An Introduction to Cakes
I love cakes because they can be simple or grand. I’m not sure which type of cake I like best. I have two staple flavour of cakes and I build my flavours around them
- Vanilla cupcake and cake
- Chocolate cupcake and cake
Before baking a cake there are some simples steps to take to make sure you get good results.
1. Prepare your pans - set the pan on baking paper and cut around it. Dip a pastry brush in oil and coat the cake pan. Lightly dust the pan with flour. place the baking paper in the bottom of the pan. This will make sure your cakes will come out of the tin with out tearing or breaking.
2. Time is of the essence when it comes to making a good cake. beating or mixing theatre for too long will result in a tough cake. Getting all your ingredients and pans ready so that you can go from start to finish with out interruption is very important. Cake batter should be weighed into pans to give cakes that are the same height and weight.
3. Cakes have to be baked in a preheated oven. Get into the habit of turning your oven on as soon as you go into the kitchen to bake. cakes sold go into the oven assign as they are in pans. If your oven is not big enough then restart the batter by putting it in the fridge, till you have space in the oven.
Bake bands can be used before cake goes in the oven. I generally put a small dish of water when I turn the oven on, which makes the cakes flat and level.
4. Cakes are done when they start pulling away from the edges. you can also test by inserting a toothpick in the middle. it should come away clean. I test by testing for springiness in the middle.
5. Once cakes are baked, take them out of the oven, run a knife around the edge and put them on a cooling rack for 15 mins. Place a cooling rack on top of tin and turn cake over. leave the cake to cool completely before frosting.
