The legendary baking brother and sister duo Callie Maritz and Mari-Louis Guy joined the judges for a very special challenge in the MasterChef kitchen. And in celebrating Pick n Pay's 55th birthday a cake challenge seemed to be the perfect fit.
After a masterclass from Callie and Mari-Louis, the cooks each received a recipe but no visual reference of what the final product was supposed to look like.
We might not have a baking masterclass from these two incredible bakers, but we do have a few baking tips to share with you.
As we all know, baking is an exact science so if you follow these 5 tips, you should be able to keep your tiers in your cakes and not running down your face.
- MEASURE PROPERLY
Out of all the baking tips, this is the most key important one to remember. Ideally, you should use a digital scale to get accurate measurements, but measuring cups and spoons can be just as effective if done the correct way. Accuracy is important - too much flour means the cake will be too dry or too little flour will make the cake flimsy.
- INVEST IN A GOOD MIXER
Investing in a good mixer means you can make more batches at a time, it is a hands-free appliance allowing you to multitask making the job easier and faster.
- USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS
It is important to comply when a recipe calls for room temperature ingredients. It is best to leave your ingredients overnight. Cold butter cannot be creamed and cold eggs can shock and curdle the batter. If you need to get butter to room temperature you can place it in the microwave for a few seconds, but keep an eye on it because if too soft it could ruin the batter.
- CHECK YOUR OVEN TEMPERATURE
To be sure your temperature is accurate it is a good idea to check your oven every few minutes. Also remember to avoid opening your oven to check on your baked good until the recommended cooking time is up to ensure you don’t let cool air into the oven which interrupts the baking process.
- DON’T MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS
Cooking is like chemistry- experiment at your own risk! Also, you need all the right ingredients for the outcome you desire and unfortunately, there are no good substitutions for all-purpose flour, sugar, butter, or eggs.
The most important part of baking is to have fun, and by following these top tips we'll know that you'll have tons of it.
Share some of your baking tips with us on social media by using #MasterChefSA and remember to join us every Monday to Thursday at 18:00 on M-Net as we which other interesting challenges the judges have in store for our cooks.