CAKE MAKING

Creaming method

This method is mostly used for creaming or beating of fat with sugar. The beating process changes the color and texture making it look pale and fluffy

Rubbing in method
When margarine is rubbed in, it gives a crumbly texture. This helps to spread the fat evenly in the flour giving a light coating which is very important in cake making

Hot Milk Method
These recipes use boiling for the fat ingredients with the liquid mentioned in the recipe I.e milk. Mostly the old fashioned hot milk cakes were made in this fashion

Blind Baking
This is where the dough is baked for sometime before the filing is added to prevent it from turning soggy . This is mostly used for pie and tarts where the filing has moisture content

Whisking method
Whisking is used instead of a rising agent to make air go into the mix and is ideal if you’re looking for a lower fat lighter sponge as they usually contain no butter

Flour
It is used as a thickening agent . Flour also holds wet ingredients such as oils, milk and eggs together

Sugar
Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it has a tendency to attract and hold onto water molecules. It is important because it’s sweet flavor making the food delicious. It also balances out sour and bitter flavors in food to help create a more complex and flavor

Fat
Fat enhances flavor giving making it rich and gives it a unique flavor, it mainly reduces toughness and makes it tender

Eggs
They add structure to bake goods . They help add texture and sugar fluffiness. The structure from beaten whites also leaves the ingredients you use them in . Eggs keep baked goods more delicate. The long strands of gluten contribute to chewiness in the finished product

Liquids
The amount of liquid determines whether a “dough” is produced. Liquids also hydrate the flour , for gluten formation and to hydrate the starch, for gelantizing which results in formation of the basic structure of any baked goods

OVEN TEMPERATURE

• The oven temperature is usually set for 150 - 300•C (300-570•F) and baking usually takes 5 - 25 minutes
• Generally , the middle of the oven is the best place for baking. Heat rises , so top and low rack positions can be very hot , as a result your cakes may get burnt
• Try to position your shelf in the middle rack . If you’re doing two cakes ideally , both pans should be in the middle shelf
• If you want to enhance the baking get the right oven.

Tough Cakes
A cake usually becomes tough if you bake it for too long . The hardness is not obvious but when it comes out at room temperature it becomes hard and dry . Over mixing cake batter could cause the gluten in the flour to develop

Heavy Texture
When there is too much baking powder this causes the mixture to become coarse. The oven heat is too much and causes the cake to not come out smooth

Sunken in the middle
Too much leavening agent like baking soda or powder can cause the cake to rise too quickly . The gas from the leavening agent builds up and escapes through the center. This causes the center to collapse and makes the cake sink in the middle

Cracked Top
If the tin is too small or there’s too much raising agent in the cake mix ,there can be cracks . This is because if you have a small tin , you get a really high mixture that causes doming . Also if the tin is small , the top is cooked completely but the inside will remain quite raw