5 Genius Baking Hacks We Swear By

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If you’ve ever tried your hand at baking, then you’re well aware that it is definitely a science. Get the measurements down and you can pretty much guarantee that whatever you’re making will be delicious. But don’t be afraid to take your baked goods to the next level with a little risk-taking. These five incredible tips will help you rethink playing it safe.

1. Swap out vegetable oil for butter.

If you’ve got, say, a boxed cake mix, and you want it to taste like it didn’t just come from a box, add butter instead of vegetable oil. Even better: swap the oil for other high-fat options like coconut milk or buttermilk. Your cake will be lush AF.

2. Chill your cookie dough for at least an hour before baking.

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We know, we know — you want to get those babies in the oven as soon as they’re made. But trust us on this one. Forming your dough into a ball, wrapping it in plastic wrap and chilling it for an hour will help solidify the fats in the mix. Your cookie will come out with delightfully crispy edges with a warm, gooey center.

3. Ice your cupcakes expertly using a Ziploc baggie.

Yep, you read that correctly. Scoop your icing into a corner of a Ziploc baggie, and then cut a small hole the corner with a pair of scissors. Bam — you have your own piping bag. Never pay for professional baking supplies — ever. (Unless you want to, of course)

4. No rolling pin? Use your bottle of wine.

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This one’s a no-brainer that you may not have considered before. Good rolling pins can cost a lot of money, so if you don’t have the cash to spare, get out a bottle of wine (or that empty one sitting in your recycling bin) and roll out pie crust or pizza dough just as easily as if you had the top-dollar product.

5. Never underestimate the power of flaky sea salt.

Adding flaky sea salt to drops of cookie dough before baking or even buttercream frosting will highlight the sweetness of your other ingredients while giving incredible depth to the dish.