KATHMANDU:

With the arrival of the festive season comes the time when you get busy preparing cakes and pastries for your family and friends. Kids come up with their own list of demands and the house fills with the sweet, warm and delicious smell. But its the mother who knows the trouble it takes to prepare the spongy cake with the perfect icing that melts in everyone’s mouth. Here are few tips that will make the whole process much more easier and hassle free.

• To cut a hot cake use a thread, hold both ends tightly and lower through slowly.

• To make a good egg separator crack egg and put in small funnel, white will come through separated from yolk.

• When you need soft butter quickly and your butter is frozen, grate it, it’s the same as soft butter.

• Use a buttered knife to cut through a soft pie.

• To cut a frosted cake rinse knife in hot water first, each time you cut a slice.

• For a better-textured cake, you might want to consider using buttermilk instead of milk if your recipe calls for milk.

• For a lighter cake, separate the eggs and add just the yolks to the butter mixture first. Then whip the egg whites separately.

• Toss nuts, raisins and fruits in the batter last. This will avoid colour bleeding.

• Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently with a rubber spatula during mixing.