Have you ever wondered about the difference between salted vs unsalted butter? This post covers everything you need to know about these two ingredients, when to use each one, and how to substitute one for the other!

One of the most common questions I get is “why does this recipe use unsalted butter and have salt added to it?”.

I promise it’s not because I’m trying to be difficult or picky. There are actually a few reasons!

You’ve probably heard me say before that baking is a science. That means that every single ingredient that you use in a recipe serves a specific purpose, including butter!

So today I’m covering everything you need to know about salted vs unsalted butter – when you should use each one and how to substitute one for the other!

What’s The Difference Between Salted and Unsalted Butter?

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Learn how to make a water bath for cheesecake with this easy tutorial! This post covers everything you need to know!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably realized that I am a huge fan of cheesecake. So much so that I will usually choose a cheesecake for my birthday every year instead of a traditional cake.

All that to say, I’ve made (and eaten!) a lot of cheesecake in my life. And over the years I’ve learned there is one important component to making the perfect cheesecake – a water bath.

What Is A Water Bath?

A water bath, also known as a bain marie, is made by placing your springform pan with the unbaked cheesecake into a large roasting pan with hot water. The hot water surrounds the springform pan and allows your cheesecake to bake gently and more evenly.

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Learn how to brown butter with this easy tutorial! All you need is one ingredient and a few minutes!

If you’ve never tried browning butter, then I hope today’s tutorial will change that! Not only is it incredibly easy, but it’s a simple way to add even more flavor to baked goods like snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, or cream cheese frosting.

Brown butter is also known as beurre noisette in French, which translates to hazelnut butter. It’s made by cooking the butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan and brown.

It adds a rich flavor with nutty and caramel undertones to baked goods, but it’s also delicious in savory dishes!

What You Will Need

• Butter: You can use either unsalted or salted butter, either one will work just fine!

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Ever wonder about the differences between natural vs. dutch process cocoa powder? This post covers everything you need to know about these two common baking ingredients!

If you’ve ever looked around at the cocoa powder in the grocery store, you’ve probably seen natural and Dutch process cocoa powder sitting right next to each other.

While the packaging may look similar, these two cocoa powders are not quite the same.

So today I’m covering everything you need to know about cocoa powder – from how it’s made, to the differences between these two cocoa powders, and when you can substitute one for the other!

What Is Cocoa Powder?

Cocoa powder comes from cocoa beans, but it’s quite a process to get from cocoa beans to the powder you can buy at the store.

The cocoa beans are first fermented and dried, then roasted (which helps enhance their flavor and removes some of the moisture).

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Learn how to soften cream cheese with this easy tutorial! This post covers three ways to quickly get your cream cheese to room temperature!

Have you ever walked into the kitchen ready to tackle a cheesecake or make a batch of cream cheese frosting, only to realize you forgot to sit your cream cheese out?

Even though I bake multiple times a week, this has happened to me more often than I care to admit. But when it comes to baking, it’s important that your cream cheese is at room temperature so that it blends together evenly and you don’t end up with lumps.

So today I wanted to cover a few different methods that I use to soften cream cheese quickly when I need it for a recipe!

How To Soften Cream Cheese

At Room Temperature

When it comes to letting cream cheese soften at room temperature, you have two options – soften the whole block or cube it into small pieces.

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Stabilized whipped cream holds its shape and stays light and fluffy much longer than regular whipped cream! Use it to decorate cakes, cupcakes, pies, and more. 

What Is Stabilized Whipped Cream? 

If you’ve been following along for a while, you may recognize this stabilized whipped cream. Originally published in 2018, it quickly became a reader favorite because of how easy it is to whip up. Since it’s been a few years, I decided to give this post a much needed update with more tips and tricks for success!

In essence, this stabilized whipped cream is just whipped cream that’s been stiffened with unflavored gelatin. Regular whipped cream can deflate and become watery after just a few hours. However, whipped cream that’s been stabilized holds its shape and remains fluffy for up to two days.

I highly recommend using this stabilized whipped cream recipe any time you’re decorating a dessert in advance or if you know it will be sitting out at room temperature for a couple of hours!

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Learn how to make pumpkin pie spice in less than 5 minutes with just a few common spices. Perfect for fall cookies, breads, pies, and so much more!

Can I let you in on a big secret? You can make almost any spice blend you find at the grocery store yourself simply by using the individual spices you already have in your pantry. 

Oh, and it’s usually cheaper to make your own spice blends, to boot. 

For that reason, I prefer making my own pumpkin pie spice substitute rather than buying it at the store. I always have the individual spices on hand, and I like having the ability to scale the batch up or down depending on my needs. 

The pumpkin pie spice recipe I’m sharing with you today requires just five basic common spices and takes all of a few minutes to whisk together. 

Ingredients for This Recipe 

When making any kind of spice blend, it’s important that all of the individual spices are still good.

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All out of brown sugar but want to make a batch of cookies? Make a substitute with just two ingredients! This post will explain how to make brown sugar with ingredients you have on hand already. 

What Is Brown Sugar? 

Brown sugar is a key ingredient in many baked goods. But what exactly is it?

In short, refined brown sugar is simply sugar that has some molasses added to it. The traces of molasses in the sugar, give it a distinctive brown color and a slight caramel flavor.

If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you don’t have any on hand, it’s better to make your own substitute than omit it entirely. This simple ingredient adds moisture to baked goods and also adds a lovely depth of flavor so don’t leave it out!

In today’s post, I’m breaking down everything you need to know on how to make your own.

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This easy pastry cream recipe can be used to fill cream puffs, eclairs, cakes, cupcakes, and so much more! Every baker needs to know how to make this versatile custard filling. 

What Is Pastry Cream? 

Whether or not you realized it at the time, I bet you’ve had pastry cream at least once in your life. It’s essentially an ultra thick custard that’s used to fill any number of baked goods. You may know pastry cream by its French name, crème pâtissière. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious! 

You can use pastry cream to fill cream puffs, eclairs, or donuts. It can also be used as a filling for cakes or fruit tarts. 

Homemade pastry cream requires some patience, but once you know the method it’s actually very simple to make. Note that this recipe requires some advance preparation, as the pastry cream needs to chill in the fridge for two to three hours before it can be used.

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Learn how to make buttercream frosting with this easy tutorial. This is the BEST recipe for homemade buttercream, it pipes perfectly, and makes a great base for other frosting flavors too!

Today we’re covering how to make buttercream frosting. Actually, we’re covering just how EASY it is to make your own frosting right at home. If you’ve been buying store-bought, you’ll want to ditch it after seeing just how easy it is to make your own.

I originally published this recipe in January of 2017, but decided it was finally time to update it with better instructions and more information. In today’s post, I’m breaking down everything you need to know about how to make the best buttercream frosting.

This recipe also makes a great base for so many different flavor variations. The possibilities are really endless, but I’ve included four different variations for you to try!

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