Bake a Cake – Know it All

Baking a cake is altogether a fun compared to a chemistry class. These ten secrets will keep you motivated for doing it with enjoyment:

1. See what you mix, that is the start

Baking a cake is an art and there are more than several type of cakes you can bake while each type of cake has its own look and feel. The ingredients for each type are mixed and handled in a specific order and manner. Some are pound cakes, some are butter cakes while some others are layer cakes. They get their softness, fineness, texture and moistness—called a crumb as they get a shape. You need to do first creaming together fat and sugar then adding eggs followed by slowly incorporating the dry ingredients into the mixture and alternating with a liquid, like milk or buttermilk. During the process some ingredients increase their volume by whipping and that is the beauty of the case when finally seen. This way, be sure what you are making, choose to do things step by step religiously following the instructions closely. The method as well as the procedure is important till you see final shape of what you made.

2. Understand your oven

Cakes need to be baked and baking needs an oven. You must understand how to adjust temperature and baking period. Oven thermometer can be a great tool to make such decision and keep a stop watch or a kitchen timer handy to verify the time. This prevents an over or under-done cake. Close oven door peacefully as hard slams effect the air contained in cake batter.  Thumb rule to see if the cake is done is to press it from the center and if it springs back, would mean it is done. Else you can insert a wooden pick and see if that comes out clean. Coming out clean means it is done.

3. Note Pan Size and its Colour too

Pan size is usually specified in recipes and cake size increases during baking process, Therefore, pan size should be right. Smaller size would allow cake to overflow during baking. Importance of pan colour and pan material needs to be noted too. Glass or the dark or nonstick pans sometimes need 25-degree reduction in temperature to bake as dark utensils absorb more of heat compared to shining colour (silver) or aluminium pans. You will understand the ‘behavior’ of each fan so keep that noted for next time use.

4. Flouring Right.

Different flours have different percentages of protein—that means more protein - more gluten. Cake flours have the least protein and that yields extra-light baked cakes like angel food cake. Bread flour contain maximum and that is used for almost all denser items; all-purpose flavor stands in the middle and that mostly produces tender cakes.

5. No Measuring but Weigh the Flour

Kitchen scale is a must to weigh the ingredients precisely. Weighing is the only right method to measure flour. If you use a cup, for example, it really depends how tightly you filled that. Same cup will give you double the measure hampering results.

6. Just a Little bit of Chemistry

In case you are afraid of chemistry, simply understand that flour will thicken the batter and source of gluten, it is a kid of protein that giving the cake structure. It forms as flour is mixed with a liquid and then agitated. Avoid over-mixing, that causes the cake to turn tough. Leaveners, for example baking soda or powder, yield carbon dioxide bubbles and these bubbles are trapped by the starch mixed in the batter and these expand during baking thus causing the cake to rise. Fats are oil, or butter or shortening that help retard formation of gluten formation and provide moisture for the food. This helps making a tender texture. Sugar will break up gluten, keeps the texture tenderer; it also absorbs liquid, keeps moisture within the cake; and it causes caramelising in baking, enriches flavors and helps the cake turning brown. Lastly the eggs firm up when these are cooked and this helps the cake batters set as oven works. Remember the egg yolks contain fat and lecithin. This is an emulsifier allowing water and fats to mix up smoothly ensuring an even texture.

7. Cool down the Cake

Let the cake cool while in the pan placing on a wire rack for around 20 minutes then remove from pan. Once it is cooled, just place a plate on its top and invert the pan, gently tapping or shaking it to release it out. Cakes like angel food cakes are normally baked using tube pans. These are inverted either on the feet that are attached to the pan or done over a bottle letting that cool upside down when it is still in the pan. Gravity keeps the volume of the cake. Once it is has cooled, just run a narrow spatula all around the cake edges to release it onto a plate.

8. Frost like a professional

Place a small dollop of frosting right in the center of cake-plate, for placing the first layer of cake on the top. This will help keeping the cake at a place stopping from moving sideways. Using an offset spatula for frosting the top and add another layer. Next step is to coat the whole of cake with a quite thin layer of frosting. This “crumb coat” will hold loose the crumbs in place. Next you place the cake in a freezer for about 15 minutes and remove after finishing frosting, starting with the top and reaching to sides.

9. Apply Fondant to Beauty the Cake.

Rolled fondant is a combination of glycerin, gelatin and sugar forming into an easily molded dough. Its taste is not that good. Poured fondant is like a a cooked-sugar syrup used for cake filling, used in candies and top petite four etc.

10. When You are in Hilly Areas.

Because of less air pressure in hilly areas, cakes would rise more and dry out as liquids evaporate sooner. If you are like 3,500 feet above sea level, try these guidelines: Oven temperature to be 375° and add 2 tablespoons liquid for each of the cup used. Moreover lessen each cup of sugar by one tablespoon and reduce baking powder by ⅛ teaspoon for each teaspoon and also reduce 5 minutes from your baking time. 

If you need some inspiration or are tired of baking a cake every now and then, Try some of the delicous Gelato cake offers we found in Doha.