LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO CAKE MAKING

Objectives
● At the end of the session, you should be able to:
● analyze the scope and delimitation of the courseware;
● explain the importance of baking cake; and
● define the common terminologies used in the workplace.

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, gateaux and tortes are all sweet.

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
Common Terminologies Used in Cake Making
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:

1. Aeration - is a process of agitation, as in beating eggs. It can

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.
2. 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.
3. All-in Process - is a cake
production method where all
ingredients are mixed together
without any preliminary stages.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Beating - introducing air into the
mixture through mechanical
be done by hand or by machine.
7. Blend - process of combining
ingredients to produce a
homogenous mixture.
8. Coat - the act of covering the cake
with almond paste or icing, fondant
cream or chocolate.
9. Combine - process of mixing the
ingredients together
10. Creaming - process of rubbing or
beating butter and sugar or fat and
flour until light and fluffy.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Fermentation - process of
converting sugar into alcohol to
produce carbon dioxide.
14. Fillings - inserted in between cake 29. Sieve - the utensil that has wire or
to enhance the taste and layering nylon mesh where dry ingredients
of the cake are put through to refine them.
15. Foaming - to continuously beat 30. Sift - to pass the flour through the
egg white, to incorporate air until it sieves to make it finer and light.
becomes light and fluffy. 31. Stir in - to add another ingredient
16. Ganache (pronounced as into the mixture.
guh-nahsh) - a chocolate whipped 32. Storage - a space for keeping
frosting, filling or paste made from something.
chocolate and cream. It is 33. Tempering - process of setting the
prepared by heating the cream and chocolate by heating, cooling and
stirring it into the chocolate. warming up the chocolate to its
17. Gelatin - used as setting agent to appropriate temperature to align
stabilize creams. the cocoa butter crystal. This is
18. Gluten - protein found in wheat done to make the melted chocolate
and grains, including barley and smooth, silky and glossy.
rye. Gluten is from the Latin word 34. Torte (pronounced as tawrt),
which means ‘glue’. It gives plural form: Tortes - Austrian,
elasticity to the dough, giving the German, Italian and Eastern
final product a chewy texture. It European of origin, definition is
also acts as glue that keeps or same as gateau. It can have pastry
holds the food together. layers with more fruits and nuts.
19. Grease - to brush the pan with 35. Whip - to beat rapidly and
shortening. continuously to aid incorporation of
20. Jellying Agent - used to set soft air to increase in volume, as in
solid food which includes Gelatin, whipping egg whites to make
Agar-agar, Pectin meringue and in cream.
21. Leavening (also known as 36. Yield - is the calculated units from
leavening agent, former term: the total baked weight of a
lifters) - substance, such as yeast, particular formula.
baking powder, baking soda or
eggs, used to cause fermentation
and expansion of batter. The
agents work to produce carbon
dioxide in batter.
22. Line - to put a greaseproof paper
on the baking pans or sheets.
23. Pack compactly - to fill cup with
brown sugar or shortening by
pressing it with the back of the
spoon.
24. Pipe out - to press the mixture out
of the piping bag or pastry bag.
25. Pre-heat - to heat the oven prior to
baking and achieve the required
heat. This is done to attain the
quality in baking products.
26. Petit Gateaux - small individual
cakes of the larger variety.
27. Room Temperature - usually
about 72ºF or 22ºC.
28. Scrape - to remove the sticky
ingredients from the side of the
mixing bowl.