When it comes to baking, a well-stocked cupboard is your best friend. I have a designated cupboard in my kitchen that is bursting at the hinges.
The best thing about a packed cupboard is that you can have all your dried ingredients to hand without needing to go out shopping every time you get the urge to bake. Plus, filling your cupboard with spices, dried fruit and nuts means you can jazz up a plain sponge cake recipe at the drop of a hat.
One word of advice: after years of baking I have learned the value of plastic containers. Using them means that flour doesn’t get everywhere as you try to close the bag, and the open bag of nuts doesn’t empty itself all over the kitchen floor as you go to grab it from the cupboard. Do label containers, though (I should have shares in marker pens)—otherwise you’ll find yourself opening several boxes before you find the one you want or, as I have done, using all-pupose flour when self-rising was required. Cakes don’t look or taste quite the same when you make that mistake.
Here are a few cupboard must-haves.
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cocoa powder, unsweetened
• Cornstarch
• Flour, all-purpose
• Flour, self-rising
• Flour, white bread
• Flour. wholewheat
• Oats, rolled and Scotch
• Rapid rise yeast
• Dried fruit, such as apricots, cranberries, dates, golden raisins, raisins, sour cherries, etc.
• Nuts, such as hazelnuts, pecans, salted peanuts and walnuts
• Shredded coconut
• Agave syrup
• Brown sugar, soft light and dark
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Golden syrup or light corn syrup
• Honey
• Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids
• Fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• Low-fat evaporated milk
• Marshmallows
• Spices, such as apple pie spice, cardamom pods, dried edible lavender, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, star anise
• Vanilla bean paste
• Vanilla extract (not essence or flavorings)
• White chocolate (just a little, mind you)