigh it out then cut into small pieces and leave it for 15 minutes or so. It needs to be soft enough so when you're creaming it with the sugar, it combines well to incorporate enough air to give a light end result.

You'll never get a cake, cookie or cupcake to cool evenly without a wire cooling rack. If you leave a warm cake on your kitchen surface, you'll end up with the inevitable soggy bottom. A cooling rack also comes into its own when you are baking sponge cakes. Tip them out of the tin onto the rack, top side down, and this will flatten the top evenly, giving a better final effect. If you don't want the wire marks on your cake, place a thin tea towel on the rack first. 

For a light, dreamy cake, you need to incorporate as much air as possible in the mixing process. By sifting all your dry ingredients, you'll add air, and this is why recipes tell you to 'fold' in the flour. It can be tempting to skip this step of a recipe if you're in a hurry, but sifting really makes the world of difference. When it comes to mixing everything together, a spatula and a gentle hand is the easy option, or try using a balloon whisk. Just ensure you don't bash your spatula or whisk on the side of the bowl when you've finished, as you'll drum out all the air you have carefully incorporated.

Melting chocolate can be tricky. The biggest mistake is to overheat it, which makes the chocolate stiffen then curdle when cream is added if you're making a ganache. Melt chopped chocolate very gently in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, without allowing the bowl to touch the water. Cool for a while before adding any cream.

If you need to measure out quantities of honey, golden syrup or treacle, it can be tricky and sticky. The easiest way to do it is to have a jug of boiled water straight from the kettle to hand. Heat the measuring spoon in the water before dipping into the jar and the honey will fall off the spoon. Keep putting the spoon into the boiled water to heat it until you've measured out what you need.

Most sponge cakes freeze really well. Allow the cake to cool completely, wrap in cling film, then in foil to freeze. Allow to thaw at room temperature. Fully decorated cakes don't freeze well, but fillings such as buttercream will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to four days.

Melting sugar for caramel strikes fear into many cooks but there's a simple trick. Start by very gently heating the sugar – some recipes ask you to add water, some don't, but the theory is the same. Once the sugar is warm, it will dissolve. Do this really slowly. Then, once it has melted, turn up the heat to make the caramel. Don't stir it but swirl it around the pan for caramel perfection. Once you've got your basic recipe down, there are endless uses for caramel, from drizzling over cupcakes to mixing into buttercream.

A Victoria sponge is a classic English bake. A light, airy cake is achieved by beating butter and sugar together, and using extra baking powder in addition to self-raising flour. One old-school way to ensure perfect results every time is simply weighing your eggs before you crack them, and then using the same weight of flour, butter and sugar for your cake. Once mastered, you can make the sponge chocolatey with cocoa powder or give it a caffeine hit with dissolved coffee granules.

Now discover the the world's best cakes everyone should try

Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.