Jane Lockhart believes that good, honest ingredients like top-notch chocolate, fresh butter and cream, and in-season fruits keep things real—and a bit old-fashioned. It’s this simple premise that has made her Los Angeles bakery, Sweet Lady Jane, so popular. A former elementary schoolteacher, Jane is a self-taught baker, first picking it up to satisfy her craving for homemade desserts that were sweet, yet not masked by sugar. She tinkered with family recipes, learning by trial and error until she found her sweet spot. “Once I could taste the true flavors of real ingredients, I was able to bake desserts that were moist and sweet—but not too sweet,” she says. Jane baked from her home, peddling her goods to local restaurants. Demand grew, and she eventually opened the bakery. Today, she still rolls her own pastry, cracks her own eggs, and squeezes her own lemons. “Making homemade food takes more time, but it’s not difficult,” she says. “And the result is worth it.” Check out her tips below, and then get baking with four of her tasty recipes.

baking secrets from a pro
Sweet Lady Jane shares her tips for baking and decorating success.
Cupcakes 
• For piping, three basic tips are ideal: a small round tip for writing and polka-dots; an open star tip for stars and borders; and a flat-shaped basketweave tip for textured stripes and basketweave patterns. See www.wilton.com to buy tips and for piping pointers.
• If the frosting is too soft, a bit of powdered sugar will improve the consistency. Too stiff? Thin with milk. Too soft while piping? Chill in the pastry bag until it firms up.
• Disposable piping bags work well and save cleanup time. In a pinch, you can use a plastic storage bag instead of a piping bag and tip. Snip off the corner to make a small hole.
• Before piping, squeeze the air out of the bag and twist the top of the bag shut (or use a twist tie to keep it closed). Practice designs on a piece of parchment or waxed paper to get a feel for the flow.
Cookies
• Chill the dough first. Its buttery consistency can get soft while shaping. If it is too soft to work with, chill again until firm.
• The better the jam, the better the cookies, so do a tasting first.
Cheesecakes
• Let ingredients stand at room temperature 30 minutes for easier mixing. Beating sugar and cheese well helps eliminate lumps.
• Cheesecakes crack for two reasons: overbeating the eggs and overbaking. Each cake is done when the center appears nearly set.
Tarts
• The ganache filling is mostly chocolate, so choose a chocolate you love. For dark-chocolate lovers, opt for high-cocoa bittersweet.