Cakes and Frostings Flashcards
Most cakes are created from 1.___ with high 2.___ and 3.___ contents
- liquid
- fat
- sugar
The results of using different ingredients in the wrong order or proportion…
Can change the entire structure of the cake
Function of Tougheners in cake
- Provides Structure and strength to cake once baked
Function of Moisteners in cake
- Necessary for gluten formation
- Starches gelatinize
- Gives body and structure to cake
Function of Leaveners in cake
- (Steam and air) Provide cake with proper texture and rise
Function of Flavorings in cake
- Provides cake with desired flavors
- Acidic flavoring provides acid necessary to activate baking soda
Two categories of cakes and their mixing methods
Creamed Fat (creaming method)
Whipped egg (Egg-Foam method)
**Difference between a Butter cake and a High-ratio cake
- High-ratio cakes only use shortening while butter cakes can include butter or shortening
- Butter cakes alternate wet and dry ing while high ratio cakes use half wet at first.
**You should cream butter on 1st or 2nd speed when preparing butter cake because…
- Air cells need to be incorporated. Because of the high fat content
- Creaming on high speed would heat up mixture?
Standard mixing procedure for a butter cake
Creaming method
Difference between a sponge cake and a Genoise
- Genoise use whole eggs while sponge only use egg whites
- Genoise don’t chemical leaveners and sponge cakes mostly use air but baking powder can be included
For all whipped egg cakes, what do you need to be careful with?
You need to be carful when taking yolks to the ribbon stage.
- Make sure air is not expelled out of the foam mixture.
- To do this, mixture should meet soft peaks and sugar should be sanded in.
- Egg-foam mixture should be warm contain no fat prior to sanding sugar in.
Angel food cakes and chiffon cakes are similar in appearance and texture, but how do they differ.
- Angel food cakes only use egg whites, no yolks. they also don’t use fat.
- Chiffon cakes use both yolks and oil so they are more rich in moist.
Even though angel food cakes are low in fat, what are they not? How can they be topped?
- Angel food cakes are not low in calories. They contain large amounts of sugar.
- Usually they aren’t frost. They can be topped with a fruit-flavored or chocolate glaze.
What do you notice about pa preparation for butter cakes and eg-foam cakes? What do you think the reasoning for this variance.
Butter cakes and egg-foam cakes use an ungreased tube pan.
- This may be done to make sure the middle of the cake bakes with the outer-area
What do prep pans for cake batter do?
Prevents cakes from sticking
What may happen if you wait to prep pans
Air cells in batter may deflate and volume may be lost.
In what ways can pans be prepped?
- Ungreased: Angel food and Chiffon
- Ungreased; Paper on the bottom: Genoise layers
- Greased and papered: High fat, chocolate and bundt cakes
- Greased, floured, lined with paper: cakes with melted chocolate, fruit chunks or purée
Why should you use shortening instead of butter when preparing pans for cake batter?
- It doesn’t contain any water; water may cause the cake to stick in places.
-Shortening in inexpensive, tasteless and odorless - Shortening does not burn as easily as butter
Formula for pan coating
Equal parts oil, shortening, and flour
Why do you use pan coating instead on conventional methods?
- Used when pan needs to be greased of floured
- Will not leave white residue on cake crust
Why are angel food and chiffon cakes panned with ungreased, unlined pans
They are fragile and need to cling to the sides of the pan as they rise
The differences between panning high fat and egg-foam batters as opposed to high ratio batters
High fat/egg foam should be panned according to weight with a laddle
High ratio are filled by volume an poured into each pan
How much are cake pans filled? Why?
Cake pans are filled 1/2-2/3 way full
This is done to make sure batter rises without spilling over edges
**Cake pans should always spread evenly in the pan. What do you use to ensure this?
Offset or flat spatula
What are some problems that may be caused and in what types of ovens(temps)?
Very hot: Cake may rise unevenly; crust may burn before interior bakes
Low temp: Cake won’t rise sufficiently; may dry out before baking
Standard rule of thumb when setting oven temps
Larger the surface, higher the oven temperature
What temperature should most cakes be baked
325º-375ºF
Three factors determining doneness of cake layer
Appearance: Light brow surface
Touch: Spring back w/o feeling soggy or leaving indent
Cake tester: Insert toothpick, skewer, or metal cake tester in the middle of cake to see if residue is left
General rule for cooling cake layer, why?
Needs to cool for 10-15 minutes using a cooling rack. helps to prevent cake from cracking or breaking when removed from pan
Equipment need for cooling cake layer
- Thin knife or spatula to remove cake from cake pan
- Wire rack, cake board, or sheet pan to place cake after removing pan
What do wire racks do
Allow air to circulate, speed up cooling process, prevent steam from making cake soggy
How do you cool angel food and chiffon cakes
Turn them upside-down immediately after removed from oven
Top of pan shouldn’t touch countertops so that air can circulate under inverted pan
What is important to remember when cooling cakes? What may happen if this isn’t done?
- All cakes should be left to cool away from drafts or air current.
- The cake can collapse
Why shouldn’t cakes be refrigerated to speed up the cooking process?
Rapid cooling can cause cracking. Prolonged refrigeration can also cause cakes to dry out
Fudge Frosting
A warm mixture of sugar, butter, and water of milk
Flavorings can be added
Poured hot
Side Masking
Coating only the sides of cake w/ garnish
Must apply while frosting is moist enough to stick
Icing
Sweet coating for cakes and other baked goods
Buttercream
(Powdered sugar, and butter or shortening) Most common icing used for special occasion cakes
Simple//American Style Buttercream
Creamed butter and powdered sugar
Light and smooth mixture
Italian Buttercream// Meringue Butter cream
Whipped egg white + Hot sugar syrup w/ softened butter
Extremely soft and light
French//Mousseline Buttercream
Similar to Italian– Hot sugar syrup beat into egg yolks w/ softened butter
Foam// Boiled Frosting
Simply Italian meringue– Light & fluffy but very sweet
Fondant
Thick, opaque sugar paste
Poured over surface being coated, dries quickly
(Heated to 100 deg F)
Glaze
Think coating meant to be pored or drizzled onto cake or pastry
Flat Frosting//Water Frosting
Specific type of glaze used on danish pastries and coffee cakes
Royal Icing//Decorator’s Icing
Uncooked mixture of powdered sugar and pasturized egg whites
Similar to flat icing except it becomes stiff, hard, and brittle when dry
Ganache
Blend of chocolate and heavy cream
When warm, can be poured over cake or pastry
Or can be cooled and whipped to create a rich, smooth frosting
Why do cakes crack and peak
Oven temperature too high
