Baking Questions and Answers

Yes you can – they should last up to three months in the freezer – after that you might notice some drying due to freezing. To freeze your cake simply wrap it in four or five layers of cling film, or seal in a thick freezer bag.

When defrosting a cake, make sure it is thoroughly defrosted and at room temperature before decorating it – it is best to defrost it over night in its wrapping.

Iced cakes sometimes become a little soggy if allowed to defrost too quickly, so slow the process down by leaving them to thaw overnight in the fridge, before unwrapping and leaving on the kitchen surface to bring them up to room-temperature.

This is caused by improper greasing of the tin.

To help remove the cake, place a hot, moist cloth around the tin. Let stand for a few minutes. Repeat, if necessary.

Cover with kitchen foil and return to the oven.

Check your oven temperature isn't too hot.

To check a cake is completely cooked, simply insert a skewer or very thin knife into the centre of the cake for a second or two and then remove. If the cake mixture is still wet, and sticks to the blade, then the cake needs a few more minutes. If the blade comes out clean – your cake is ready for cooling.

Always prepare your tins before starting to bake. The texture and volume of your baking can be affected by allowing your mixture to sit in the bowl while greasing tins.

To properly prepare baking tins, brush the bottom of the tin with margarine, butter, shortening, or cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottom and sides with a bit of flour, rolling the tin to ensure it is evenly coated, then discard the excess flour from tin.

Cooks tip: When making a chocolate cake, use cocoa to prepare tins so that when baked, the cake does not show a coating of white flour.

There are a few tips you need to consider when storing cakes in order to keep them fresh as long as possible:

• Your cake should be stored in a covered box or container out of direct sunlight. This is because sunlight will alter icing colours.

• Heat and humidity can damage your cake by softening the buttercream and icing used. Keep your decorated cake as cool as possible, again in a box or container if possible.

• Try not to use foil or plastic wrap to cover a decorated cake as this can sometimes stick to icing and damage any decorations you may have used.

Use the chart below to work out how much Dr. Oetker Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing you will need to cover your cake and weigh out the required amount.

Pastry handles better when chilled than at room temperature - 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator before rolling is usually sufficient. You can keep pastry in the refrigerator for up to two or three days if it is wrapped well. However, if you do store it this long, let it sit at room temperature for 5 or 10 minutes before rolling, to allow the dough to become more pliable.

Roll your pastry on a sheet of lightly floured wax paper or greaseproof paper. Invert the pastry right over the pan, or filling, and peel the paper off. Patch small tears by pinching or pressing, fix large gaps with trimmings. Try not to stretch pastry when lining a pie tin with the bottom crust, just ease it into the pan, gently tucking it into the bottom crease.

For a golden finish, sparingly brush your top crust with beaten egg or milk, just before baking.