Page 70 - Hummingbird Bakery Valentine's Day Cakes and Bake

the tin leaking and water coming into contact with the mixture, wrap the tin
with foil before putting it into the bain marie. Another way to help avoid a

cheesecake cracking is to thoroughly grease the tin – the cake shrinks whilst
cooking, so it needs to be free to pull away from the sides. Also try not to open
the oven door during the cooking time as the blast of cooler air can cause the
cheesecake to crack.

• Pies and tarts normally have a pastry base, which needs to be ‘blind baked’
before adding the filling. To do this, line your tart tin with the pastry and then

put it in the fridge to rest for 20–30 minutes. Next, cover it with a sheet of
baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice). Bake in the
oven at 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3 for 12 minutes, before carefully removing
the baking beans and the paper and baking the case for another 15 minutes or
until the pastry is cooked through and a light golden colour. Allow to cool
before adding the filling.

• Some of the whoopie pie recipes need the batter to be rested in the fridge before

cooking. The resting time varies, but in fact the mixture can be kept in the
fridge for up to 1 day. However, do be careful not to refrigerate for any longer
than this, or you might find that the whoopie pies don’t rise very much.

Finally, don’t forget to have fun and to enjoy sharing your scrumptious homemade
cakes!