Over the years cooking and baking my tiny apartment kitchen, I've learned what to prep before I actually get started with a recipe and what I'll be able to do on the fly. Because my kitchen is so small, much of the storage is above my head which means that if I need flour, sugar or an extra large colander, I'm going to need a step ladder in order to reach it, which isn't convenient if the pan is at the ideal temperature or the butter is perfectly softened. So I plan ahead before I start anything (or at least I try. I'm not perfect). Over at Real Baking, Rose Levy Beranbaum has written a really helpful post about the five things that are most essential to do before you start any baking project. She mentions getting your butter softened, which is something I always try to do (if worse comes to worse, I use the microwave on the defrost setting). She has some good tips on how to get it softened up if you don't want to resort to technology. She also suggests that you preheat your oven, get your eggs warmed up to room temperature, prepare your cake pans and combine cocoa powder and boiling water if your recipe calls for that. She has tricks and tips on how to expedite all these steps, so make sure to go over and visit her post!
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