If you enjoy baking the odd biscuit or whipping up a cake, you've probably got one or two tricks up your sleeve. Whether you're an avid baker or a beginner, however, there are a few hints and tricks that can help you achieve a better bake.

You might think that so long as you have the right equipment and ingredients, as well as your recipe at the ready that you'll achieve the best possible cake. We've got some tips that could help take your cookies from good to amazing.

Read on to find out what we recommend you do in the kitchen:

Room temperature ingredients

As a rule, ingredients will blend better if they are at room temperature. This means that items you might usually keep in the fridge - such as margarine and eggs - should be taken out in good time to warm up a bit before you start baking.

Room temperature margarine or butter will ensure that you can cream it with your sugar properly, getting air into the mix from the start. This will also ensure you avoid an uneven batter. However, if you're making pastry, the butter should be as cold as possible.

Keeping your eggs at room temperature actually helps your cakes to rise better, making them light and airy.

Measure first

If there are several stages to your recipe that require various ingredients in different weights, it is a good idea to have everything measured beforehand.

Not only will this make it easier to follow the recipe, it also gives you the time you need to ensure that your measurements are precise. Simply set everything aside in separate containers in the order you will need them and the whole process will be completely smooth.

Don't open your oven door

As tempting as it is to keep opening your oven door to check on your cake or biscuits, avoid doing this. Opening the door will lower the temperature of your oven, which can affect how long it takes your treats to bake.

This can mean that you end up with an unrisen cake because the baking process got interrupted. Instead, use a timer set to around ten minutes before your cake should be done.

When it goes off, remove your baking from the oven quickly, close the door, test it to see if it is done and then put it back in the oven quickly if need be.

Less is more

When it comes to cake, more is definitely more, but certain ingredients that go into the cakes aren't the same. One such ingredient is baking powder.

You may think that more baking powder is going to make your cake rise better, but actually, it can affect the texture of your bake and leave it with a slightly powdery taste. No one likes a dry cake with a strange aftertaste, so if a recipe requires baking powder as well as self raising flour, less is always more.

If your recipe is combining plain flour with baking powder, be very precise with your measurements and scribble down on your recipe page whether you think it needs more or less baking powder next time.

Size is important

When it comes to cake tins, it is all about the size. It isn't enough to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, as the width, depth and overall size of your pan can actually affect how your cake bakes.

If the recipe states how big your cake tin needs to be, you should ensure you have that size at the ready. However, if it doesn't state a size, mix up your batter and judge what tins you'll need based on how much mix you have - bearing in mind you want to leave room for the cake to rise.

Biscuits and other foods that need a flat baking tray should be cooked on one that is large enough to leave a good amount of space between each item, otherwise you risk everything blending together and ruining the appearance.

Pay attention to these tips and your baking will always come out best!