CAKE

Cake
A cake is a sweet baked food which mainly comprises of flour sugar and eggs, which is the basis of
all cakes, and fat, which is only used in some cakes.

Ingredients in Cake Making

FLOUR – This forms the framework of the cake

FAT – This makes the cake tender and help to keep them moist

SUGAR – This sweetens the cake, helps to make them tender and also gives the brown colour of the
crust

EGGS – This entraps air making the cake lighter

LIQUID – This provides moisture, helps to raise the cake and blend ingredients

FLAVOURING – This gives the cake interesting flavour

RAISING AGENTS – This is responsible for lightening cakes.

Types of cakes
There are three different types of cakes:

1. CHIFFON CAKES –These are cakes which are tender because the oil and large quantity of eggs
used.
2. FOAM CAKES – These are cakes which do not contain fat or raising agents but contain a
large amount of eggs which trap air when beaten.
3. SHORTENED CAKES – These are cakes which contain fats/shortening and chemical raising
agents.
 FATS AND OILS
Fats and Oils
A fat is a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly
triglycerides). Fat and oils have the same chemical structure but fats are solid at room temperature while oils are
liquid at room temperature.

Functions of Fat
Some functions of fat include:
1. Fat provides a convenient and concentrated energy store providing more energy than the same amount of
carbohydrate or protein.
2. It forms an insulating layer beneath the skin to preserve body heat and protect vital organs
3. It provides texture and flavor in food making it palatable.
4. It forms part of the structure of the cell membrane throughout the body, especially the brain
5. As fat digestion is slow, it provides a feeling of fullness after a meal.
Fats and oils are generally referred to as ‘lipids’, which refer to all fats (some of which are not edible). They include:

1. Triglycerides
These are formed from the elements carbon, oxygen and hydrogen and are the most common lipid in the body.
They are made with 3 units of fatty acids and 1 unit of glycerol. There are many known fatty acids and can be
considered either:
1. Saturated Fatty Acids – These exist where Carbon atoms are saturated with hydrogen, meaning a single bond
exists between carbon atoms. Saturated fatty acids make up most fats which are solid at room temperature.
Some examples are:
Example Found in
Butyric Acid Milk, Butter
Palmitic Acid Animal Fats
Lauric Acid Dairy Foods, Coconut Oil
Stearic Acid Beef Fat

2. Unsaturated Fatty Acids – These exist where carbon atoms are not fully saturated with hydrogen atoms; a
double bond exists between carbon atoms. Unsaturated fatty acids mainly exist in oils. They can either be:
1. Monounsaturated Fat – Where only one double bond exists in the molecule, example, oleic acid found
mainly in animal and plant fats and oil, like olive oil.
2. Polyunsaturated fat – Where more than one double bond exists in the molecule, linoleic and linolenic
acids found in vegetable oil.
2. Phospholipids
These are substances similar to which have fatty acids, which allow then to be soluble in fat, and a phosphate
group, which allow them to soluble in water, thus, making them an emulsifier, the most common of them being
lecithin. Lecithin is produced in the liver of the body but can also be found in egg yolks, wheat germ, soya beans
and peanuts.
3. Sterols
Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a class of chemicals that play multiple important roles in the body. They
have parts that can dissolve in fat-like molecules and parts that can dissolve in water. The most widely known
human sterol is cholesterol.