The ultimate checklist for baking desserts

Whoever knows me well can vouch for my love for baking. I try new baking recipes bi-weekly, anything from baking casseroles for breakfast/lunch/dinner to desserts.

Being a sweet tooth, my favorite kind of baking is desserts. I simply love the process – assembling the ingredients, watching it transform in the oven into a beautiful savory and the post decoration, before finally indulging into the treats.

So here is my ultimate checklist to get started with baking.

Equipment

My baking cabinet has the following basic equipment. With baking, using the right equipment and technique gets half the work done.

  • Food weighing scale
  • Measuring cup and spoon
  • Baking trays
  • Glass bake ware
  • Spring form pan (s)
  • Bundt pan
  • Muffin tin/ cupcake mould
  • Electric mixer
  • Hand mixer
  • Spatula
  • Ice cream scoop
  • Cookie cutter
  • Fine mesh/sieve
  • 2-3 Mixing bowls
  • Pastry brush
  • Parchment paper in different sizes
  • Freezer bags for leftovers

Basic ingredient stock

I keep the basic baking ingredients on stock for regular use. Many ingredients can be used as a substitute in case I am missing one particular ingredient in the recipe I want to try out. I buy ingredients with longer shelf lives and premium quality for rich desserts.

  • All purpose and whole wheat flour (mehl). In Germany, flour is labeled by a number
    – Type 405: Pastry flour/cake flour
    –  Type 550: All purpose Flour
    –  Type 812: Bread flour
    –  Type 1600: Whole wheat flour
    –  Type 630: White spelt flour
  • Baking powder (Backpulver)
  • Baking soda
  • Dry yeast (Hefe)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Packed brown sugar (it differs for brown crystallized sugar!)
  • White sugar (crystals and powdered)
  • Cocoa powder
  • Coffee powder
  • Pastry sheets (Blattertieg)
  • Heavy cream (Schlagsahne)
  • Condensed milk
  • Ghee (stays good for a year)
  • Peanut butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Graham Crackers (for yummy cheesecakes)
  • Ladyfingers (for tiramisu)
  • Salt
  • Honey
  • Maple Syrup
  • Chocolate chunks (I rarely use Nutella, and make chocolate cream/frosting with fresh cream heated together with rich dark chocolate chunks)
  • Chocolate chips (Hersheys are my favorite)
  • Toppings and sprinkles
  • Slivered nuts
  • Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder

Healthy stock

I have my healthy stock of ingredients when I am avoiding sugar or gluten, or baking for someone who is extremely health conscious.

  • Almond flour
  • Coconut flour
  • Stevia/Xylitol or any other sweetener
  • Protein powder
  • 100% dark chocolate
  • Coconut butter
  • Coconut sugar

Fresh stock

Depending on what I am baking, I use fresh ingredients for the most part

  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Fruits (fresh berries, bananas, apples..)
  • Yoghurt
  • Fresh cream
  • Cream cheese
  • Almond milk
  • Mascarpone

Baking in Germany can be a bit tricky to source all ingredients. For example, finding really good packed brown sugar is difficult without access to an English or French shop. However, German bakeries are one of the best in the world, and offer many indulging sweets, with each region having a local delicacy.