* Cakes are grouped in three classes:
with shortening (conventional and quick-
mix cakes),without shortening (angel and
sponge cakes), and combination angel and
shortening types (chiffon cake).* In these recipes, double-acting baking
powder and regular-type all-purpose flour
(unless cake flour is specified) are used.
To substitute one flour for the other, use
the following formula: 1 cup minus 2 table-
spoons sifted all-purpose flour equals 1 cup
sifted cake flour. * When a recipe calls for shortening, don't
use butter, margarine, lard, or oils. Marga-
rine may be substituted for butter; all
should be at room temperature when they
are used. * Use fresh eggs. Eggs will separate more
easily when cold, but the whites will whip
up better if at room temperature. * Check accuracy of oven regulator occa-
sionally. Preheat oven to the correct tem-
perature before mixing cake. * An electric mixer makes for better
creaming and beating. The average num-
ber of vigorous strokes by hand needed to
combine dry and liquid ingredients is 250
to 300. Cakes with high proportions of
sugar or fat should be beaten more. * Always let melted chocolate cool slightly
before blending into the creamed mixture.
Scrape the sides of bowl frequently. * When adding dry ingredients alternately
with liquid, begin and end with the dry in-
gredients, beating till smooth after each. * For a shortening-type cake, grease and
lightly flour bottoms of pans, or line bot-
toms with waxed or baking pan liner
paper. Push batter to sides of pan. Tap
pans lightly to remove large bubbles. * Place pans as near the center of oven as
possible. Don't let pans touch each other
or sides of oven. Do not place pans direct-
ly under each other. If neccessary, stag-
ger the pans on two shelves. * Cool shortening layer cakes in pan about | 10 minutes, loaf cakes, 15 minutes: loosen
edges. Place inverted rack on cake; turn
all over; lift off pan. Put second rack
over cake. Turn cake so top is up. Shortening cakes* To bake a moist, velvety shorten-
ing-type cake, follow the recipe care-
fully. Accurate measuring assures
correct proportion of ingredients
and a perfect cake. Any deviation in
measuring can cause many of the
problems listed below.
* Be sure to sift the flour, both all-
purpose and cake, before you mea-
sure it, then sift again when combin-
ing flour with other dry ingredients.
* Cream shortening and sugar till
light and fluffy or till sugar is dis-
solved. This is important as it incor-
porates air and gives cake a light tex-
ture. For other information see, tips
on this page. If problems still exist,
check the following: Coarse texture.
Insufficient creaming.
Oven to slow. Heavy compact
texture.
Oven to slow.
Extreme overbeating. A dry cake.
Overbeaten egg whites.
Overbaking. Thick, heavy crust.
Baking too long.
Oven too hot. Hump or cracks on top.
Oven to hot. Moist sticky crust.
Insufficient baking. Cake falling.
Oven to slow.
Insufficient baking.
To much batter in pan.
Moving cake during baking. Poor volume.Pan to large.
Oven to hot. |
