How to bake with no scales

If you have no scales or your set has broken, don't despair! you can still bake a delicious cake!

It's always best to weigh your ingredients when you bake, especially flour, as it can be a huge variable in terms of the dryness of the cake and the quality of the bake if you get it wrong. However, you do have a few ways you can make a cake if you don't have any scales - let's take a look...

1. Bake a cake using a yoghurt pot

1 pot of yogurt
2 yogurt pots of sugar
2 eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3 yogurt pots of flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 yogurt pot of neutral-tasting oil or melted butter

Heat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
Beat the yogurt and the sugar together in a bowl.
Beat in the eggs and lemon zest. Sift the flour with the baking powder and beat in.
Finally, add the melted butter (or oil, although it doesn't taste quite as nice) and beat the whole mixture well.
Pour into non-stick muffin tins or a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approx. 25 minutes for a loaf, 15 mins for buns.

---

2. Use cups to measure

This is the 'American way'. There are so many recipes online which use cups to measure, you'll never run out. Just nip down the shop and buy a cheap set of measuring cups - they can be as cheap as £1.00.

3.  Use a liquid measuring jug

My mother-in-law uses this method. I don't like it myself, as it can be incredibly inaccurate, but, you know, horses for courses!

4. Try cookies instead

And if you'd like to start a little more simply, try a cookie recipe like this. I call these 'Emergency Biscuits' when there's nothing interesting in the baking cupboard and I can't find the scales! 

​Great optional additions include a couple of tables spoons of oats, chocolate chips or dried fruit. ​

2 level tablespoons sugar 
4 level tablespoons butter 
9 level tablespoons flour 

Cream together the butter & sugar, stir in flour. 
Roll out the dough, shape/cut out, and cook for 10 mins at 180 degrees. 

Look away now, we don't approve of this final idea!! 

5. Buy a packet mix
​
Everything's already weighed out in these mixes, you just need to add eggs normally, sometimes oil or milk. I warn you now, it won't taste as good as 'proper' cake, but it kind of had to be included on the list as an option...
​

Next time your battery goes in your digital scales or you old ones break, don't give up. Why not try one of these baking hacks? Let us know how you get on!

Louise
Owner, 280 Bakes
​