The idea that one miss-scooped cup of flour will ruin a baking attempt is a scary one, and makes baking seem intimidating. Why deal with all that risk when a boxed mix is a sure bet?
One way to ensure correct proportions, especially in a new recipe, is to use a kitchen scale. Instead of measuring ingredients using cups and spoons, a kitchen scale gives accurate measurements in grams. This helps alleviate the question of how firmly packed the brown sugar should be, or if the cups of flour are sifted or not.
