College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202

and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

MODULE 5
CAKE MAKING

At the end of this module you are expected to:

1. Be able to select, measure, weigh and prepare required ingredients according to
recipe or production requirements and established standards and procedures.
2. Be able to used appropriate equipment according to required sponges and cake
products and standard operating procedures.
3. Baked according to techniques and appropriate conditions; and enterprise
requirements.
4. Used variety of fillings and coating/icing glazes and decorations for cake
products.
5. Present, store and pack gateaux, tortes and cake products according to
established standards and procedures.

CAKES- are baked products usually made from soft dough or batter. They may or may
not be filled or frosted, but an elegant frosted cake is the pride of any baker.

Cakes can be classified into the following:

a. Shortened cakes. These contain shortening (butter, margarine or oil) in their

batter.

Examples: butter cake, pound cake, banana cake

b. Unshortened cakes. These do not contain shortening in their batter. Include

here are angel food cakes and sponge-type cakes.

In angel food cakes, the egg whites are beaten with part of the sugar. The remaining
sugar is sifted with the flour and dry ingredients and folded into the meringue.
College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

In sponge type cakes, the eggs are use whole or separated. The sugar and egg white
may be beaten together or the yolk and sugar may be whipped together then added to
the beaten egg whites. Egg whites are beaten sufficiently before folding the mixture.

c. Chiffon-type cakes. These are combination of shortened and unshortened

batter. The shortened portion contains the oil, yolks and to improve their eye
appeal or attractiveness.

INGREDIENTS USED IN CAKE MAKING

a. Flour. Cakes can be made from all-purpose flour, but cake flour makes a lighter
cake. Flour makes up the basic structure of the cake, therefore, if you are using
all-purpose flour, do not over beat the batter so that the gluten will not develop
and your cake will not become tough.
b. Sugar. Refined, brown or confectioner’s sugar, honey, molasses and syrup are
used depending on recipe requirements. Sugar is important because it sweetens
the cake, makes it tender, gives a darker color to the cake crust, and helps retain
the moisture in the cake.
c. Shortening. Butter, margarine or vegetable oil may be used as shortening. It is
important because it makes the cake tender, and helps retain the moisture in the
cake.
d. Eggs. Fresh eggs give the best result in baking. In cake making, fresh egg gives
volume to the cake through the entrapped air during whipping, give a rich flavor
and color, and make the cake tender.
e. Liquid. This may be water, milk or fruit juice. It serves as medium for dissolving
solid ingredients like sugar and salt gives moisture and flavor, develops and
protein in flour, thus helping give structure to the cake.
f. Leavener. This gives the proper volume to the cake. Most commonly used
chemical leaveners in cakes are baking powder and baking soda.
g. Flavor. This gives a specific taste to the cake.
h. Salt. It brings out the flavor of the cake ingredient.
College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

ICINGS

Icings- are sweet mixtures used to fill and cover cakes and decorate pastries and even
cookies. They may be made of balanced combination of any of the following: refined
sugar, confectioner’s (icing) sugar, butter, margarine, eggs, flavor and color. Other
ingredients such as chopped fruits, grated rind, nuts and the like are folded into the icing
to produce certain flavor and texture.

CAKES FROSTING

Cakes are frosted for the following reasons:

 Icing makes the cake more attractive and appealing

 It gives the cakes the extra special complementary or contrasting flavor.
 It makes the cake stay moist for a longer period.

THE MOST COMMONLY USED ICING FOR CAKES

a. Royal Icing. This is prepared by beating egg white with a higher proportion of
icing sugar. Royal icing is used in decorating cake-shaped Styrofoam for display
in bakeshop windows. It last for as long as three months. It is also used in flower
and motif preparations.
b. Meringue Icing. This is prepared by whipping egg whites still enough to hold a
peak. Hot syrup is slowly poured in a continuous stream. The icing stands in stiff
peaks by continuous beating.
c. Sweetened whipped cream. Chilled whipping cream is whipped in a cold bowl
until it forms soft peaks. Sifted icing sugar is added while whipping once made,
the icing is immediately used. The frosted cake is place in refrigerator or cold
storage.
d. Butter Icing. This is prepared by creaming butter with sugar or syrup until the
mixture is smooth. In some cases, chilled milk, water, egg yolks, or fruit juice is
beaten into the creamed mixture.
e. Butter cream frosting. This is a combination of meringue and butter icing spoon
fools of meringue icing are folded into the butter icing.
College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

Tips for How to Decorate a Cake

 Decorating a cake with a flat top is best. When the oven temperature is too high,
cakes develop rounded tops. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature of
your oven.
 To flatten a cake with a small crown, put a plate on top of it immediately after you
take it from the oven. Push the plate down gently.
 Line your pan with parchment paper to ensure that the cake will come out of the pan
easily.
 To apply nuts or coconut to the sides of a cake, hold the cake over a pan and gently
pat the nuts, etc. onto the sides with your hand.
 To keep the cake stand clean while frosting, line the edge with 3-inch strips of waxed
paper. Center the first cake layer over the strips. When finished frosting, carefully
remove the strips one piece at a time.
 Before writing on a cake with icing, gently outline the words with a toothpick.

Peaks
Press the flat side of a tablespoon or teaspoon into the frosting and pull straight up,
forming a peak. Repeat over top and sides of cake.
College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

Zigzags
Run the tines of a table fork through the frosting in a wavy motion.

Stripes
Start on the edges, run the side of a table knife to the center of the cake. Repeat until
the whole top is covered. Use the same knife, make vertical stripes around the sides of
the cake.

Cake Decorating Tips

College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

Basketweave Tip

Open Star Tip

Round Tip (Large)

Leaf Tip

METHODS OF MIXING SHORTENED CAKES

a. Creaming. Shortening and sugar are creamed together to certain degree of

lightness or fluffiness. Eggs are then gradually added while creaming
continuously. The flour and liquid are added alternatively beginning and ending
with flour.
b. Blending. Flour and shortening are placed in the mixing bowl and blended
together until the flour is coated by the shortening. Dry ingredients and a portion
of the liquid are added and mixed. The remaining liquid is added and mixed.
c. Single stage method. All ingredients are placed in the mixing bowl. Mixing is
done until the batter is well mixed and smooth.

GUIDELINES IN CAKE MAKING

College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

b. Before you start mixing cake, pre-heat the oven to the correct temperature.
c. Prepare your pans before you start mixing.
d. Have the ingredients at room temperature unless otherwise specified.
e. When using melted chocolate, be sure to cool it before adding to the batter as
warm chocolate will start cooking the eggs in the batter.
f. In making meringues cakes, make sure that not even a drop of oil gets into the
egg whites. Clean the mixing bowl and beater very well before whipping. Any
trace of oil or eggyolk (which contains oil) will prevent the whites from being
whipped successfully.
g. Do not overbeat cake batter after the flour has been added. Too much gluten will
develop and toughen the cake.
h. The freshest eggs give the most volume and this is especially important for
sponge cakes, angel food cakes and sponge cakes.
i. Sifted flour or dry ingredients have more incorporated air so the resulting cake is
lighter.
j. In adding the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, be sure to start and end
with dry ingredient. You can divide the dry ingredients into 3 to 4 portions.
k. Place baking pans at the center of the oven for an even baking.
l. Do not open oven door atleast 15 minutes after placing pan in it.
m. The cake is done or baked if you insert a tester at the center of the cake and it
turns out clean, or you can press gently with your forefinger the top of the cake. If
the cake springs back, or no deep impression is left, the cake is done.
n. Cakes are usually cooled 5 to 10 minutes in the pan before cooling on a rack. But
for some cakes, cooling is done in the pan.

STAGES OF WHIPPED EGGWHITES

a. Frothy- large un-even sized air bubbles.

b. Begin to hold shape- fine air bubbles develop close to each other.
c. Soft peak- whites will stand in peaks but will bend over.
d. Almost stiff- sharply pointed peaks but are still soft.
College of Hospitality Entrepreneurship HME202
and Food Sciences Bread and Pastry

e. Stiff but not dry- stand in stiff sharply, pointed peaks; uniform white color and
shiny.
f. Stiff and dry- stand in stiff, sharp peaks, and not shiny; speckled with white
spots.

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL CAKE

An ideal cake possesses the following characteristics:

 Uniform and symmetrical shape

 Uniform color
 Without cracks, sags or indentations;
 Crust is thin and tender
 Bottom crust is not burned;
 Cake crumb is medium sized with fine even grain;
 Moist and smooth but not soggy; and
 Unless the type of cake calls for a dominant flavor, the flavor should be balance
with no foreign or off-flavors.