The Best Baking Tips From The Great British Bake Off

Blind baking refers to the process of pre-baking a crust before adding filling to avoid a soggy bottom. Make sure to weigh it down with a pie weight while doing so.

Cooking caramel to the perfect point takes longer than you'd expect, and it can easily burn suddenly. Gently swirl and watch it carefully while it cooks.

When making a layered cake, you must shave down each layer and use cake dowels — rods that are pushed into a lower layer before the next layer is placed for stability.

A hot cake will melt the frosting, so let your cakes and cookies cool fully before whipping out that piping bag or painting frosting flowers onto the side.

As a cake bakes, it goes from a more liquid to a solid form. You can listen for the sound of moisture bubbling inside to confirm that the cake needs to cook longer.