Home » how to

Tag: how to

vanilla beans in a cup with empty bottles for vanilla extract behind

How to Use a Vanilla Bean

Vanilla is a staple in the kitchen. Learn all about vanilla beans and how to get the most out of the unique flavor. This is one of my favorite ingredients and essential in the pastry kitchen. Vanilla beans come from the fruit of an orchid and are not cheap, second […]

Baking Basics
Chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies 101

This chocolate chip cookie guide is the culmination of a lifetime of testing recipes. It includes all my tricks and tips for the perfect cookie. And if you want to learn more about my baking journey while enjoying 75 additional cookie recipes, order the New York Times bestselling Zoë Bakes […]

Baking Basics, Cookies, Ice Cream, Zoë's Baking Academy
Homemade croissants on a wire cooling rack

Croissants 101

There are very few things as satisfying as a perfect croissant. Flaky, tender, just the right amount of pull and give, and BUTTERY. Have you ever made one? Probably not, because they’re labor intensive and require a bit of skill to “laminate” the dough. This is an industry term for […]

Zoë's Baking Academy

How to Crumb Coat a Cake

Looking for video tutorials? Check out my Cake Basics series on YouTube! You’ll learn how to trim and slice, how to fill a layer cake, how to crumb coat and how to decorate! There is nothing more disappointing than having a cake that is speckled with crumbs, unless of course […]

Cake & Cupcakes
A layer cake filled with raspberry buttercream and lemon curd and covered in vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

How to Cut and Fill a Layer Cake Like a Pro

Looking for video tutorials? Check out my Cake Basics series on YouTube! You’ll learn how to trim and slice, how to fill a layer cake, how to crumb coat and how to decorate! As a result of your comments about what cake decorating techniques you want to learn I created […]

Baking Basics, Cake & Cupcakes
Piped frosting roses on cupcakes

How to Pipe Icing Roses

I baked this spring bouquet of cupcakes for my Weekend Baker post on the Cooking Channel blog. I was limited in space in that post, and wanted to go into a bit lot more detail on how to pipe the icing roses, so I am sharing the expanded version here. […]

Baking Basics, Cake & Cupcakes