Cakes
2 classes of cakes
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
Shortened Cakes:
Also called “butter
cakes”

Contain fat
• Solid fat: butter,
margarine or
vegetable
shortening.
• Liquid fat: oil


chemical leavening
agents
Texture

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Unshortened Cakes:
Also called “foam
cakes”
Contain NO fat
Leavened by steam
and air
Contain egg whites only
Very Spongy
Cake continued.
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
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
Shortened
Texture: tender, moist
and velvety.
Eggs: use whole egg
Example: cake


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Unshortened
Texture: light and fluffy
Eggs: only use egg
whites
Example: angel food
cake
Chiffon Cakes
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
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Cross between
shortened and
unshortened cakes
Contain fat (shortened)
Use beaten egg whites
(unshortened)
Large volume but not
as light as
unshortened.
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…
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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…

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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
 Angel
food-cake must be in a
ungreased pans
Mixing
Overmixing-cake
is tough, angle
food and sponge
cakes will be
smaller
 Baking-use
correct size pan

Preheat over for
most cakes
 Exception-cold
oven pound
cake-start baking
in cold oven.

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.
2.
3.
4.
Sift dry ingredients
Beat in shortening
Add ½ of the milk
Beat 2 min. (300 strokes
w/spoon)
5. Add the rest of the liquids &
beaten eggs
6. Beat 2 min. more
Baking cakes
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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
Testing for doneness
Springs back to shape or insert
toothpick, should be clean when
removed from cake
 Cake tester

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 withes 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)

Microwave cakes
 Adaptions

Self rising flour
 Fruit puree
 Skim milk
 Cake flour
 Aspartame

Frosting and fillings
 Serving cake
 Cake batter for pan size
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