Ilove to bake cakes and usually bake a couple during the holidays. I love to watch other people enjoy my cakes, as I am not able to eat cakes made from American flour because of the additives and chemicals in them.
Ilove to bake cakes and usually bake a couple during the holidays. I love to watch other people enjoy my cakes, as I am not able to eat cakes made from American flour because of the additives and chemicals in them.
Here are some standard rules I follow in order to make the perfect cake:
1. All my ingredients are at room temperature. This means eggs, butter and other dairy ingredients. In order to form an emulsion, which traps air while baking in the oven, these ingredients must be at room temperature. A cake made with room-temperature ingredients has a finer crumb, is tender and light-textured. If the butter is too cold, it can produce a flat and dense cake.
2. Use the right ingredients. Do not use self-rising flour. Use cake flour if the recipe calls for it. If you do not have cake flour, substitute by combining 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
3. Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes. Cakes need that immediate blast of high heat in order to rise. The leavening, either baking powder and baking soda, reacts to heat and traps the air and moisture. If the oven is not at the right temperature when you place the cake in, that lower temperature will not allow the cake to rise and will create a tough layer on the bottom instead of a light cake.
4. Be sure you use a glass (Pyrex) or plastic measuring cup for liquids and a measuring cup you can level off for dry ingredients. When you measure the flour, gently scoop and don’t pack the flour. Most professional bakers weigh their flour so the amount is always correct.
5. Check to make sure your leavening agents are fresh. Baking powder can lose its strength after six months. I usually buy new baking powder and baking soda in October so they will be fresh for any holiday baking.
6. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the finished product. If you happen to have only salted butter, decrease the amount of salt in the recipe. Unfortunately, different brands put different amounts of salt in their salted butter, so there is no one correct amount to decrease. Check your butter to make sure it is fresh and has not absorbed flavors of other foods in the refrigerator. If you opened a stick of butter, wrap it in foil to be sure it does not absorb any off flavors. The paper or foil it is wrapped in when you purchase it protects the butter from odors, so keep them in the original paper until you used it up.
7. After you preheat your oven, prepare your cake pans by greasing and then flouring them before you start mixing. Do not allow the finished batter to deflate while you are prepping the pans. I cut parchment paper to line the bottom of the cake pan for ease of removal.
These things take time and should be done before starting.
I also fold newspapers the height of the baking pan, soak them in water and wrap the cake pans with them, securing them with paper clips. This allows the cake to rise evenly for cakes with flat, even tops. (Otherwise, if you make a layered cake, you might have to cut off the tops and waste a portion of the cake).
Slow down and don’t rush the process. I have been in situations where I was rushing and forgot a very important ingredient, such as vanilla extract or a leavening. So make sure you double-check all the ingredients listed and have added them to the finished product. Getting all the ingredients out and ready also is helpful.
I made this Italian cream cake that is chockful of pecans, 1 cup in the batter and 1 cup in the frosting, and it was delicious. Beating the egg whites till stiff makes the cake light and airy.
Italian cream cake
Serves: 16
Make sure the butter, 5 eggs and buttermilk are left out on counter for at least 30 minutes so they will be at room temperature when you are ready to put the batter together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour three 8-inch cake pans, trace and cut parchment paper on bottom of each pan.
Cream:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Mix until light and fluffy, add:
5 egg yolks, beaten
Sift together:
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add:
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fold in:
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Filling:
1/2 stick butter, salted OK, softened
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 pound confectioners sugar
Beat well until smooth.
Beat in:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Spread between layers, sides and top of cake.
Foodie bites
• Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Program’s Cafeteria opened last week. The Cafeteria is open 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Call 934-2559 for take-out orders.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.