Cakes 101 There is one good question from a friend who once asked me:”Are all cakes the same?” Can I ask you the same question? Would you answer a STRONG Yes? or would it be rather a definite NO? The answer to this question lies in real discovery. Here is a brief summary which will bring us to a closer look at the beautiful dessert sitting on the table and ever present on every happy moments in our lives. Enjoy reading!:) There are many different types of cakes and many different ways of dividing them into various categories, but professional bakers categorize cakes by ingredients and mixing method. All mixing methods can be divided into two categories: High fat which creates a structure that relies primarily on creamed fat, and Egg foam which creates a structure that relies primarily on whipped eggs. Creamed fat or high fat cakes are based on high-fat formulas, most containing chemical leaveners. A good high-fat cake has a fine grain, cells of uniform size and a crumb that is moist rather than crumbly. Creamed fat cakes include pound cakes, layer cakes, coffeecakes and even brownies. Creamed fat cakes can be divided into two classes: butter cakes and high-ratio cakes. Butter cakes begin with a softened butter or shortening creamed to incorporate cells. Because of their high fat content, these cakes usually need the assistance of a chemical leavener to achieve the proper rise. High-ratio cakes uses emulsified shortening and a two-stage mixing method. Special emulsified shortening helps give the cake its structure. If emulsified shortening is not available, do not substitute with all-purpose shortening or butter as these fats cannot absorb the large amounts of sugar and liquid in the formula. High-ratio cakes contain a high ratio of sugar and liquid to flour. Cakes based on whipped-egg foams include European-style genoise, as well as spongecakes, angel food cakes and chiffon cakes. Some formulas contain chemical leaveners, but the air whipped into the eggs (whether whole or separated) is the primary leavening agent. Egg-foam cakes contain little or no fat. Genoise cakes are based on whole eggs whipped with sugar until very light and fluffy. Chemical leaveners are not used. It is dry, usually soaked with a flavored sugar syrup or liqueur for additional flavor and moisture and spongy. Spongecakes, however, are made with separated eggs. A batter is prepared with egg yolks and egg whites are whipped with a portion of the sugar to firm peaks and folded into the batter. Spongecakes are leavened primarily with air, but baking powder may be included in the formula. As with Genoise, oil or melted butter may be added if desired. Angel food cakes are tall, light cakes made without fat and leavened with a large quantity of whipped egg whites. These cakes are traditionally baked in ungreased tube pans. The pans are left ungreased so that the batter can cling to the sides as it rises. Although, they contain no fat, angel food cakes are not low in calories, as they contain a high percentage of sugar. The classic angel food cake is pure white but flavorings, ground nuts or cocoa powder may be added for variety. Although chiffons cakes are similar to angel food cakes in appearance and texture, the addition of egg yolks and vegetable oil makes them moister and richer. Chiffon cakes are usually leavened with whipped egg whites but may contain baking powder as well and also baked in an ungreased pan to allow the batter to cling to the pan as it rises. References: Labensky, Sarah R., CCP and Alan M. Hause, On Cooking 4th Ed. 2007. Malgieri, Nick, The Cake Primer (from Epicurious Website).
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:47:43 +0000
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