Cakes

2 classes of cakes
 Shortened Cakes:  Unshortened Cakes:
 Also called “butter  Also called “foam cake
cakes” s”
 Contain fat  Contain NO fat
• Solid fat: butter,  Leavened by steam
margarine or
vegetable and air
shortening.  Contain egg whites
• Liquid fat: oil
only
 chemical leavening  Very Spongy
agents
 Cake continued.
 Shortened  Unshortened
 Texture: tender, moist  Texture: light and fluffy
and velvety.  Eggs: only use egg
 Eggs: use whole egg whites
 Example: cake  Example:
angel food cake
Chiffon Cakes
 Cross between
shortened and
unshortened cakes
 Contain fat (shortened)
 Use beaten egg whites
(unshortened)
 Large volume but not
as light as
unshortened.
1. Shortened cake or butter cake
a.-is a batter type of cake with a
high percentage of fat.
-its form and texture depends on
the proportions of flour, eggs,
and milk.
-baking powder adds volume to
the cake
b. Mixing methods used in batter
type of cakes:
CREAMING
-shortening and sugar are
creamed to varying degrees of
fluffiness and lightness.
-eggs are added one at a
time, creaming until light.
-liquid is added
alternately with the flours,
mixing until smooth.
BLENDING
-flour and shortening are put in a
mixing bowl and blended together until
flour is coated by the shortening.
-dry ingredients and a part of liquid
are added. The remaining liquid is added
is added later on.
SINGLE-TIERED CAKES
-all ingredients are put into the
mixing bowl together
-creaming and blending methods are
conventional methods of mixing
cakes
-for tenderness of finished product,
use the blending method
-bakers of institution use the sugar
water method and continuous mixing
method.
2. Foam- type cakes or Sponge-type
cakes(cakes without shortening)
a.Meringue or angel food cake

-egg whites are used

-egg whites are beaten to soft peaks with
some sugar. Cream of tartar is added to
stabilize the foam and obtain a finer
grain finished product. The remaining
sugar is added to dry ingredients and
folded into the meringue.
b. Sponge-type cakes
-use either whole eggs or yolk or
a combination of both.
-the sugar and egg white may be beaten
together or the egg yolk and sugar may be
whipped then added to the beaten egg white.
-sufficient beating of the egg is
necessary before folding with the flour
mixture.
-no leavening agent or fat is used.
c. Chiffon-type cakes
-a combination of a batter
and a foam-type cake
-the cake volume depends
on the amount of air
incorporated into the beaten
egg whites.
-the egg yolk, oil, and other ingredients are
put in a bowl together. The egg white is
beaten with sugar into peaks. The liquid
ingredients are added to the flour and a part of
the sugar to make a batter. The beaten egg
whites are added to the flour mixture.
 Cake Ingredients
 Flour:
–Creates the structure of the cake
–Cake flour
•Contains less gluten
•More velvety
•Delicate
–All-purpose flour
•Contains more gluten
•Remove 2 Tbsp. per cup of flour
–Sift the flour
 Cake Ingredients, cont’d…
 Sugar:
 Functions:
• Flavor
• Improves texture
• Helps brown the cake
 Brown or white (granulated) sugar
 Use the one the recipe calls for
 Eggs:
 Improve color and texture
 Make the cake light and fluffy
 Cake Ingredients, cont’d…
 Liquid:
• Provides moisture
• Helps blend ingredients
• Examples:
– Milk
– Buttermilk
– Juice
– Pop
 Cake Ingredients, cont’d…

 Salt:
 Provides flavoring.
 Fat:
 Tenderizes the cake.
 Shortened cakes contain butter,
margarine or vegetable shortening.
 Chiffon contain oil.
 Cake Ingredients, cont’d…

Cream of tartar
stabilizes egg white protein and
increases the volume of the cake.
Leavening:
 Causes cake to rise
 Cake becomes porous (holes in it)
 Examples:
• Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Air
 Preparing cakes
 Preparing Pans
 Prepare as directed
 Panning
• Preparing the cake pans
• Grease & lightly dust with flour
• Shake out extra
• Or line with waxed paper cut to size
 Angelfood-cake must be in a
ungreased pans
 Baking cakes
 Follow directions for:
 Specific pans
 Oven temperature
 Baking time
 Pan size
 Too largecake will not brown
 Too smallbatter will overflow
 Pan type
 Aluminum Pans  give the cake a light, dull finish
 Dark, Coated Pans give the cake a dark, heavy crust
Tips for the
Correct Use of
baking Pans
1. Use the pans with good size, shape
and contour.
2. Use the pan size indicated in the
recipe.
3. Cakes baked in a pan of the correct
size will have good shape and rounded
top.
4. Cakes baked in a large pan are pale,
flat and shrunken.
5.Cakes baked in a pan that is too small
or too shallow will bulge over and lose
contour.
6. Layers pan should be at least 11/2
inches deep.
7. Square and oblong should be 2 inches
deep.
8. Pound or loaf pan should be more than
2 inches deep.
9. Use baking pans with straight sides to
have a more velvety texture.
10. shiny, aluminum or tin pans
distribute heat evenly leading to
delicate golden brown crust to the
cake.
11. Clean pans absorb more heat.
Mixing

 Overmixing-cake  Preheat over for

is tough, angle most cakes
food and sponge  Exception-cold
cakes will be oven pound
smaller cake-start baking
 Baking-use in cold oven.
correct size pan
 Measuring

 Must be precise.
 Too much flour= dry

 Too little flour= lacks structure and weak

 Too much fat/sugar= cake is heavy, sad

 Too little fat/sugar=cake will be less tender

 Mixing Methods:
Conventional Method

1. Cream sugar and fat

2. Beat in eggs one at a time
3. Add dry ingredients alternately with liquid
4. Beat 2 min.
Mixing Methods:
Quick Method

1. Sift dry ingredients

2. Beat in shortening
3. Add ½ of the milk
4. Beat 2 min. (300 strokes
w/spoon)
5. Add the rest of the liquids &
beaten eggs
6. Beat 2 min. more
Testing for doneness

 Springs back to shape or insert

toothpick, should be clean when
removed from cake
 Cake tester
Ways of testing the doneness of cakes
1.Cakes easily separate from the sides of
the pan.
2.The cake will spring back when lightly
touched with the fingertip without
leaving a mark.
3. A cake tester or clean toothpick
inserted in the center of cake comes
out clean.
4. The top crust is golden brown.
Characteristics of
Well-baked Cakes
1. Uniform shape for sponge cakes;
slightly rounded top for chiffon cakes
2. Large volume
3. Light brown color for sponges;
uniform golden brown for chiffon
4. Crust for sponge cake is tender and
without blemish; crust for chiffon cakes
is light and not compacted.
5. Fine and evenly distributed grain with
fine texture; velvety, not crumbly; no
tunnels.
6. Delicate, well-blended flavor
Causes and Solutions
of Poor Quality Cakes
 PROBLEM CAUSES SOLUTION
1. PALE TOP -Frequent opening -open oven door
CRUST of oven door only when
-low oven necessary.
temperature -follow proper oven
-wrong size pan temperature
-use correct size of
pan
2. STICKY TOP -too much liquid -use correct amount
CRUST of liquid
3. POOR VOLUME -wrong size of pan -use the correct
size of pan.
-use the correct
baking temperature
-follow the correct
baking time.
4. CRACKED -overbaking -follow the
TOP CRUST -too hot oven correct baking
temperature time
-follow the
correct oven
temperature
5. UNEVEN -underbeaten -beat the egg
GRAIN egg white/yolk white to correct
stage.
6. DRY overbaked -follow the
correct baking
time
7. SOGGY -undermixed -mix all
ingredients
correctly
8. SUNKEN -not inverting -invert cake to
pan to cool cool
cake
9. TOUGH -insufficient -use the
sugar correct amount
of sugar
10. POOR -poor quality of -use good quality
FLAVOR ingredients, wrong ingredients; follow
proportion of the standard recipe
ingredients was and correct
used measurements for
ingredients.

11. LARGE HOLES -overbeating -beat egg white

or TUNNELS -too much correctly
leavening agents -use the correct
amount of
leavening agents.
Removing a Shortened cake
from the pan
 Cool cake in pan
 Run spatula around edges

 Invert plate on top of pan

 Place cake onto cooling rack

 Cool completely before frosting.

 Unshortened cakes
 All ingredients should be room temperature.
 Different mixing method from shortened cakes

 Beat the egg whites with some of the sugar

 Carefully add in flour and remaining sugar

 Take batter and pour into pan ( ungreased

tube pan)
 Run spatula through batter to remove air
bubble (DO NOT TAP PAN)