13 Recipes Every Beginner Baker Should Master
So you're not an expert baker—maybe precise measurements scare you, or you prefer French fries to French pastry. But if you're looking to improve your baking skills and add some foolproof cakes, cookies, and muffins to your repertoire, try out any of these classic recipes, which we're pretty sure you'll make for the rest of your life.
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
Start to finish, these cookies take only thirty-five minutes to make.
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Brown Sugar Cake with Ricotta and Blueberries
File this under "Easier Than It Looks."
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Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
For soft edges, use liners; for crisp edges, use a well-greased, unlined pan.
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Buttery Vanilla Shortbread
Gail Simmons' five-ingredient shortbread can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week.
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German Chocolate Cake
All cooks should have a show-stopping German chocolate cake in their repertoire, and this is one of our favorites.
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Golden Cupcakes
Classic, iconic, beautiful, and delicious, these cupcakes can be frosted any way you like.
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Milk-Chocolate-Frosted Layer Cake
Make extra of the milk-chocolate ganache to eat by the spoonful. Trust us.
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Carrot Coconut and Zucchini Bread
Hey, this one has vegetables in it!
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Coffee Cookie Crumble
Crunchy, salty, and coffee-laced, this streusel topping is one of a kind.
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Jacques Pépin's Favorite Pound Cake
Equal parts flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, pound cake is a classic for a reason.
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Chocolate-Pecan Shortbread Bars
Bars are the unsung heroes of the dessert world, as the dough doesn't need to be molded into complicated shapes.
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Old-Fashioned Banana Bread
A great way to use up bananas that are past their prime and a delicious quick bread, banana bread is an easy recipe that anyone can throw together.