Michelle Lu: Baker and social media star behind Sweet Essence account shares her baking tips

Baking is as much a science as an art, so a little know-how can go a long way to ensuring your next creation rises to the occasion.

Here Melbourne baker and social media star Michelle Lu answers four frequently asked baking questions, from a brilliant butter hack to the best way to melt chocolate.

What’s ‘room temperature’ versus ‘softened butter’?

Room temperature butter should be pliable and soft but still cool and not shiny or greasy. When pressed gently with a finger, it should leave an indent without melting. It’s ideal for creaming, as it’s firm enough to trap air when beaten with sugar.

Softened butter is slightly softer than room temperature butter but still holds its shape. It should spread easily with a spatula and cream smoothly, without looking melted or oily. This is ideal for cookies and frostings.

MICROWAVE SHORTCUT If you’ve forgotten to leave your butter out, you can microwave it in 10-15 second increments. Stop as soon as it reaches the right texture.

How do I cream butter and sugar?

UNTIL LIGHTENED After 1-2 minutes of mixing, the butter will look slightly paler and softer but not dramatically increased in volume. This is ideal for piped cookies, where incorporating too much air can cause the cookies to spread or lose definition.

UNTIL PALE AND FLUFFY This takes around 5-7 minutes. The mixture will be lighter, and increased in fluffier volume. This stage allows the butter to properly aerate and emulsify with the sugar and eggs, creating a stable structure. This is what gives pound cakes an even and fine crumb.

UNTIL PALE, WHITE AND FLUFFY After 10 minutes or more, the mixture turns almost white, and incredibly light and fluffy. It’s what we want for a smooth buttercream frosting.

How do I melt chocolate?

Melting chocolate is simple, but chocolate can be a little temperamental. Chocolate’s biggest enemies are high heat and water, so it’s important to melt it gently to avoid burning or seizing. Here are two methods I like to use for smooth and glossy results.

BAIN-MARIE I do this for larger amounts, such as for brownies, ganache and fillings. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water — even a small amount of water can cause the chocolate to seize and turn grainy. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is just melted, then remove from the heat and let the residual heat finish melting the rest. Stir with a spatula until smooth and glossy.

MICROWAVE I do this for small amounts needed for decorating. Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-20 second increments on medium power, stirring well in between. When the chocolate is mostly melted, stir until smooth and glossy.

Should I use eggs from the fridge?

Temperature matters! If a recipe calls for eggs at room temperature, this is so they incorporate more smoothly into batters and emulsify well with the butter and sugar.

Cold eggs can cause batters to split or seize, particularly when creaming, as they cause the butter to firm up. If you’ve forgotten to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, simply place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5-10 minutes before using.

This is an edited extract from Cozy Baking Life by Michelle Lu, $39.99, Murdoch Books.