Before you bake
You don't need to know everything. Start with a scale, the right tin, and one recipe.
Grams first. No guesswork.
Every weight comes from the original recipe. Switch between grams and kilograms without changing the amount: 240 g is 0.240 kg. For small home batches, grams are easier to read on a kitchen scale.
Put the bowl on the scale, press tare to set it to zero, then add the ingredient. Liquids may also be listed in grams when that is how the source measures them. Grams and millilitres are not interchangeable for every ingredient.
Small amounts remain in teaspoons and tablespoons where the recipe does not supply a weight. Use measuring spoons, not eating spoons. The US option uses the source recipe's cup quantities.
Read King Arthur's measurement guidance ↗Get to know the ingredients
All-purpose flour: often called maida in India. Flour brands differ; keep the recipe's gram quantity and avoid switching to atta for your first attempt.
Baking soda and baking powder: different ingredients, not one-for-one substitutes. Check the name carefully before measuring.
Icing sugar: use the type specified, rather than substituting granulated sugar. Salted and unsalted butter also need different salt allowances.
Your oven and tin matter
The recipe temperatures here are for a conventional oven. Celsius values are rounded equivalents of the published Fahrenheit settings. Preheat before baking. For a fan oven, follow your oven manufacturer's guidance rather than automatically using the same temperature.
Use the specified tin size. A deeper or wider tin changes how the batter bakes. Check the colour and doneness cues as well as the clock.
A good first-bake routine
- Read the method from beginning to end.
- Set out your ingredients and equipment.
- Measure carefully and tick off each ingredient.
- Follow one step at a time.
- Let your bake cool as instructed, then write down what you learned.
About this little collection
Recipe quantities were checked against King Arthur Baking on 7 November 2026. Instructions are concise summaries, not a claim of independent kitchen testing. Each recipe links to its original for the complete method and variations. Notes and saved recipes live in this browser, with no account or cloud sync.