When it comes to baking, it can be difficult to decide whether to use juice from fresh fruit or the extract from it. There are pros and cons to each; fresh fruit is obviously more natural, which comes out in the flavor. But, by using extract, you don’t compromise the consistency of the bake, which can be altered by the addition of liquids. So, if you’ve been wondering what to do, here are good examples to guide you!
Lemon
When it comes to lemon extract, things can get tricky. While the extract will give you the flavor of the lemon, it lacks the acidity that really punches up any baked good, and that is a crucial part of using lemon. Unless you really need a massive lemon flavor, stick with the zest and juice for your cakes and bakes.
Orange
Using orange extract can be helpful when it comes to orange-flavored bakes for a few reasons. Orange is a flavor that can sometimes have trouble coming through on it’s own just by using juice, and even if you opt to use the zest, the fact is that too much zest will make your bake potentially bitter. So, while you should add a little of the fresh juice and zest, there’s no shame in adding a bit of extract as well!
