There is nothing more mouth-watering or welcoming than the aroma of freshly baked cakes. From rich cheese cakes to the delectable chocolate cakes, the list could go on and on for choices on special occasions.
For starters, here are some cake baking essentials –
Equipment
You will need round pans in different sizes but the mostly widely used are the 8″, 9″ and 10″ ones. Spring form pans (the one with a loose bottom and a lock on the side) will make turning out cakes a lot easier. This is most useful for cakes that are not easy to turn upside down.
Long and square pans are often useful to families who want to bake a cake for more people. A pan that measures 9″ x 13″ x 1.5″ x 33″ and about 4 cm. deep is the standard size.
For loaf pans, find the 900-gram type. You may also purchase bundt pans, these are those that come with a tube in the middle (102 is a flexible size).
Other useful equipment include measuring cups, weighing scale, mixer (the hand-held type), wooden spoon, whisks, rolling pin, pastry brush, mixing bowls and your good ol’ recipe book.
Ingredients
As for the ingredients of cake, the basics include flour, sugar, raising agents, fats and eggs. Your choice of fat could be oil, butter or margarine depending on what the recipe asks for.
Most recipes for cakes require all-purpose flour which has less protein content. This is best for cakes that do not require the sturdiness that all-purpose flour offers. If there is no cake flour available, then you can cut all-purpose flour using a little cornstarch. A tablespoon per two cups of all-purpose flour would do.
As for the sugar, you will get the best results by using the superfine type. Raising agents include baking soda and baking powder, two of the most used. For a more organic recipe, use free-range eggs and quality fats.
If you are baking chocolate cake, make sure to choose the darkest type of chocolate since this has the highest cocoa solid content. This is also the type that would be able to give a more intense flavor.
Baking Terms
It is also useful to become familiar with baking terms such as –
Creaming: Sugar and butter are beaten or blended for air incorporation.
Whisking: A good way to incorporate air to your cake.
Rubbing-in: Used in making toppings, cookies, and a few cakes.
Melting: When ingredients are heated together to become a homogenous liquid. This is often done for frosting.
Folding: This can only be done by a light hand to combine ingredients.