'Don't let your failures get you down' and other advice for baking newbies

Every year, thousands of Canadians look at an overpriced store-bought cake and think, "I could do that...right?"

And every year, thousands of Canadians realize that baking is really, really hard. Especially when you're just starting out.

Thankfully, the bakers of the Great Canadian Baking Show — some of the best at-home bakers in the country — are treasure troves of great advice.

Words of wisdom for beginner bakers

Mengling

"Everyone has their own reason for baking. I bake for fun. My goal is to have fun. So for someone else who bakes for fun, I would tell them: Your first goal is to have fun. If you're not having fun, change what you're baking or change your style of baking."

Andrei

"Find something that you want to specialize in and practice it. Don't try to make everything all at once."

Wendy

"Don't be discouraged if it doesn't look the way you think it should look, and don't get discouraged if it doesn't taste the way you thought it should taste. Baking is a beautiful thing, but like so many other things, baking is a skill. You learn it by doing it. So just keep baking, and learn from your mistakes."

Ann Marie

"The most important thing, other than making sure you read your recipe, is to have everything prepared. Have everything weighed out in bowls in front of you, so your timing will be consistent."

Tim

"Practice, practice, practice. Practice makes perfect. With baking, there's always going to be failure. No matter how many times you make something, there's always a chance it won't work out. So make sure you practice in the kitchen."

Megan

"Don't stop. Don't stop. The whole thing about baking is [to] keep trying. Recipes are there for a reason, but never hesitate to try and make it your own. Throw yourself into it, have fun and never give up...because things will flop."

Sachin

"Keep on trying. Don't let your failures get you down. You're not going to get better until you bake more and more and more. We all make mistakes along the way. It's just about learning from them."

Devon

"Always follow your recipe really, really closely. Measure everything, read your recipe twice. I give this advice, but I don't follow it. Once you really understand the basics, you can start to be a little bit more creative and playful."

Timothy

"You will fail. Take that in stride. All bakers have failed multiple, multiple times. Me more than most. But expect failure, and just be ready to pick yourself up after and adjust for you future bakes."

Sadiya

"Start off with baking everyday things: a basic sponge cake, a basic brownie. Make sure you get your flavours right before you start attempting the hard stuff."