As a result of a busy weekend, including the closing shows of “Oklahoma!” and necessary early Christmas shopping, I was unable to bake anything for this week’s blog post. However, there is no need to worry, because instead I am here to bring you a list of helpful tips, tricks and hacks for your general baking pleasures.

So wipe away those tears, because these next five bits of information will change your life (especially for next week’s recipe).

1. Bake flat cakes

To help your cakes bake (almost) completely flat, cut strips of clean cloth towels the height of your pan and long enough to wrap around the entire pan. When you bake your cakes, run them under water until they’re damp, safety pin them around the outside of the pan and bake according to the recipe.

2. Perfectly fluffy cookies

Roll your dough into logs, wrap the logs in plastic and freeze them. Then, cut the dough into rounds and bake just like store-bought break-and-bake cookies. The exterior of the dough will set and bake before the interior has time to thaw, resulting in puffier cookies.

3. Testing cake without a toothpick

You’ll know your cake is fully baked when the sides pull away from the pan, the cake is pillowy and golden on top, the top bounces back when you touch it or the internal temperature reaches approximately 210 F.

4. High-quality results

The only way to ensure the absolute best baked goods is simply by using high-quality ingredients and proper and reliable bakeware. Most of the time, metal pans are the way to go, but sometimes stone bakeware may be necessary.

5. Fixing seized chocolate

When melting chocolate, you absolutely cannot get any water into it once it is melted because, once you do, it seizes (hardens) up and it cannot be used. However, if you add about a teaspoon of honey for every half cup of seized chocolate and then pop it into the microwave for a few seconds, the chocolate should begin to melt again.

There are plenty more tips in the baking world, but these are my personal favorites. If you have any other tips or have made anything from one of my posts, let me know by tweeting at me.

Until next week, fellow foodies.

Junior Laken Wagner has been spending time in the kitchen since she was five years old, where both baking and cooking have always filled her extra time. She enjoys baking more than anything else and can frequently be found decorating cakes or trying out new recipes.