All About Cakes

All About Cakes

(photo grabbed from google.com)

Secrets to Successful Cakes

Use shiny metal pans. Shiny aluminum pans reflect heat away from the cake and give it a tender, light-brown crust. Dark pans can cause a thick, dark crust. Insulated pans require a longer baking time.

Use a properly sized pan. When checking the size, measure from inside edge to inside edge. A cake made in a pan that is too large can be flat and overbaked, while one made in a pan that is too small may overflow during baking or take longer to bake.

Prepare the pan according to recipe directions. Pans for butter cakes are usually greased and floured. Pans for foam cakes are usually not.

Heat the oven 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

Measure ingredients accurately. Be sure to add them in the order and manner specified in the recipe.

Don’t overbeat or underbeat the batter. Underbeating or overbeating will affect the texture and volume of the cake. These recipes have been tested using an electric mixer, which produces the highest volume, but they also may be mixed by hand. One minute of beating time with a mixer equals 150 strokes by hand.

Fill pans halfway. This will ensure that the cake bakes evenly and that the batter doesn’t overflow the pan during baking. If you’re using a special-shaped pan such as a heart or Christmas tree, measure how much batter it will hold by filling it with water. Measure the amount of water and use half that amount of batter. Extra batter can be used for cupcakes.

Carefully space pans in the oven. Place single pans in the middle of the center rack. For more than one pan, leave at least 1 inch between the pans and the sides of the oven for good air circulation. If necessary, stagger the pans on two oven racks so one is not directly above the other so that air flows evenly around them. If you are baking cakes on both racks, it’s a good idea to rotate the pans midway through the baking period. The most effective way to rotate is to turn the pans around, so that the side of the pan or baking sheet that was at the front of the oven is now at the back, and to put the top pan on the bottom rack and the bottom pan on the top. This technique makes up for any hot spots or other inconsistencies in your oven.

Cool cakes completely before filling, frosting or glazing them.

Know the number of servings per cake. If you’re baking for a group, here’s a handy guide for knowing what size cake will serve the whole crowd.

Size of Cake	Serves
8 or 9-inch square cake	6 to 9
8 or 9-inch layer cake	12 to 16
13 x 9-inch rectangular cake	12 to 16
10 x 4-inch tube cake	16 to 20
12-cup bundt cake	16 to 20

(photo grabbed from google.com)

Secrets for Butter Cakes

Use butter, margarine or solid shortening. Don’t substitute oil, even if the recipe calls for the shortening to be melted.

Use solid shortening to prepare the pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with solid vegetable shortening (butter, margarine and oil don’t coat as evenly). Use a paper towel or pastry brush to spread the shortening. Then dust the greased pan with flour, shaking it until the bottom and sides are well coated. (If you’re baking a chocolate cake, you can use cocoa instead of flour.) Tap out the excess flour. For nonstick pans, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Instead of greasing and flouring pans, you also may use pan inserts made of parchment paper. The inserts are available at many cooking specialty stores. Use paper or foil baking cups to line cupcake pans.

Make a hollow. After filling the pan with batter, make a slight hollow in the center of the batter with the back of a spoon or spatula. This will give the cake a nicely rounded, rather than humped, top.

Cool cake in the pan. Cool cake on a wire rack for 5 to 20 minutes before removing it from the pan. To remove a cake, carefully run a knife along the edge to loosen it from the pan. Place another wire rack on top of the pan. With the pan sandwiched between the two racks, turn it over. Carefully lift the pan from the cake. To make sure that the top of the cake will be facing up, once again sandwich the cake between two racks and turn it over. Remove the top rack.

If the cake sticks to the pan, return it to the oven and heat for 1 minute. Remove it from the pan.

Cut the cake with a thin, sharp knife. Use a sawing, back-and-forth motion. If the frosting sticks, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it with a damp towel after cutting each slice. An electric knife also works well for cutting most layer cakes.

(photo grabbed from google.com)

Secrets for Foam Cakes

Do not grease or flour the tube pan. During baking, the batter must be able to cling to the sides of the pan and the center tube in order to rise properly.

Beat eggs at room temperature. For the highest volume, bring egg whites to room temperature before beating them. Be sure that no egg yolk remains in the whites and that the bowl, beaters, and rubber scraper are clean and free from any oil or shortening. Even a little bit of grease will prevent the whites from beating properly.

Break bubbles in the batter. So that the cake will have an even texture, cut through the batter with a knife before baking to break large air bubbles and to seal the batter against the sides of the pan and center tube.

Bake on the bottom rack. In some ovens, cakes in tube pans bake better on the bottom rack, preventing the top from getting too brown. You may need to remove the top oven rack to leave adequate room for the pan or for the cake to expand.

Cool cake in the pan. To prevent this delicate type of cake from collapsing after baking, turn the tube or bundt pan upside down on a wire rack, heatproof funnel or the neck of a bottle so the cake doesn’t touch the counter.

Remove it carefully from the pan. Use a smooth, gentle sawing motion, or use an electric knife.

Freeze leftover egg whites. If you have leftover egg whites, lightly beat them, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze. Thaw them in the refrigerator and use them like fresh egg whites in foam cakes, meringues, and cooked frostings. One egg white equals 2 tablespoons.

How to Tell When Cakes Are Done:

Underbaked cakes are soggy, pale and raw-tasting; overbaked cakes are dry, too brown and may stick in the pan. To be sure that your cake is done just right, follow these simple steps.

Check for doneness at the minimum baking time. Then check at 1-minute intervals until the cake is done.

Butter cakes are done when:

•   A toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

•   The top is rounded, smooth and springs back when lightly touched in the center.

Foam cakes are done when:

•   The top springs back when touched.

•   The cracks on top look and feel dry.

(If a cake is underbaked, it will pull away from the sides and tube and/or fall out of the pan when inverted.)

Secrets For Successful Frostings,

Garnishes And Decorations

Easy or elaborate, frosting garnishes and other decorations add the crowning touch to your cake creation.

The Icing on the Cake

Decorating a cake can be as simple as swirling creamy frosting over its layers. For best results, take these steps to make your finished product a work of art:

• Get rid of loose crumbs. Brushing the layers with a pastry brush or your hand works great.
• To keep the serving plate clean, tuck strips of waxed paper under the edge of the cake before you frost it. Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on the top of the first cake layer.
• Place the second cake layer, top side up, on top of the frosted layer. Spread a thin coating of frosting on the sides of the cake to seal in any crumbs. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Add a thicker coating of frosting to the sides of the cake. Then frost the sides again, swirling and building up the top edge of the frosting about 1/4 inch above the cake.
• Spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake, blending it with the frosting at the edge. Remove the strips of waxed paper once you’ve finished.
• Let the cake stand—if time allows—for about an hour before you slice it to let the frosting set up.

Create the right consistency.

• Frosting should have a smooth consistency that is firm enough to hold swirls and other patterns and yet soft enough to spread. Glazes should be thin enough to pour or drizzle but not so thin they run off the cake.

Make frosting patterns.

• Decorate a cake as you frost it by making swirls, crisscrosses, zigzags or spirals with a spatula, knife or the tines of a fork.

Tint frosting with food color.

• Mix enough of each color before you begin frosting or decorating. The color will darken as the frosting dries.

(photo grabbed from google.com)

Add easy garnishes.

A cake can be made extra-special by adding a garnish. Here are just a few things that can be arranged on or sprinkled over a cake:

• Animal crackers
• Chocolate or butterscotch chips, nuts, raisins
• Coconut, colored sprinkles, sugar
• Candies such as mint wafers, jelly beans, gumdrops, peppermints or licorice strings
• Candied, fresh or dried fruit
• Fresh or artificial flowers. When using flowers, choose nontoxic chemical-free blossoms such as nasturtiums, violets, roses or pansies.

Add easy decorations.

Try these easy decorating ideas:

• Drizzle melted chocolate around the top edge of the cake for a border effect. Or dip a toothpick in melted chocolate to create marble or spider web designs.
• Sift powdered sugar or cocoa onto an unfrosted cake. For a lacy pattern, use a paper doily. Lay the doily on top of the cake. Carefully sift an even layer of powdered sugar or cocoa over it. Lift the doily straight up, leaving a pattern on the cake.
• Use a cookie cutter to mark a design on the frosting of a cake or cupcake. Fill in the design with colored sugar, sprinkles or chopped nuts.

Simple Decorating Bag

• A plastic freezer bag can be used as a simple decorating bag. Fill the bag with frosting and fold top down. For a writing tip effect, snip off one corner, making a very small hole; squeeze the frosting gently through the opening. If you want to use decorative tips, snip off 1/4 inch of one corner. Place the desired tip in the corner of the bag, fill it with frosting and decorate.

Birthday Cake Ideas

• Create a border by drizzling melted chocolate around the top edges of the cake.
• Sift powdered sugar onto an unfrosted cake. To make a beautiful lacy pattern, place a paper doily on top of the cake. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the entire doily. Carefully remove the doily by lifting straight up. Vary this idea by cutting shapes or names from waxed paper to make a stencil.
• Coat the entire cake or just the top or sides with chopped nuts, colored sugar, sprinkles, miniature chocolate chips or miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces.
• Use a cookie cutter or stencil to mark a design on a frosted cake. Fill in with colored sugar, candy sprinkles or finely chopped nuts.

Keeping Cakes Fresh and Flavorful

To keep cakes at the peak of their flavor and quality:

Store when completely cooled.

Cakes with frostings or fillings containing dairy products should be refrigerated.

Store under cake cover or large bowl.

If a cake has a fluffy cooked frosting, insert a knife handle under an edge of the cake cover so it isn’t airtight. The frosting can be totally absorbed by the cake when stored in an airtight container. If you don’t have a cake cover, cakes with creamy frostings also can be covered lightly with foil, plastic wrap or waxed paper. To keep the frosting from sticking to the protective covering, insert several toothpicks halfway into the cake around the edges and in the center to support the covering.

Freeze unfrosted cakes.

For unfrosted butter cakes, cool completely, wrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze. Foam cakes may be frozen in the pan to prevent crushing. Cover tightly and freeze. Unfrosted cakes may be stored in the freezer up to 6 months.

Freeze cakes with buttercream frosting.

Frosted cakes can be frozen in a tightly covered plastic container. Or, place cake in freezer until frosting is frozen. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and freeze up to 3 months. Cooked, boiled or fruit frostings and fillings don’t freeze as well. Place layer cakes in a box or cake container to prevent crushing, then wrap the box in foil or plastic wrap before freezing. Foam cakes may be filled or frosted with whipped cream or whipped topping before freezing. Frosted cakes may be stored in the freezer up to 3 months.

Thaw cakes at room temperature.

Thaw unfrosted cakes covered and frosted cakes loosely covered for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.

Source: Pillsburybaking.com