1. Before you turn on your oven, read through the entire recipe.  Check to see if you have all the ingredients and enough quantity of the ingredient.  The fancy culinary term is Mis en place (which literally  means "put in place").
2. Sift!  Sift dry ingredients together to evenly combine the ingredients and eliminate lumps of dry ingredients.
3. Invest in a good quality heavy duty whisk, spatula and especially a second standing mixing bowl. You will be so happy you did after you finish making buttercream and need to whip up some royal icing.
4. Chill Cookies before baking.  Before you pop the cookie sheet into the oven, place it in the fridge for 10-15 to help them retain their shape.
5. The Flours - Most recipes will work with All Purpose Flour but check the recipe.  Cake and bread flour can be found in the baking aisle at the market.  Pastry flour can be found at a chef supply store like Surfas in Culver City.
6. Eggs - If your recipe calls for separating eggs, it's easier to do if the eggs are at room temperature. If you need a lot of egg whites, buy All Whites at your local market (3 Tbsp = 1 large egg)
7. Parchment paper is your new best friend!  I use it on cookie sheets and cake pans.   For cookies, it will save your cookie sheets and for cakes, it will help lock in the moisture.
8. 350 degrees?  Oven temperatures tend to vary from year to year based on your oven.  Buy a oven thermometer to check the temperature to make sure you are not over-baking or under-baking.
9. Quality ingredients, fresh ingredients - If you have it, choose real vanilla extract over imitation vanilla extract. Use fresh spices and grind your own.  A pumpkin spice cake made with fresh ground spices will be a heavenly experience!
10. Baking time -  Notice how most recipes say "30 minutes OR until golden brown" which mean don't set the timer and walk away!! The baking time in a recipe is a suggestion and depending on a lot of factors, your baked good may need more or less time. For cakes, check at the halfway point and use a wooden skewer to check for complete doneness.

Keep on baking with bliss!