Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, is a culinary icon admired for her approachable cooking style and her focus on flavor and simplicity. When it comes to baking, Ina has shared countless tips over the years to help both novice bakers and seasoned cooks alike. Here are her 15 best baking tips:

1. Use Good Ingredients: Quality matters. Ina often emphasizes that using the best ingredients possible makes a significant difference in the taste of your final product.

2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Ina suggests that ingredients such as butter and eggs should be at room temperature to blend more easily and produce a beter texture.

3. Measure Properly: Baking is a science, and accurate measurements are crucial. Level your measuring cups for dry ingredients and use glass measuring cups for liquids.

4. Don’t Overmix Dough: Overmixing can lead to tough baked goods. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.

5. Use Parchment Paper: It helps with easy cleanup, prevents sticking, and can even make transferring things like cookies to a cooling rack much simpler.

6. Precise Oven Temperature: Make sure your oven is calibrated correctly because a few degrees can dramatically affect your results. An oven thermometer can help with this.

7. Keep an Eye on Baking Times: Use the times given in recipes as guidelines. Check for doneness a few minutes before the time is up.

8. Cool Baked Goods Properly: Patience is key; let items cool sufficiently before cutting or frosting.

9. Sifting Dry Ingredients: Sifting helps to aerate flour and other dry ingredients which contributes to lighter textures.

10. Chill Pastry Dough: Chilled dough is easier to work with and holds its shape better when baking.

11. Use A Heavy-Duty Mixer: A strong mixer makes it easier to cream butter and sugar together which is the base for many desserts.

12. Do Not Be Afraid of Butter: Ina says butter is what provides flavor in baked goods, so don’t skimp unless necessary for dietary reasons.

13. Invest in Good Pans: Good quality pans conduct heat evenly which means your baked items will too.

14. Don’t Rush The Process: Baking should not be rushed; take time for each step from mixing to baking to cooling.

15. Practice Makes Perfect: Finally, Ina encourages home bakers to keep practicing their skills to become better over time.