Are ingredients important?

Yes. The type of sugar used for a cake is essential. Sugars all melt at different rates and temperatures. If a recipe asks for granulated sugar, please don’t use castor sugar.

If a recipe just says ‘egg’ this means you should use large eggs – the default category used for baking.

Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder are two completely different things. Baking powder is a blend of bicarbonate, cream of tartar and salt. They are not interchangeable.

If a recipe says to add salt but you decide not to because you don’t like salt this will affect your final product. Salt helps regulate how quickly the chemicals react in the cake.