Now Prepare Cakes At Your Home
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| Abdul Majid (UOS) |
Definition:
A cake is a form of food, usually sweet, often baked . Cakes normally combine some kind of flour, a sweetening agent (commonly sugar), a binding agent (generally egg, though gluten or starch are often used by vegetarians and vegans), shortening (usually butter or margarine, although a fruit puree can be substituted to avoid fats), a liquid (milk, water or fruit juice), flavours and some form of leavening agent (such as yeast or baking powder).
History:
Cake is a term with a long history (the word is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse kaka) and denotes a baked flour confection sweetened with sugar or honey; it is mixed with eggs and often, but not invariably, with milk and fat; and it has a porous texture from the mixture rising during cooking. It is not surprising that the frontiers between cake and bread, biscuit and bun are indistinct. The progenitor of all is bread in its simplest form. As techniques for baking and leavening developed, and eating patterns changed, what were originally regarded as froms of bread came to be seen as categories of their own and named accordingly.
Certain Roman breads, enriched with eggs and butter, must have achieved a cakelike consistency and thus approached one of these indistinct frontiers.
The ancient Egyptians were the world’s first great bakers, with large-scale bakeries that produced unleavened breads and cakes, first baked on hot stones. They were the first to discover how to use wild (natural) yeast to make those flatbreads and cakes rise. Cakes are round because they descended from ancient breads—round loaves of dough placed on hearthstones to bake.
The Main Ingredients:
A cake is only as good as the ingredients you use. Just a few things to note when choosing your cake ingredients . The main ingredients used in cake making are flour, sugar, fat, eggs, raising agent and fruits .
Main Functions of Cake Making Ingredients:
1. Flour:
To give volume, bulk and structure to the cake.
2. Sugar:
Sugar or sweeteners have the following purposes in baking.
Ø Add sweetness and flavour.
Ø Create tenderness and fineness of texture.
Ø Give crust colour.
Ø Act as a preservative.
Ø Act as a creaming agent with fat and as a foaming agent with eggs.
3. Fat:
The major functions of fat in baked products are:
Ø To tenderize the product and soften the texture.
Ø To add moistness and richness.
Ø To add flavour.
Ø To assist in leavening .
4. Eggs:
Eggs perform the following functions:
Ø Egg protein coagulates to give structure to baked products.
Ø Egg yolks contain natural emulsifiers which help to produce smooth batters. This contributes to volume and texture.
Ø Beaten eggs incorporate air. In a batter this trapped air expands when heated and aids in leavening.
Ø Adds moisture
Ø Adds flavour
Ø Improves the nutritional Value
Ø Helps to improve the colour
5. Raising Agent:
Baking powder when combined with liquid produces carbon dioxide which helps to incorporate air and expands the gluten in the flour. The application of heat causes the cake to set while in the ‘risen’ position.
6. Fruits:
Dried fruits add to the nutritional value of the cake. These fruits must be soaked before adding them to the cake mixture or they will compete with the mixture for moisture.
Tips on Choosing Ingredients:
Ø Choose ingredients that are of the highest quality, poor ingredients will yield a poor cake.
Ø Use fresh eggs.
Ø When using fruits, ensure that they are soaked in the wine beforehand (even weeks or months before). Blending the fruits may be easier, but it will not give the best results. Fruits may also be steamed in wine and then cooled before using in a cake mixture.
Cake Classifications:
Cakes are classified as:
Ø Plain
Ø Rich
Ø Sponges
Ø Gingerbread
Cakes are generally categorised by the ratio of fat to flour content. The higher the proportion of fat and sugar to flour, the richer the cake. The proportions of fat and sugar to flour will influence the method mixing.
There are four methods of cake mixing:
Ø Rubbing-in Method - Plain ( uses ½ or less fat and sugar.)
Ø Creaming Method - Rich ( more than ½ fat and sugar to flour.)
Ø Whisking Method - Sponges ( contains no fat)
Ø Melted Method – Gingerbread
Preventry measures:
Ingredients:
Ø Invest in good chocolate, fruit fillings, nuts etc. You will taste the difference if you start with the best ingreedients.
Ø Always use fresh eggs. Eggs separate best when cold, but egg whites whip up best at room temperature.
Ø Butter gives the best flavor.A cake is a treat. Live a little!
Mixing:
Ø Prepare all the necessary ingredients.
Ø Before mixing the batter, prepare the pans, turn the oven on, and make sure the rack is in the center.
Ø Have all ingredients at room temperature for best results.
Ø Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy or as long as the recipe directs.
Ø Always sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices to avoid lumps.
Ø To speed up the softening of cold butter, slice and let stand for about 10 minutes.
Ø Toss nuts, raisins and fruits in the batter last. This will avoid color bleeding.
Ø Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently with a rubber spatula during mixing.
Ø Spread batter evenly in pans.
Baking:
Ø Turn on oven 10-15 minutes before you plan to use it to allow time for it to heat to baking temperature.
Ø Generously grease inside of pan with solid vegetable shortening. Use pastry brush to spread shortening evenly, making sure all inside surfaces are well covered. Dust with flour, tap out excess. If shiny spots remain, touch up with more shortening and flour, or use vegetable pan spray.
Ø Position pans as near to center of oven as possible. Pans should not touch sides of oven or each other.
Ø Test your cakes for doneness while they’re still in the oven. Because of differences in individual oven controls, be sure to test your cake for doneness according to package or recipe directions. Cake is done when the sides shrink slightly away from the pan and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Ø Cool cake in pan 10 - 15 minutes before loosening the edge and turning it out onto a wired rack to cool.
Ø To remove cake easily from pan, place double thickness paper towel over wire rack. The towel prevents the wire bars from breaking the crust or leaving imprints on top of cake. A clean oven rack or refrigerator shelf can be used for larger layers. Place covered rack over top of cake. Invert cake and rack at least one hour before decorating. Then brush loose crumbs off cake.
Frosting:
Ø Chill the cake between the filling and the frosting. The cake will be much easier to work with.
Ø Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake then refrigerate until it is set before applying the final, heavier layer of frosting. This will seal in the crumbs, ensuring a clean final appearance.
Ø When good cakes go bad
Ø You thought you had a good cake, but lately he’s been hanging out with the wrong crowd - some tough cookies. Soon he’s staying out late and coming home reeking of alcohol-based vanilla extract. Before you know it your angel ( food) is on a one way street to culinary reform school.
Ø It’s tough when good cakes go bad — and here are some of the most common reasons:
In General:
If the cake rose unevenly in the oven:
Ø The flour was not blended sufficiently into the main mixture.
Ø The temperature inside the oven was uneven.
Ø The oven temperature was too high.
Ø If the batter overflowed the pans:
Ø Make sure you used the right size pan. The uncooked mixture should fill the pan by no more than two-thirds.
If the cake is dense and heavy:
The eggs were too small. Always use large eggs when baking.
Insufficient air was whisked into the egg and sugar mixture.
The flour was not folded in gently. Always mix in the flour at the lowest speed.
The melted butter was too hot when added, causing it to sink down through the whisked foam.
The oven temperature was too low.
If the top of the cake dropped:
Ø The oven temperature was too hot.
Ø The cake was not cooked long enough.
Ø The oven door was opened too soon, which created a draft.
If the batter curdles and separates:
Ø The ingredients were not at room temperature.
Ø The butter and sugar were not creamed together well enough before adding the eggs.
Ø The eggs were added too quickly.
Ø If the cake’s texture is too heavy:
Ø The butter, sugar and eggs were not beaten together long enough.
Ø The flour was beaten at too high a speed.
Ø Too much flour was added to the creamed mixture.
Ø The oven temperature was not hot enough.
If the top of the cake peaks and cracks:
Ø The oven temperature was too hot, causing the outside of the cake to bake and form a crust too quickly. As the mixture in the center of the cake continued to cook and rise, it burst up through the top of the cake.
Ø The cake wasn’t baked on the center rack of the oven.
Ø If raisins, dried fruit and nuts sunk to the bottom:
Ø The pieces of fruit were too large and too heavy.
Ø The sugary syrup on the outside of the fruit was not washed off- this caused the pieces of fruit to slide through the mixture as it heated.
Ø The washed and dried fruit was not dusted with flour before being added to the mixture.
Ø The cake mixture was over beaten or was too wet so it could not hold the fruit in place.
Ø The oven temperature was too low, causing the mixture to melt before it set to hold the fruit in place.
Types of cakes:
Black Forest Cake:
A chocolate layer cake, filled with Kirsch-flavored whipped cream and sour Morello cherries and traditionally frosted with whipped cream and chocolate curls. The cake is believed to have originated in the late 16th century in the Black Forest region of Germany. The area is known for its sour Morello cherries and Kirschwasser, a clear brandy made from the cherries. Read more about the history of the Black Forest Cake, including a recipe.
Black Bottom Cake:
A cake fashioned after the black bottom pie, which has a chocolate layer bottom and a vanilla pudding top. In the cake version, a chocolate layer is topped with a cream cheese/chocolate chip layer, which bakes into a cheesecake-like top.
Angel Food Cake:
A light flourless cake made with sugar, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla or almond extract, and a dozen or so egg whites, depending on the recipe. There is no leavening. Angel food cake is popularly served with berries and whipped cream.Angel cakes are generally made in a tube pan.
Blackout Cake:
A blackout cake is a very dark chocolate layer cake, filled and frosted with dark chocolate pudding and covered in chocolate crumbs.
Varieties of cakes:
Cakes are broadly divided into several categories, based primarily on ingredients and cooking techniques.
Yeast cakes are the oldest, and are very similar to yeast breads. Such cakes are often very traditional in form, and include such pastries as babka and stollen.
Cheesecakes, despite their name, aren't really cakes at all. Cheesecakes are in fact custard pies, with a filling made mostly of some form of cheese (often cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta or the like), and have very little to no flour added, although a flour-based crust may be used.
Sponge cakes are thought to be the first of the non-yeast-based cakes and rely primarily on trapped air in a protein matrix (generally of beaten eggs) to provide leavening, sometimes with a bit of baking powder or other chemical leaven added as insurance.
Butter cakes, including the pound cake and devil's food cake, rely on the combination of butter, eggs, and sometimes baking powder to provide both lift and a moist texture.
Shapes:
Cakes are frequently described according to their physical form. Cakes may be small and intended for individual consumption. Larger cakes may be made with the intention of being sliced and served as part of a meal or social function. Common shapes include:
Layer cakes, frequently baked in a Springform pan and decorated.
Sheet cakes, simple, flat, rectangular cakes baked in sheet pans.
Cupcakes which is sized for a single person.
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