Professional Documents
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Bread and Pastr-WPS Office
Bread and Pastr-WPS Office
Objectives
Introduction
Cake Making is one of the competencies to be learned in the qualification Bread and Pastry Production.
Studying this lesson will enrich one’s knowledge in the competency cake making. It also gives an
overview on the things that should be learned all throughout this courseware. It also includes the
common terminologies used in the workplace which will be crucial as one progresses to the next
module.
It is essential to grasp the knowledge presented in this courseware because it will serve as the
foundation in understanding the science and art of cake making. Yes! There is science and art in baking
cakes, and it will be further discussed on the next modules.
Getting Started
Cake is described as a form of bread that is made by baking the mixture of fat, sugar, eggs, flour, baking
powder, and with or without milk.
Cakes, Gateaux and Tortes
This competency is about preparing and presenting cakes, gateaux and tortes. What is the difference
and similarities of these three?
Cakes from France are called Gateaux(gateau, singular). It is a very light sponge cake filled with rich icing
and filling. The distinct characteristic of gateaux is composed of several layers of thin, very light sponge
cake, filled with icing and filling. The basic element in this type of cake is its structure, not the cake base.
It is usually made with a lot of fresh fruit and is intended to be eaten on the same day.
Tortes are cakes from Germany or Austria that contains little or no flour with eggs, ground nuts or bread
crumbs. Tortes are also composed of several layers, mostly 6 to 8 layers, with nuts combined to the
batter. Layers are filled with cream or fruit filling and are covered with chocolate and fondant. This cake
can last for days.
Baking Cake
Baking cake is like a love affair. For it to be perfect, you need to place the right effort on the correct
ingredient. In starting this courseware, you need to grasp the essential concepts before baking. You
must understand first the importance of occupational safety and hygiene, procedure on tools and
equipment material and ways to organize your work.
Along with this is the need for critical learning and analysis on the principles of baking. It includes the
formulas and measurement, mixing and gluten development, baking process, production method,
correct baking techniques, selecting correct oven condition, stalling and the enterprise requirements
and standard in baking cake.
After mastering these concepts, you can now prepare the cake base, followed by its fillings, coatings,
icing and decoration. Keep in mind that the first cake that needs to be baked is the one that catches
your interest.
Do you know that?
Making cakes started after the discovery of flour. The oldest form of cake is normally fried breads or
cheesecakes in disk shape.
Procedure on how to prepare Butter Cake, Sponge Cake, Genoese Cake, Pound Cake, Madeira Cake and
Chiffon Cake. Recipes from reliable sources along with its video demonstration are also embedded in
this courseware. This can be used as you practice baking cake.
Aside from cake bases, preparing fillings, coatings, icing and decoration such as buttercream, crème
patisserie, ganache, boiled icing, royal icing and fondant are also discussed. Presenting and storing
cakes, gateaux and tortes are also included in this courseware.
Terminologies
A professional food worker must have deep understanding on the common terminologies used in cake
making. Mastering these terminologies would enable you to identify what is being talked about inside
the kitchen. Listed are the common terminologies used in the workplace:
Aeration
is a process of incorporating air or gas in one or more of the stages of production before baking. The air
can be introduced into the mixture from production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) because of yeast or baking
powder. The internal expansion of the air and pressure of the steam makes a total contribution to the
aeration, making the baked product more appetizing, palatable and digestible.
Agar Agar
derived from seaweed that is used as setting agent. It is much stronger, more stable and harder to use. It
is used as an alternative to gelatin.
All-in Process
is a cake production method where all ingredients are mixed together without any preliminary stages.
Bake
method of cooking food in dry heat inside a heating oven using gas, electricity, charcoal, wood or oil at a
temperature from 250ºF to 450ºF.
Batter
a semi-liquid mixture, composed of one or more portion of flour combined with liquids, such as water,
milk or eggs used to prepare various foods.
Beating
introducing air into the mixture through mechanical agitation, as in beating eggs. It can be done by hand
or by machine.
Blend
Coat
the act of covering the cake with almond paste or icing, fondant cream or chocolate.
Combine
process of rubbing or beating butter and sugar or fat and flour until light and fluffy.
Cutting in
using two knives or a pastry blender to combine cold fats, like butter, margarine or shortening, with
flour or sugar without creaming or mixing air in the ingredients. Doing this will result in a mixture that is
crumbly or grainy looking.
Emulsion
is the mixture of two fluids that would normally not mix, such as oil and water. This can be done by
means of an emulsifier. Fat, sugar and eggs that are combined and are correctly beaten can form an
emulsion. The lecithin in egg yolks are good emulsifying agent.
Fermentation
Fillings
inserted in between cake to enhance the taste and layering of the cake
Foaming
to continuously beat egg white, to incorporate air until it becomes light and fluffy.
a chocolate whipped frosting, filling or paste made from chocolate and cream. It is prepared by heating
the cream and stirring it into the chocolate.
Gelatin
used as setting agent to stabilize creams.
Gluten
protein found in wheat and grains, including barley and rye. Gluten is from the Latin word which means
‘glue’. It gives elasticity to the dough, giving the final product a chewy texture. It also acts as glue that
keeps or holds the food together.
Grease
Jellying Agent
used to set soft solid food which includes Gelatin, Agar-agar, Pectin
substance, such as yeast, baking powder, baking soda or eggs, used to cause fermentation and
expansion of batter. The agents work to produce carbon dioxide in batter.
Line
Pack compactly
to fill cup with brown sugar or shortening by pressing it with the back of the spoon.
Pipe out
Pre-heat
to heat the oven prior to baking and achieve the required heat. This is done to attain the quality in
baking products.
Petit Gateaux
Room Temperature
Scrape
to remove the sticky ingredients from the side of the mixing bowl.
Sieve
the utensil that has wire or nylon mesh where dry ingredients are put through to refine them.
Sift
to pass the flour through the sieves to make it finer and light.
Stir in
Storage
Tempering
process of setting the chocolate by heating, cooling and warming up the chocolate to its appropriate
temperature to align the cocoa butter crystal. This is done to make the melted chocolate smooth, silky
and glossy.
Austrian, German, Italian and Eastern European of origin, definition is same as gateau. It can have pastry
layers with more fruits and nuts.
Whip
to beat rapidly and continuously to aid incorporation of air to increase in volume, as in whipping egg
whites to make meringue and in cream.
Yield
is the calculated units from the total baked weight of a particular formula.
Objectives
Examine proper hand-washing technique done before and during the work process; and
Determine the correct hygienic practices, sanitary procedure and safety measures in the kitchen.
Introduction
A professional food worker is expected to maintain a high standard of personal and occupational
hygiene. Taking a bath, brushing of teeth and trimming of fingernails on daily basis are referred to as
personal hygiene. The professional food worker takes good care of himself by ensuring good cleaning
and washing practices. Occupational Health and Safety, on the other hand, are practices done to
maintain a clean work environment. This includes wearing of protective equipment, frequent washing of
hands between work processes, regular sanitation of kitchen premises and continuous hygienic kitchen
practices.
This lesson focuses on the essential knowledge in Occupational Health and Safety done before and
during food preparation. These required knowledge must be perform before one can set-up the
workstation.
Equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are specialized equipment worn by the employees to protect
themselves from health and safety hazards while working. PPEs in cake making includes, but not limited
to, the following:
Hat –used to restrict the hair from falling. This could be chef’s hat, baker’s hat, beret or ball cap.
Jacket – thick white cotton cloth, mostly double-breasted and layered. This is to protect from splattering
of boiling liquid, and from heat of stove and oven. Some jackets are reversible, to hide any spills.
Apron – gives legs special protection against spills.The color can be white, black or any color with the
company’s logo on it.
Pants/Trouser – protects legs from spills and splashes. It can be white, black, or black-and-white striped.
Shoes – used to protect the feet if something hot spills or something sharp dropped
Gloves – worn to protect food from contamination when hands have burns, cuts or infection. It can
never be a replacement for washing hands.
Handwashing Technique
Handwashing is the single most important procedure for preventing the spread of biological
contamination to the food being prepared. Here are some handwashing procedures for your use:
Procedure:
Always consider the faucet, sink and its surrounding contaminated when starting the hand washing
procedure.
You must avoid touching the sink. Use the hand-washing sink, not the food preparation sink.
Turn the water on and wet your hands, wrists, and arms.
Pour enough liquid soap on your palm then work until later or mass of bubbles are produced.
Vigorously rub together all surfaces of the lathered hands and arms for 15 seconds. Friction helps
remove dirt and microorganisms. Wash around and under rings, around cuticles, and under fingernails.
Rinse hands thoroughly under a stream of water. Running water carries away dirt and debris. Point the
fingers down so that water won't drip toward elbows.
Use side of your arms or knuckles to turn off the faucet, avoiding touching any contaminated area.
It is also important that you know when to wash your hands. Here is a list of times when washing hands
is essential:
Bear in mind that hand-washing is not only done in the circumstances listed above, but also when you
have made any surface contact before and during food preparation.
Hygienic Practices
Aside from frequently handwashing, there are also numerous ways to reduce the spread of harmful
germs. Hygienic practices refer to the ways carried out by any food professional to provide safe and
quality food to their customer.
Make sure that your nails are short, clean, and without nail polish.
Do not wear the uniform while travelling to and from work – change it upon arrival and out of it before
you leave.
Don’t brush or comb your hair when you are near food.
Do not smoke in the food areas.
Keep your fingers away from your face, mouth, hair, and skin and other parts of the body.
Do not come to work if you have a cold or are feeling unwell - you may transmit bacteria to the food and
put the health of others at risk.
Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. Think about it: Knives! Fire! Bacteria! Observing basic
rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop. Always pay attention to what you’re doing in the
kitchen because one slip can cause serious injury or accidents.
Never cook in loose clothes and keep long hair tied back. You don’t want anything accidentally catching
fire. (Not to mention hair ending up in the food!)
Never cook while wearing dangling jewelry. A bracelet can get tangled around pot handles.
Keep potholders nearby and use them. Be careful not to leave them near an open flame.
Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove. With this, children can’t grab them, and adults can’t
bump into them if they’re out of the way.
Don’t let temperature-sensitive foods sit out in the kitchen. Raw meat, fish, and certain dairy products
can spoil quickly, so refrigerate or freeze them right away.
Wipe up spills immediately. Keep the floor dry so that no one slips and falls.
Separate raw meat and poultry from other items whenever you use or store them. This precaution
avoids cross-contamination of harmful bacteria from one food to another.
Wash your hands before handling food and after handling meat or poultry. Hands can be a virtual freight
train of bacteria.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) also known as Occupational Safety and Health is a cross-
disciplinary area that mainly concerns the safety, health and welfare of the people engaged in work or
employment. The main goal of this program is to promote safe work environment. As a secondary
effect, it protects co-workers, family members, employers, customers, suppliers and nearby
communities.
OHS Indicator
To promote the safety, health and welfare of the people, it is standard in a workplace to hang safety
signs that indicate preventive measures needed. Safety sign refers to the sign or symbol in the
workplace indicating various hazards ahead.
Red color represents immediate hazardous situations that will cause death or serious injuries.
Yellow color is used against unsafe practices that, if not avoided, may result in minor injuries.
OHS Standard is the mandatory standard and rules enforced by the government to reduce or eliminate
any occupational hazard in the workplace.
This standard is mandated by law and enforced by the Secretary of Labor and Employment through the
Regional Director. The duties of employers and employees are as follows:
Administrative policies on safety must be adopted in accordance with the provision of the standards;
Policies and safety organization established must be reported to the Regional Director;
Safety performance must be submitted every 3 months to the Regional Director; and
Unsafe practices and conditions must be reported to the Safety Committee; and
Assist government agencies to conduct safety and health inspection.
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Preparing Cakes
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Preparing Cakes
Objectives
Identify the cleaning materials that can be used to disinfect and sanitize kitchen premises;
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Preparing Cakes
Introduction
To completely or fully perform the occupational safety and standard, a professional food worker,
particularly a pastry chef, needs to perform and ensure the usability or functionality of the tools and
equipments inside the kitchen.
In this lesson, difference of disinfecting and sanitizing is included, together with the cleaning materials
that can be used. Although each establishment has their own preventive maintenance procedure,
equipment cleaning procedure and tool storage guidelines, brief examples on how to do it are also
included in this lesson.
Giving importance to the tools and equipment maintenance would lessen the occurrence of accidents
and of failure in baking product.
Do you know that disinfection is different from sanitizing and sterilization? Yes, these are all different
from each other!
Disinfection can be done with the use of antimicrobial agents, like lemon juice or baking soda, which
destroy or inactivate some microorganism but not all. Sanitation and sterilization can kill almost all
viruses, bacteria and spores.
Disinfection
Disinfection can be performed with the use of the correct cleaning materials. This is done alongside with
the PPEs to be worn, and handwashing practices to be performed. Cleaning materials that can be used
as disinfectants are as follows:
Vinegar
Using vinegar as a natural cleaning material serves as disinfectant and deodorizer. One (1) part water to
one (1) part vinegar can be used as a solution. Mix the solution thoroughly in a clean spray bottle and
use it in cleaning stove tops, appliances counter tops and floor. The smell will disappear when it dries.
Do not use the vinegar solution on marble surfaces.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is great substance used to clean soap scum and hard water deposits. It can also clean and
shine brass and copper. To use the lemon, cut it in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section.
Scrub the dishes, surfaces and stains using the lemon. To make cleaning paste, mix the lemon juice with
vinegar and/or baking soda.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda is a cleaning agent used to deodorize and scrub surfaces. It can be used the same way in
using other commercial abrasive cleaners.
Borax
Another natural cleaning powder that can be used is the borax. It acts as kitchen disinfectant and stain
remover like the baking soda, with stronger effect. This product is best used in cleaning floors for it can
kill mould and mildew spores while removing their stains.
Rub a sponge with a plain, liquid, vegetable-based soap or with a dishwashing bar soap. It is optional to
add a few slices of lemon to the water to help cut grease.
Use borax or sodium carbonate monohydrate (washing soda) with soap and water. Large surfaces can
be washed with a solution of ½ cup borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water
Disinfection of tools and equipment is done to remove or inactivate 99.99% germs and viruses. Using the
disinfectants indicated above, here are examples of procedures to be followed in cleaning certain
equipment. The procedure still depends on the rules set by the establishment or company.
Before cleaning, switch off the range and remove the electric plug.
Clean the top of the range by wiping and removing food particles, burnt sediments and grease away.
Burner must be cleaned thoroughly with a dry brush or with clean dry cloth.
Remove the burner grates before cleaning the entire oven. Wash and dry other removable parts.
Remove and scrape the food particles inside and out of the oven.
Scrub any baked grease or spills with a nonmetalic brush using a paste made of baking soda, salt and
water. Another option is to mix two (2) tablespoons of liquid dish soap, and two (2) teaspoons of borax
into two cups of hot water. Apply and let it sit for 20 minutes and then scrub.
Aside from wearing PPEs and performing handwashing and hygienic practice, a professional food worker
must also sanitize the kitchen premises to prevent the spread of microorganism to food. All equipment,
utensils and working surfaces must be disinfected before and after each use.
How to sanitize the kitchen premises? Cleaning and sanitizing tools, utensils and equipment vary on the
cleaning solution to be used and the standard or prescribed procedure of the workplace. However, listed
below is a suggested procedure you could follow:
Check and sort the utensils. Separate the oily from the less oily utensils.
Scrub first the less oily utensils with detergent and solution. Rinse with clean water.
Prepare the sanitizing agent. Sanitizing agent refers to the chlorine solution to be used. The chlorine
solution depends on the percentage or number of concentration.
Sanitize the utensils with 50 ppm chlorine solution. (*ppm is unit of measurement for concentration of
chlorine solution)
Drain and dry the tools. Drying could be either to air-dry or to towel dry.
Sanitize the working table and equipment using 200ppm chlorine solution.
Store the dried, clean utensils in its appropriate shelves.
Sterilization of Utensils
Aside from sanitizing the kitchen, it is also important to sterilize the dishes, glasses and utensils.
Sterilization is done with the use of chemical agent, boiling water or steam to eliminate all bacteria,
viruses and spores.
Alongside with the sanitation standard operating procedure, is the preventive maintenance that must be
done as a professional food worker, and as a Pastry Chef. It is a prerequisite procedure for food safety
which ensures that the facility runs smoothly.
Basic Preventive Maintenance refers to the inspection, detection and correction of tools and equipment
before they could develop into major defect in order to maintain the facility and let it function
satisfactorily. Doing so, a written report of either deteriorating, for repair or for replacement, must be
done to let the facility continuously and satisfactorily operate.
The detailed preventive maintenance procedure will be given or will depend on the policy set by the
company. Listed are some of the preventive maintenance procedures followed in a workplace.
Cutting Tools
Cutting blades must be frequently inspected for damage and product residue. Inspection should be done
before and during kitchen operation.
Store the cutting tools in its designated place. Label them to ease access.
Handy Tools
Sterilize the tools and utensils by rinsing them in very hot clean water.
Ranges
Clean the range with soap and water using a cloth or sponge. Do this to prevent accumulation of dirt.
Check the level oven racks and the tightness of the oven door
Convection Oven
Door opening and closing of oven are checked for proper alignment and seal.
Using warm soapy water, clean daily the door gasket and oven interior.
Taking responsibility in storing teaches workers principles of accountability. Doing this ensures that the
tools at hand are in good shape. It is an important factor for ensuring the safety of everyone working in
the kitchen and the health of the customers who will eat the food served. Doing so will lessen the
maintenance cost of the equipments and lessen chance that it will be replaced immediately.
Classify
Classify not only the tools but also its designated places. Have a designated area for each kind of tool.
Place it in an area near the point of use.
Wash the items and dry them properly before storing. Doing this will ensure that the storage area is
clean, dry and not overcrowded, thus preventing it from microbial inhabitation/growing of spores.
Put Labels
Objectives
Preparing Cakes
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Preparing Cakes
Introduction
From preparing oneself, through wearing personal protective equipment to performing handwashing
and safety measures in the kitchen, to the cleaning and maintenance of the tools and equipment,
another key to successfully prepare the cake is to set up one’s workstation.
To set-up the work station properly, familiarize yourself first with the tools, equipment and utensils that
can be used in cake making. Also, the list of the major and minor ingredients to be used and its role in
making batter must be learned. Doing so will help ease the task on the next module, as you follow
instructions in the recipe.
Below are the recommended tools, equipment and utensils in cake making:
Measuring tools
Mixing tools
Baking pans
Cutting tools
Miscellaneous tools
Oven
Measuring Tools
these refer to the tools used in measuring ingredients. Remember that measurement in baking plays a
vital role.
Individualized or dry measuring cup series of cups indicating fractional parts used in measuring dry
ingredients
Measuring spoons used in measuring small quantities of dry and liquid ingredients such as baking
powder, salt, vanilla extract etc.
Weighing scale used in measuring large quantities of ingredients. A dietetic or spring form scale is used
for baking purposes. Example is the spring type and digital scale.
Kitchen Scale used to measure dry, liquid or chopped ingredients. It is more accurate than measuring
cups. This is the preferred kitchen tool to used to measure small quantities of ingredients
Timer monitors the rising of the yeast and the baking time.
Oven thermometer varies from top to bottom and side to side. This is placed inside the oven to monitor
the temperature while baking.
Preparing Cakes
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Preparing Cakes
Mixing Tools
Mixing Tools
Mixing bowls can be made from pottery, glass, metal or plastic. The best bowl to be used in baking is
stainless steel bowl to prevent discoloration of the batter. This can be used not only in mixing, but also
as a container when sifting ingredients.
Wooden spoon is used as mixing spoon. Using wooden spoon is preferred by bakers since it does not
transfer bodily heat and it can be used without scratching the bottom of the saucepan.
Whisk is a long, narrow handle with series of wire loops joined at the end. It us commonly used to whip
cream to make whipped cream and whip egg whites to make meringue.
Rubber scrapper is a bendable rubber used to scrape remaining ingredients from the sides of the mixing
bowl. Also known as rubber spatula.
Electric Mixer is used to mix, fold, beat and whip food ingredients. It comes into two variations namely
hand mixer and stand mixer.
Rotary egg beater can be used to beat eggs or whip cream manually.
Flour sifter is used to sift and to add air to the flour or other dry ingredients.
Baking Pans
It is where the batter is placed before baking in an oven. It is recommended to use the suggested pan in
a recipe. If the pan is not available, check for other pans that can be used as a substitute. Each pan has
the recommended cups of batter and can be replaced with another pan that has the same volume.
Remember that the round pan cannot be change to a square pan having the same pan size. If in a recipe,
a 9-inch square pan is recommended, changing it to a round pan is possible if it is one inch wider than
the recommended size, which is 10-inches.
Tube center pan is a deep pan with removable bottom. It is commonly used to bake chiffon cake.
Muffin pan has 12 formed cups used for baking muffins and cup cakes. This is also used for mini quiches,
mini cheesecakes, mini pies and more. It can be lined with muffin paper or baking paper or can be
greased with oil or butter.
Cake pan can be round, square, rectangle, or heart in shape and comes in different sizes. The most
popular cake pan is the 9 x 13 x 3 inch rectangular pan used to bake cakes, bars and savoury dishes such
as lasagne.
Bundt pan is a round pan with scalloped sides. It is used for baking individual custard.
Baking sheet is a flat rectangular metal pan about ½ inch thick or less that is used in an oven. Bread roll,
cookies, bread, sheet cakes and swiss roll can be baked using this pan.
Sheet pan are flat rimmed baking pan used to bake cookies and sheet cakes.
Loaf pan is a rectangular shaped tin pan used to bake pound cakes, as well as yeast-raised bread.
Slice Tray is an 18cm wide x 28cm long baking pan used in baking brownies, vanilla slices and zucchini
slices.
TIN PREPARATION
To prepare the baking pan, tins are lightly greased and then lined with greaseproof paper. Doing this will
maintain the shape of the cake and will insulate the product during baking.
Keep in mind that the correct type of paper required in the recipe must be used. To line the tin mould
with paper, mark the internal size of the mould on the paper, then fold and cut the paper. Do not cut
unless the size is checked. Make sure that the paper fits and should not be more than 1cm above top
edge of the tin mould.
Aside from using the greaseproof paper, such as parchment paper, other preparation in preventing the
cakes or sponges in sticking to the tins are the following:
It is advisable to use the same fat for greasing to retain the best possible flavor. Note that torte or
Gateau rings are not to be greased because the center of the sponge would be higher than the sides and
the product will shrink. Its base should only be covered with greaseproof paper.
Cutting Tools
There are the tools used for cutting. Example of which are the following:
Pastry blender is equipment that consists of a handle and wire used for cutting fat and shortening in the
preparation of pies, biscuits or doughnuts.
Chopping board is a durable firm board for cutting food. It is often made of wood and plastic.
Paring knife is a knife with a plain edge blade used to pare or cut fruits and vegetables.
Chef’s or French knife (also known as Cook’s Knife) is an 8 to 10 inch long multi-purpose kitchen knife
commonly used in chopping, dicing and slicing.
Utility knife is smaller than chef’s knife but larger than the paring knife used in peeling, trimming and
slicing small ingredients. It usually has a blade that is 4 to 7 inches long.
Bread knife is a long knife with a serrated edge used in slicing bread.
Grater and shredder used to grate cheese, chocolate and other fresh fruits.
Miscellaneous Tools
Spatula comes from different sizes. Small spatula is used to remove muffins and molded cookies from
pans, large spatula for icing or frosting cakes, flexible blade is used for various purposes.
Pastry tips is used to decorate cake with frosting. It has many sizse and shapes.
Utility tray is used to hold the ingredients together.
Parchment paper (also known as baking paper or bakery paper) is a heavy duty grease resistant,
waterproof, non-stick paper used in baking. It is different from wax paper.
Wire cooling racks (simply known as wire rack) is a flat grid made of stainless steel used to cool the cake
quickly and evenly after baking. This is also used to let the air circulate freely on the baked goods to
prevent it from getting soggy from condensation.
Dutch oven is an old-style cooking vessel used for hundreds of years. This cooking pot is usually made
out of cast iron with a tight-fitting lid.
Oven
This is one of the most important equipment in baking. Purchasing or owning an oven is a good
investment especially if you are really interested in baking. Remember that the temperature or the heat
inside the oven takes a big role in the chemical process of the ingredients. Unstable temperature can
lead to cakes that are stalled.
Deck or cabinet oven refers to a large oven that has multiple racks full of sheet pans. The other term for
this type of oven is ‘Stack Oven’. This type of oven is equipped with steam ejector.
Convection oven is an oven that allows heat to circulate rapidly throughout the interior. Strong air inside
the oven can distort the shape products made with batter and soft dough.
Rotary oven is a type of oven that rotates the pan inside, baking the cake evenly.
Microwave oven can also be used to bake cake. It is an electrically operated oven that produces heat
using electromagnetic waves. Note that the recipe in this courseware cannot be used in this type of
oven.
In this lesson, the focus will be on the ingredients that can be of use in baking cakes. The major
ingredient used are the flour and starches, fats, sugar, liquid ingredients, eggs, and leavening agents.
Minor ingredients are salt, flavouring and spices
The ingredients used and its role or use in the batter will be well discussed in this lesson.
Flour is the major ingredient used in any baked goods. It can be made from different kinds of grains
including beans, legumes, corn, oats, soybeans, buckwheat, rye and more. Among these, wheat flour is
most commonly used in baking.
Flour is considered to be the main ingredient because it contains gluten that provides structure to the
cake.
Use the flour prescribed in the recipe. Using flour that has high gluten content makes chewy and crusty
cake, lower gluten content makes finer and soft cake, while little or no gluten development toughens
the cake.
Flour is used to thicken the batter and provide gluten. As mentioned in the first module, gluten is a
protein that gives structure to the cake. The gluten forms when the flour is combined with a liquid. Note
that over mixing can turn the cake tough.
Bread Flour, also known as hard flour, is high in gluten that contains 12% to 14% protein. This causes the
bread to rise and gives its shape and structure.
All Purpose Flour is made from the milling of hard wheat or a mixture of hard and soft wheat. This wheat
flour is often enriched with iron and vitamins such as riboflavin, folic acid and niacin. It is commonly
used in making noodles, cookies, cakes, quick breads and pastries.
Self Rising Flour is a ‘convenience mix’ that when used in a recipe, allows baking powder and salt to be
ignored. This type of flour is usually a combination of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking
powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
Cake Flour is low-protein flour that is silky and fine in texture. It is used for pastries, cakes, cookies and
certain breads.
Fats
Fats are added in the mixture to make the cake richer, tender and more moist. This includes butter,
margarine, oil and shortening.
Using fat softens, moistens and tenderizes the texture of the cake, because it shortens and tenderises
the crumb or gluten. It also assists in the primary aeration in the creaming process. Aeration means the
air is trapped in the beating process. Trapping of gases will be further discussed on the topic ‘The Baking
Process’.
Make sure the butter and margarine are in room temperature to let the mixture emulsify properly.
Butter is made up of 80% milk fat, 20% milk solid, and water. It is created by churning the cream until it
is semi-solid, and can be salted or unsalted. This ingredient is used to create crispiness, flaky layers,
tenderness and golden-brown color.
Margarine was created in the later nineteenth century as an alternative to butter. It is made from 80%
partially-hydrogenated vegetable to make it solid and the remaining 20% is made up of flavouring,
coloring, liquid and other additives.
Sugars
Sugar or sucrose is a carbohydrate in every vegetable or fruit. Sugar is formed during photosynthesis,
when a plant converts energy from the sun into food. The sugar commonly used in every household is
mostly from sugar beets and sugar cane.
Sugar is used to enhance the flavor and give the crust a golden color. This is because the sugar interacts
with different ingredients in a batter. When consumed by yeast or baking powder, sugar can be
converted into carbon dioxide or alcohol.
Sugar also helps soften gluten and egg proteins which result in a soft, moisturized crumb.
In a cake batter, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, and molasses can be used
interchangeably and will not have a direct effect in the yeast development.
Brown sugar is a sugar crystal contained in molasses-based syrup. Its darkness or lightness in color
depends on the amount of molasses used.
Confectioner’s sugar or Powdered Sugar is a fine powder sugar made from the crushed granulated sugar
with combined cornstarch. The 3% of cornstarch into the final product helps prevent the sugar from
clumping.
Raw Sugar is a coarse sugar made from the evaporation of clarified sugar cane. It is 98% sucrose and is
tan or brown in its color.
Liquid Ingredients
Liquid ingredients that can be used in making cakes are usually milk and water used to bind dry
ingredients.
These are used to tenderize, increase volume and affect the symmetry of the cake mixture.
Water is the cheapest liquid used in baking. It makes the baking ingredients rehydrated. It helps dissolve
other ingredients in the batter for it to form a smooth mixture. It also acts as a binding agent for any
baked products.
Milk and Cream are also used to moisten the batter. They also add slight flavour to the final baked good.
They create fuller, more moist texture and help brown the surface of the cake. Milk that can be used in
baking includes fresh milk or whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, skimmed milk and powder or
dry milk.
Eggs
Eggs are added in a recipe for several purposes which include binding, leavening, coating, glazing,
moisturizing, drying or emulsifying. They can also be used to introduce flavor and color into the baked
good. Eggs can also be used in frostings to slow down crystallization.
Eggs are used to make batter rich, as they help provide color and volume to the cake. They are also used
to bind the ingredients together. This happens when the eggs coagulate as they are heated. The lecithin
in the egg yolks emulsify the fats in the batter.
Avoid using cold eggs. Place it in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Leavening Agents
Leavening refers to the production of gas in a dough batter. This is produced by leavening agents such as
baking powder, yeast, baking soda, or eggs.
Leaveners are used to produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which are trapped by starch, then expand during
baking.This process causes the cake to rise. Examples of leaveners are baking soda and baking powder.
Baking Powder is a leavening agent that is the mixture of baking soda and either citric or tartaric acid.
Either wet, hot or without acid, this powder will react with other ingredients being baked. It is entirely
different from baking soda.
It is an ingredient that produces the gas Carbon Dioxide (CO2) when moistened and heated. The
production of gas leads to the aeration of cakes. The residual salt it forms after the chemical reaction
should be tasteless and without odor.
Baking Soda, is also known as bicarbonate of soda, or sodium bicarbonate. It is a powerful leavener that
reacts easily with the batter or dough.
Cream of Tartar is a by-product of the wine making industry. This is used to stabilize the egg whites
while whipping to reach its maximum volume.
Salt
(or Sodium Chloride/NaCl) is an ingredient used to add flavor and control fermentation to the baked
goods. It regulates the rate of yeast or baking powder activity making the batter rise slowly and steadily.
This ingredient is also used to strengthen the gluten structure, not allowing the trapped carbon dioxide
bubbles to expand too quickly. Salt usage is 1.5% based on the egg quantity.
Cocoa Powder
is an unsweetened powder from cacao beans that has been fermented, roasted, dried and cracked.
Glycerine
is used to increase the shelf life of the cakes and other bakery products. It is also added to increase foam
stability, create finer and more moist crumb. Swiss roll with glycerine has less chance to crack while
rolling or assembling. The usage ratio of glycerine is 2% of total cake batter, 10g to 30g for every 500g
sugar and 70g to every 5kg dried fruit.
Milk Powder
that can be used is skim or full cream milk powder. It is added to increase the sweetness, water content
and crust color. Cakes with milk powder produce products that have better volume and color. It should
be sieved with the flour and baking powder for even distribution.
Fruits
such as cherries, mixed peel, dates, figs, apricots, currants, sultanas, raisins, pears and pineapple can be
used as fillings in making cake. The ratio of fruit to batter in fruit cake is as follows: Light fruited cake
25% 1 part fruit, 4 parts batter, Medium fruited cake 50% 1 part fruit, 2 parts batter, Heavily fruited cake
100% 1 part fruit, 1 part batter.
Nuts
like almond, hazelnut, walnut, pecan, macadamia and peanut are added to enhance the flavor of the
product and usually toasted prior to use. Its weight should not exceed the weight of the sugar. To
achieve best outcome, reduction of flour by 1/3 of total weight of nuts is required. Replace 30g of flour
with 60 to 90g nuts.
Flavors
Each ingredient contributes greatly to the overall flavor of the cake. Butter has a different flavor than
cake margarine, brown sugar tastes different than caster sugar and milk has different flavor than water.
Traditional baking flavors are lemon and vanilla for Madeira cake; almond, lemon and orange for
Genoise cake; rum, almond, lemon, orange, vanilla and mixed spice for Heavy Fruit cake; almond and
vanilla for Sultana cake; and lemon, orange, almond, cherry, vanilla and maraschino for Dundee.
Cocoa Powder
is actually a byproduct of extracting cocoa butter from cacao beans. It is added to replace flour in recipes
like chocolate sponge, where 4% of the flour is replaced. Replacement of flour to cocoa powder makes
an enormous change on the balancing on the quantity of ingredients. For example, in a recipe requiring
1,000 grams flour, substituting will change the recipe to 960g of flour plus 40g of cocoa powder. Since
cocoa powder has greater water absorbing power than flour, an increase of the milk-water is needed.
The amount equal to the cocoa powder will be the gauge in the additional milk, having 40ml milk in
960g flour and 40g cocoa powder. Additional milk in the recipe would affect the mixture, thus adding 2g
of baking powder is appropriate to achieve the same degree of aeration.
Chocolate
Unsweetened Chocolate,
also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. This is made with cocoa mass and cocoa butter. It needs
to be tempered before using as garnish. Tempering is the process of heating, cooling and warming the
chocolate to its appropriate temperature making the melted chocolate smooth, silky and glossy.
(can be used interchangeably) contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sometimes lecithin. It has
35% cacao and less than 12% milk.
Milk Chocolate is made with milk in the form of milk powder, liquid milk or condensed milk.
Objectives
Calculate for the baker’s percentage and convert the recipe to another yield;
Determine the standard table of weight and measure, temperature conversion table and cake pan size
conversion table;
Familiarize the ingredients that can be used to substitute; and
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Preparing Cakes
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Preparing Cakes
Introduction
To start understanding the principles of baking, a pastry chef must gain mastery first on the formulas
and measurement. The exact measurement indicated in the recipe is important in making a successful,
flavourful baked cake. Aside from the measurement, conversion of temperature and cake pan size is also
a challenge for a pastier.
Do not be afraid in the computation included in this lesson. Each lesson is discussed briefly and
thoroughly to help you become the best pastry chef!