Here’s Why You Should Always Bake with Room-Temperature Eggs
Updated: Aug. 16, 2024
If you skip this step, you may be disappointed with the results.
When a baking recipe calls for room-temperature eggs, do you just skim over that part and use them straight from the fridge? While cooking with cold eggs might be fine, like in these fun dishes with an egg on top, temperature can make a difference in the delicate science of baking.
While you’re at it, also find out how long eggs can sit out!
Reasons to Bake with Room-Temperature Eggs
Imagine you’re trying to mix cold butter into a batter. Tricky, right? But it’s much easier to mix in room-temperature butter. The same is true for eggs, for two main reasons.
The ingredients will mix more evenly
At room temperature, egg yolks break more easily, allowing them to mix more evenly with the egg whites and other ingredients. Room-temperature eggs are especially important for recipes like cheesecake, where the high-fat content is a factor. Cold eggs could re-harden the fat, resulting in curdled batter that might affect the final texture. And nobody wants to eat lumpy cheesecake.
Test Kitchen Tip: Eggs separate more easily when cold, so if the recipe calls for separated eggs, separate them when you take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
You’ll get better volume
Whole eggs and egg whites whip up to a much greater volume when at room temperature, so temperature is crucial for recipes that call for beaten eggs or egg whites. You’ll achieve a lighter, fluffier texture that’s essential for treats like angel food cake and meringues. Just be sure to use the whipped eggs immediately, because they can deflate more quickly.
Quick Ways to Get Room-Temperature Eggs
Yes, you can simply set eggs out on the counter 30 minutes before you bake. (However, don’t leave them out longer than two hours.) But what if you’re pressed for time and every minute counts?
Place whole eggs in a bowl and cover them with warm (not hot!) water. Allow them to sit for 10 to 15 minutes until no longer chilled. If you do this before prepping the rest of the recipe, they should be ready to go when you are.
If the recipe calls for separated eggs, separate the yolks and whites into two small bowls. Set each bowl in a larger bowl or pan filled with warm water and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Test Kitchen Tip: Stainless steel heats up faster than glass, so if you have a small stainless steel bowl, use that.
Use Room-Temperature Eggs in These Top Rated Bakes
Best Sandwich Bread: Basic Homemade BreadIf you'd like to learn how to bake bread, here's a wonderful place to start. This easy white bread recipe bakes up deliciously golden brown. There's nothing like the homemade aroma wafting through my kitchen as it bakes. —Sandra Anderson, New York, New York
Best Quick Bread: Banana-Zucchini BreadMy grandmother made this quick bread for as long as I can remember, and I've been making it ever since I learned how to bake. Children love it for a snack, and it's good to serve at any meal. It's another delicious way to use zucchini, which is so abundant in late summer. —Eva Mae Hebert, Lafayette, LA
Best Braided Bread: Honey ChallahI use these shiny beautiful loaves as the centerpiece of my spread. I love the taste of honey, but you can also add chocolate chips, cinnamon, orange zest or almonds. Leftover slices of this sweet challah recipe work well in bread pudding or for French toast. —Jennifer Newfield, Los Angeles, California
Best Cinnamon RollsWhen I married him, I discovered that my husband's family has the best cinnamon roll recipe! I asked his mom how to make homemade cinnamon rolls, and I've been making them ever since. Serve them with scrambled eggs, and you have a filling breakfast. As a variation, you can replace the filling with a mixture of raisins and pecans. —Shenai Fisher, Topeka, Kansas
Best Biscuits: Southern Buttermilk BiscuitsThe recipe for these four-ingredient biscuits has been handed down for many generations. (And don't forget our Test Kitchen's biscuit tips.) —Fran Thompson, Tarboro, North Carolina
Best Soda Bread: Homemade Irish Soda BreadSome people consider bread to be the most important part of a meal...and this Irish bread satisfies such folks! This recipe is by far the best soda bread I've ever tried. With the addition of raisins, it is moist and delicious! —Evelyn Kenney, Trenton, New Jersey
Best Muffin: Zucchini-Chocolate Chip MuffinsWhenever I make these muffins, I freeze several. As I'm leaving for work in the morning, I pull one out and enjoy it at the office with a cup of coffee. —Janet Pierce DeCori, Rockton, Illinois
Best Corn Bread: Skillet Corn BreadThis skillet corn bread looks like a puffy pancake but has an easy-to-cut texture. It complements everything from chicken to chili. —Kathy Teela, Tucson, Arizona
Best Scones: Hazelnut Chocolate Chip SconesChocolate, hazelnuts and the tangy taste of buttermilk —these delicious scones are easy to make, come together fast, and taste so good with your morning coffee. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Best Ever Bread PuddingThe secret to incredible bread pudding with a soft middle and crisp edges starts with leftover dinner rolls. I picked up the rich brown sugar sauce recipe from my friend Kathryn Gartmann. A big drizzle of it takes this dessert over the top and really makes it the best bread pudding ever. —Maria Petrella, Taste of Home Prep Cook
Best Blondies: Skillet Chocolate Chunk Walnut BlondiesPut these beauties out at a potluck and you’ll find only crumbs on your platter when it’s time to head home. Everyone will ask who made those scrumptious blondies, so be sure to bring copies of the recipe! —Peggy Woodward, Taste of Home Senior Food Editor
Best Crumb Bars: Sour Cream and Cranberry BarsI turned sour cream raisin pie into a cookie bar with a crunchy oatmeal crust, custard-style filling and crisp topping. —Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip CookieEveryone has a favorite type of chocolate chip cookie—a little crispy, a little chewy—but they all have to begin with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is the best place to start! —Megumi Garcia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Best Whoopie Pies: Old-Fashioned Whoopie PiesWho can resist soft chocolate sandwich cookies filled with a layer of fluffy white frosting? Mom has made these whoopie pies for years. They're a treat that never lasts very long with me and my two brothers around. —Maria Costello, Monroe, North Carolina
Best Shortbread: Grandma’s Scottish ShortbreadMy Scottish grandmother was renowned for her baking, and one of the highlights whenever we visited my grandparents was her bringing out the baking tin. Her shortbread cookies were my favorite, and now, whenever I make them, I remember her. This is not a thin, crispy dessert shortbread; it’s a deep bar that is best served with a cup of tea. —Jane Kelly, Wayland, Massachusetts
Best Thumbprint Cookie: Thumbprint Butter CookiesThese buttery little rounds add beautiful color to a platter of treats. Fill the thumbprint in the center with any fruit preserves you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Best Oatmeal Cookies: Chewy Oatmeal CookiesGet all the details on how to make the best-ever oatmeal cookies. We won't tell if you skip the raisins and add extra chocolate chips instead!
Best Homemade Slice-and-Bake Cookies: Date-Nut PinwheelsPinwheel cookies with dates and walnuts are a family treasure. There are a few steps when prepping, so I sometimes freeze the dough and bake the cookies later. —Frieda Whiteley, Lisbon, Connecticut
Best Tart: Rustic Caramel Apple TartLike an apple pie without the pan, this scrumptious tart has a crispy crust that cuts nicely and a yummy caramel topping. —Betty Fulks, Onia, Arkansas
How to Make MeringueLearning how to make meringue will help you master dessert recipes ranging from creamy pies to melt-in-your-mouth macarons.
Best No-Bake Pie: Cookie Butter PieI tasted Biscoff cookie spread at a grocery store one day, and it was so delicious that I decided to create a no-bake pie with it. You can make this pie your own by substituting peanut butter or another kind of spread for the Biscoff spread and then matching toppings. —Katrina Adams, Mount Olive, Alabama
Best Angel Food CakeFor our daughter's wedding, a friend made this lovely, angel food cake from a recipe she's used for decades. It really is one of the best angel food cake recipes I've found. Serve slices plain or dress them up with fresh fruit. And be sure to avoid common angel food cake mistakes. —Marilyn Niemeyer, Doon, Iowa
Best Pound Cake: Lemon Lover’s Pound CakeEveryone raves about this pretty lemon pound cake—and it sure doesn't last long with my family. It also freezes beautifully, so why not make two and pop one into the freezer for another day? —Annettia Mounger, Kansas City, Missouri
Best Chiffon Cake: Chocolate Chiffon CakeIf you want to offer family and friends a dessert that really stands out from the rest, this is the cake to make. Beautiful high layers of rich sponge cake are drizzled with a succulent chocolate glaze. —Erma Fox, Memphis, Missouri
Best Sheet Cake: Peanut Butter Sheet CakeI received this recipe from a minister's wife, and my family loves it. —Brenda Jackson, Garden City, Kansas
Best Bundt Cake: Olive Oil CakeA good olive oil cake isn't overly sweet, so it can just as easily be a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack as a dessert. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Best Dump Cake: Lemon Berry Dump CakeThis sweet-tart cake recipe is so much fun to make with my grandkids. They love just "dumping it all in" and watching it magically become a pretty, delicious dessert. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada
Best Layer Cake: Italian Cream Cheese CakeButtermilk makes every bite of this awesome Italian cream cheese cake recipe moist and flavorful. I rely on this recipe year-round.—Joyce Lutz, Centerview, Missouri
Best Shortcake: Lemon-Berry ShortcakeThis simple lemon shortcake is tender and not overly sweet. Enjoy this summertime classic with a generous layer of whipped topping and berries. —Meryl Herr, Overland Park, Kansas
Best Cake Roll: Pumpkin RollThis pumpkin roll recipe is great to keep in the freezer for a quick dessert for my family or unexpected guests, to take to a gathering, or to give as a yummy gift. —Erica Berchtold, Freeport, Illinois
Best Cupcakes: Chocolate Ganache Peanut Butter CupcakesI've been baking cakes for years and enjoy trying new combinations of flavors and textures. For this peanut butter cupcake recipe, I blended peanut butter and chocolate. As soon as I took the first bite, I knew I had created something divine! —Ronda Schabes, Vicksburg, Michigan
Best Crisp: Cranberry Apple CrispApple cranberry crisp is a wonderful dessert for fall, when both cranberries and apples are in season. The fruits are quite compatible in flavor and color, and they help make any table look festive and inviting. —Martha Sue Stroud, Clarksville, Texas
Best Buckle: Classic Blueberry BuckleThis blueberry buckle recipe came from my grandmother. As children, my sister and I remember going to Pennsylvania for blueberry picking. Mother taught us to pick only perfect berries, and those gems went into this wonderful recipe. —Carol Dolan Mt. Laurel, New Jersey
Best Torte: Flourless Chocolate TorteChocoholics—like me!—know that nothing says chocolate like a flourless torte. —Kayla Albrecht, Freeport, Illinois
Best Trifle: Pumpkin Mousse TrifleYou can speed up this recipe by using a store-bought pound cake or baking and freezing one ahead of time. The sugared pecans can also be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container.—Becky McClaflin, Blanchard, Oklahoma
Best Baked Cheesecake: Chocolate Cookie CheesecakeI used to think cheesecake sounded intimidating, but since I started making them I can’t stop! This simple but special cookie-topped version will make your family feel fussed over. —Rose Yoder, Middlebury, Indiana
Originally Published: March 14, 2019
