• Freeze your cocoa powder. It won’t clump up, so you don’t have to sift it as much.
• Bring everything to room temperature. There’s that classic line, ‘Make it cold, bake it hot.’ But if you want good, moist cakes, it’s always room temperature. I say, ‘Make it room, or your bake will be doomed.’
• Extra measuring spoons and cups are clutch. Also stock extra mixing bowls. I remember Thanksgiving six years ago: I had one bowl, and I’m trying to make two pies and a mashed potato dish and homemade marshmallows. I was there for days.
• When baking with chocolate, add espresso powder. It makes everything more chocolatey.
• Embrace quart containers. It’s four cups. You don’t have to bother to spoon things in. You get a little funnel going.
• The true key is to taste the batter. If the batter tastes good, the whole thing is going to be good.