Cooking Techniques Baking 12 Recipes Every Beginner Baker Should Know By Maria Yagoda Maria Yagoda Instagram Twitter Maria Yagoda is a senior editor at Food & Wine, where she has worked for five years, specializing in restaurant and travel coverage. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 30, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Con Poulos 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. 01 of 12 Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies © EMILY FARRIS These made-from-scratch chocolate chip cookies take less than half an hour from start to finish. Get the Recipe 02 of 12 Brown Sugar Cake with Ricotta and Blueberries Jennifer Causey Chef Joe Flamm cinched his season 15 Top Chef win with this simple brown sugar cake, which he learned to make from the late pastry chef Todd Kunkleman at Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat in Chicago. The chewy, dense confection is like a cross between a cake and a blondie. Get the Recipe 03 of 12 Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping © James Baigrie These muffins are easy to make, and you can easily replace the blueberries with other kinds of fresh fruit, such as raspberries or peaches (chopped into small pieces). Get the Recipe 04 of 12 Buttery Vanilla Shortbread © Lucy Schaeffer Gail Simmons' five-ingredient shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Get the Recipe 05 of 12 German Chocolate Cake Amy Neunsinger All cooks should have a show-stopping German chocolate cake in their repertoire, and this is one of our favorites. The indulgent dessert features layers of light chocolate cake and sweet coconut-pecan frosting. Get the Recipe 06 of 12 Golden Cupcakes Kana Okada Classic, iconic, beautiful, and delicious, these cupcakes can be frosted any way you like. Get the Recipe 07 of 12 Milk-Chocolate-Frosted Layer Cake Con Poulos This cake from pastry chef Karina Gowing is perfection for anyone who loves frosting. Make extra of the milk-chocolate ganache to eat by the spoonful. Trust us. Get the Recipe 08 of 12 Carrot Coconut and Zucchini Bread John Kernick This not-too-sweet quick bread is jam-packed with vegetables and an irresistible toasted-coconut topping. Get the Recipe 09 of 12 Coffee Cookie Crumble Eric Wolfinger Crunchy, salty, and coffee-laced, this streusel topping is one of a kind. Get the Recipe 10 of 12 Jacques Pépin's Favorite Pound Cake Edward Pond Equal parts flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, pound cake is a classic for a reason. Get the Recipe 11 of 12 Chocolate-Pecan Shortbread Bars John Kernick Bars are the unsung heroes of the dessert world, as the dough doesn't need to be molded into complicated shapes. Get the Recipe 12 of 12 Old-Fashioned Banana Bread © Fredrika Stjärne 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. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit