Baking Ingredients: Our Picks
A few good ingredients can lift your baking, whether you want more flavour or a bit of colour. Here are five we like, which do very different jobs. Prices and sizes can change, so check the current details on Amazon before you buy.
Native Vanilla Pure Ground Vanilla Bean Powder (56.7g)
A premium ground vanilla bean powder described as 100% pure. It is suggested for coffee, baking and ice cream, and is listed as keto-friendly. A little goes a long way in cakes, custards and icing.
See on AmazonBelissia Liquid Food Colouring Set (8 x 10ml)
Eight 10ml bottles of highly concentrated liquid colouring, listed as vegan and tasteless. It is suggested for fondant, cakes, desserts, drinks and craft projects, and the concentrated formula means you need only a few drops.
See on AmazonCeremonial Cacao Paste (250g)
A 250g pack of pure, virgin ceremonial grade cacao paste, listed as ethically sourced, vegan, gluten free and GMO free. It comes in plastic-free compostable bags. Cacao paste is made from ground cacao beans, so it has an intense chocolate flavour, and the seller's page should explain how best to use it.
See on AmazonKing Arthur Flour Espresso Powder
An espresso powder that the brand suggests adding, a teaspoon or two at a time, to brownies, chocolate chip cookies, devil's food cake and other chocolate recipes to deepen the chocolate flavour. A small tub is an easy way to give familiar bakes more depth.
See on Amazon5:15PM Instant Dry Yeast (100g)
A 100g pack of instant dry yeast, described as a fast-fermenting yeast for bread, pizza and other oven bakes. If you want to try your hand at dough as well as cakes, it is a handy store cupboard item, though it is yeast, so it isn't a replacement for baking powder in a cake recipe.
See on AmazonHow to choose
- Check the ingredients. Read the label for allergens and dietary needs, such as vegan or gluten free.
- Add colour gradually. With concentrated colouring, start with a drop or two and build up, as it is easy to add more but hard to take away.
- Add flavour boosters a little at a time. Powders such as espresso powder can be strong, so start with the amount in the recipe or on the pack.
- Read the usage advice. Specialist ingredients such as cacao paste can behave differently from everyday chocolate, so check the seller's guidance before you use them in a recipe.
- Know your raising agents. Yeast and baking powder are different things and are not interchangeable, so check which one a recipe asks for.
- Mind the dates. Check the best-before date, especially on spices and powders you only use occasionally.
- Store them well. Keep powders and colourings in a cool, dry cupboard, away from the cooker and direct sunlight.
- Buy small. A small pot is fine if you bake now and then, because old ingredients lose their flavour.
Have a look at our baking tools for beginners guide, or our piping and decorating picks.