Cakes

[Kitchen Witch]

Cakes



HELPFUL TIPS AND INFORMATION



There is a lot that you can do to ensure that your cake-making experiences can be more fun and more enriching. Beyond the basic ingredients, the following tips and information will help to you to make and enjoy better cakes than ever!





INGREDIENTS



· Whenever possible, try to invest in the best chocolate, fruit fillings, nuts etc., that you can afford at the time. You?ll be sure to taste ? and enjoy - the difference if you start with the best ingredients. The little extra that you spend on better ingredients will always pay off



· You?ll be sure to taste ? and enjoy - the difference if you start with the best ingredients. The little extra that you spend on better ingredients will always pay off

· Butter always gives cakes the best flavor. Remember that for whatever the occasion, a good cake is a treat!



PREPARATION and MIXING
· Prepare all the necessary ingredients beforehand.

· Before mixing the batter, prepare the pans, heat the oven to the proper cooking temperature, and make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.

· Have all ingredients ready and at room temperature for best results.

· Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, or for as long as the recipe directs.

· Always sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices to avoid lumps.

· To speed up the softening of cold butter, slice it thinly and let stand for about 10 minutes.

· Toss nuts, raisins and fruits into the batter last to avoid color bleeding.

· Scrape sides and bottom of bowl frequently with a rubber spatula during mixing.

· Spread batter evenly in pans.



BAKING



· Turn on oven 10-15 minutes before you plan to use it to allow time for it to heat to baking temperature.

· Generously grease the inside of your pan with solid vegetable shortening. Use a pastry brush to spread shortening evenly, making sure all inside surfaces are well covered. Then dust the pan with flour, tapping out any excess. If any shiny spots remain, touch them up with more shortening and flour, or use vegetable pan spray.

· Position pans as near to the center of the oven as possible. Pans should not touch the sides of the oven or each other.

· Test your cakes for doneness while they're still in the oven. Due to differences in individual oven controls, be sure to test your cake for doneness according to package or recipe directions. A cake is done when the sides shrink slightly away from the pan and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, with nothing sticking to it.

· Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before loosening the edge and turning it out onto a wired rack to cool.

· To remove a cake easily from a pan, place double thickness paper towel over wire rack. The towel prevents the wire bars from breaking the crust or leaving imprints on top of cake. A clean oven rack or refrigerator shelf can be used for larger layers. Place covered rack over the top of the cake and then invert the cake and rack at least one hour before decorating. Then brush loose crumbs off cake.



FROSTING



· Chill the cake between the filling and the frosting. The cake will be much easier to work with.

· Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake then refrigerate until it is set before applying the final, heavier layer of frosting. This will seal in the crumbs, ensuring a clean final appearance.



GENERAL HELPS



If the cake rose unevenly in the oven:



· The flour was not blended sufficiently into the main mixture.

· The temperature inside the oven was uneven.

· The oven temperature was too high.



If the batter overflowed the pans:

· Make sure you used the right size pan. The uncooked mixture should fill the pan by no more than two-thirds.



FOR CAKES THAT USE SEPARATELY-BEATEN EGG WHITES AND YOLKS


If the cake is dense and heavy:

· The eggs were too small. Always use large eggs when baking.

· Insufficient air was whisked into the egg and sugar mixture.

· The flour was not folded in gently. Always mix in the flour at the lowest speed.

· The melted butter was too hot when added, causing it to sink down through the whisked foam.

· The oven temperature was too low.



If the top of the cake dropped:

· The oven temperature was too hot.

· The cake was not cooked long enough.

· The oven door was opened too soon, which created a draft.




FOR CAKES THAT USE CREAMED BUTTER AND SUGAR MIXTURES



If the batter curdles and separates:

· The ingredients were not at room temperature.

· The butter and sugar were not creamed together well enough before adding the eggs.

· The eggs were added too quickly.


If the cake's texture is too heavy:



· The butter, sugar and eggs were not beaten together long enough.

· The flour was beaten at too high a speed.

· Too much flour was added to the creamed mixture.

· The oven temperature was not hot enough.



If the top of the cake peaks and cracks:

· The oven temperature was too hot, causing the outside of the cake to bake and form a crust too quickly. As the mixture in the center of the cake continued to cook and rise, it burst up through the top of the cake.

· The cake wasn't baked on the center rack of the oven.



If raisins, dried fruit and nuts sunk to the bottom:

· The pieces of fruit were too large and too heavy.

· The sugary syrup on the outside of the fruit was not washed off- this caused the pieces of fruit to slide through the mixture as it heated.

· The washed and dried fruit was not dusted with flour before being added to the mixture.

· The cake mixture was over beaten or was too wet so it could not hold the fruit in place.

· The oven temperature was too low, causing the mixture to melt before it set to hold the fruit in place.