Week 46 -- Cake Methods II

Cake making need not be difficult or intimidating, but it does require an understanding of ingredients and mixing methods. The mixing process is the single most important step in cake making. The five types of cakes are defined by their mixing method.

Egg Foam Cakes (Low Fat Cakes)

  • Cakes based on whipped egg foams include European-style genoise (a type of sponge cake) as well as other sponge-cakes, angel food cakes, and chiffon cakes
  • While some formulas contain chemical leaveners, the air whipped into the eggs is primarily the leavening agent
  • Egg foam cakes contain little or no fat
  • Genoise is the classic European style cake
    • It is based on whole eggs whipped with sugar until very light and fluffy
    • Chemical leaveners are not used
    • A small amount of oil or melted butter is sometimes added for flavor and moisture
    • Genoise is rather dry, and is usually soaked with flavored sugar syrup or liqueur for additional flavor and moisture
  • Procedure for Egg Foam Cakes
    • Sift the flour with any additional dry ingredients, set aside
    • Combine the whole eggs and sugar in a large bowl and warm over a double-boiler to a temperature of 110 degrees, this helps with the incorporation of air
    • Whip the egg and sugar mixture until very light and tripled in volume, full of air
    • Fold the sifted flour into the whipped eggs carefully but quickly, so as not to lose air
    • Fold in the oil or melted butter, careful about preserving air
    • Divide into pans and bake immediately, to lose as little air as possible

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Chiffon Cakes

  • Although chiffon cakes are similar to angel food cakes, 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 too
  • Chiffon cakes are baked in an ungreased pan to allow the batter to cling to the pan as it rises
  • Procedure for Chiffon Cakes
    • Whip the egg whites with a portion of the sugar until almost stiff, set aside
    • Sift the dry ingredients together, including more sugar
    • Add liquid ingredients, including oil
    • Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter, careful about preserving air
    • Spoon the batter into an ungreased pan and bake immediately, to lose as little air as possible

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Two-Stage Cake Method

  • Requires high-ratio shortening, which is able to hold more water, creates good emulsification with greater amount of liquid, usually only available to professional bakers, also known as emulsified shortening, sometimes available from pro bake shops
  • Using this method, sugar proportion can be more than 100% of the flour
  • There's too much liquid in this method to use the creaming method that most home bakers use
  • White Whisper Cake
    • Differs from the creaming method because the fat and flour are creamed together, instead of the fat and the sugar, then sugar and flavorings (spices, chocolate, etc) get added
    • Ingredients (by weight)
      • 1 lb cake flour
      • 1 oz baking powder
      • 1/2 oz salt
      • 8 oz emulsified shortening
      • 2 oz sugar
      • 8 oz milk
      • 1 tsp vanilla extract (ok, by tsp volume)
      • 8 oz of more milk
      • 11 oz egg whites
    • Procedure
      • Prep 2 cakes pans, spray with baking spray, lay in circle of parchment paper, spray again with baking spray (PAM or such, with high temperature tolerance)
      • Put 8 oz of emulsified shortening in mixer bowl
      • Add 1 lb cake flour (low protein flour to produce less gluten) and 1 oz baking powder and 1/2 oz salt
      • Mix on low speed to consistent mixture (5-6 minutes), air is being incorporated here
      • Now add 2 oz sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, (optionally add some orange or almond extract also), and about 2 oz of the milk
      • With the mixer on low, once the 2 oz of milk is absorbed, add more milk slowly, in increments as it will absorb it, until all 8 oz are absorbed, mix to light creamy consistency
      • With mixer still running on low, begin mixing in the egg whites, in small increments until each is absorbed, slowly building the body that will incorporate air for leavening, until all 11 oz of egg whites are added
      • After a few more minutes of mixing on low speed, it should look like a thinner cake batter, remembering to constantly scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated
      • Now begin the 2nd stage, by incorporating 8 oz more milk, again, slowly by increments, until each increment is absorbed
      • Do not overmix, to avoid developing excess glutens which will make the cake more chewy, just go for consistent mix of all ingredients--should be quite pourable by now, much more pourable than cake batter developed by the creaming method
      • Portion the amounts of batter that are poured into each cake pan equally to ensure consistent cooking times at same oven temperature
      • Oven set to 350F, bake up to 30 minutes, start checking at 20 minutes

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Sponge Cake Jelly Roll

  • Sponge Cake, known in French culinary as a Genoise, egg yolk foam cake
  • Ingredients
    • 3 whole eggs
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup AP or cake flour
    • 1 tsp cream of tartar
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/3 cup cold water
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2/3 cup jam or jelly of choice
    • Powdered sugar for sifting
  • Procedure
    • Prepare 11 x 15 pan first, line greased pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper, too
    • Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cream of tarter and baking soda), set aside
    • Put whole eggs in mixer bowl, using whip attachment, high speed, start incorporating air
    • Add sugar and water to eggs and whip at high speed, get air incorporated (12-15 minutes of whipping), don't whip until stiff, look for ribbon coming off the whip when lifted out of the egg/sugar mix
    • Treat the bowl and whip gently to prevent losing air in the mix
    • Add half the flour mixture and fold into eggs gently with spatula, add the other half of the flour mixture, fold in, finally add vanilla extract, fold in
    • Immediately fill pan, spread the thin batter evenly with spatula
    • Bake at 375F for 8-12 minutes, until cake is golden, and toothpick comes out clean
    • Lay towel over pan, hold towel taut, and invert, remove parchment paper, sift powdered sugar
    • Using towel as an aid, roll up the sponge cake (for structure memory), wrap in towel and allow to cool
    • Unroll the cake, spread with jam or jelly
    • Using towel as an aid, roll up the sponge cake again, trim the ends
    • Place on platter, sift powdered sugar on it, serve warm or cold

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Cappucino Roulade

  • Genoise, egg foam cake (sponge cake), suitable for rolling
  • Ingredients
    • 3/4 cup AP flour
    • 2/3 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or more depending on taste, try 3/8 cup cocoa for more intense chocolate flavor)
    • 4 eggs
    • 3 tbs butter, melted, cooled
    • 1/8 tsp salt
    • Powdered sugar for sifting
    • 1.25 cups whipping cream
    • 1 tsp instant coffee powder, or more depending on taste (try 1.5 tsps for more coffee flavor)
    • 2 tbs powdered sugar
    • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/3 cup water
    • 4 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
    • 2 tbs butter
    • 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder, or more depending on taste (try 3/4 tsp for more coffee flavor)
    • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • Procedure
    • Prepare 11 x 15 pan first, line greased pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper, too
    • Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt), set aside
    • Put whole eggs in mixer bowl, using whip attachment, medium speed, start incorporating air
    • Add sugar gradually and whip at medium speed, get air incorporated (12-15 minutes of whipping), don't whip until stiff, look for ribbon coming off the whip when lifted out of the egg/sugar mix, look for thick batter, lemon colored
    • Treat the bowl and whip gently to prevent losing air in the mix
    • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold into eggs gently with spatula, stirring just until combined, add another third of the flour mixture, fold in, finally stir in last third of flour mixture, just until combined
    • Remove 1 cup of the batter and transfer to another bowl, add 3 tbs melted (cooled) butter, gently stir (try to preserve air in the batter)
    • Immediately fill pan, spread the thin batter evenly with spatula
    • Bake at 375F for 8-12 minutes, until cake is golden, and toothpick comes out clean
    • Lay towel over pan, hold towel taut, and invert, remove parchment paper, sift powdered sugar
    • Using towel as an aid, roll up the sponge cake (for structure memory), wrap in towel and allow to cool
    • Stir together whipping cream and 1 tsp coffee powder in bowl, beat at medium speed until stiff peaks
    • Gently stir in 2 tbs powdered sugar and 1/8 tsp cinnamon
    • Unroll the cake, spread whipped cream mixture over cake, leaving 1/2 inch border all around
    • Starting at short end, gently roll up cake, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
    • Just before serving time, combine all sauce ingredients (4 oz chocolate, 1/3 cup water, 2 tbs butter, 1/2 tsp coffee powder, 1/8 tsp cinnamon) over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted
    • Cut roulade in slices (making pinwheels) and spoon over sauce onto each slice artistically

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Angel Food Cake

  • Egg White Foam Cake, No Fat
  • Whip egg whites to soft peaks, stiff peaks have too much expansion for holding air
  • Keep fats away, and no specks of egg yolks, these ruin it
  • Ingredients (by weight)
    • 8 oz egg whites
    • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar (for acid)
    • 1/8 tsp salt
    • 8 oz sugar, divided 4 oz and 4 oz
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp other flavoring
    • 3 oz cake flour
  • Procedure
    • Prepare pans first, whatever pans you like, regular cake pan or pan with tube in middle, use no fat, but put parchment paper in the bottom of regular pan, or use non-stick tube pan
    • Set up double-boiler for heating the egg whites to 110F to facilitate the incorporation of air
    • Put egg white in mixer bowl, using mixer bowl as top half of the double-boiler, keep stirring egg whites as they are brought to 110F, gentle and slow, at 110F, egg whites come off the boiler
    • Put mixer bowl in place on the mixer with whip attachment, whip for a couple minutes
    • Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, dry acid to help setting of the egg whites, and add 4 oz sugar and the 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (also adding acid)
    • Set mixer to high speed to develop egg white foam with soft peaks (about 5 minutes), test for soft peaks that fold over
    • Be careful with the whip and bowl, not knocking air out of mixture
    • Sift cake flour and 4 oz sugar to incorporate more air, and gently fold half of the flour/sugar into the egg white mixture, being careful not to lose air in the egg whites, then add the other half of the flour/sugar, folding gently
    • Put batter into pan
    • Bake at 325F for 25-40 minutes depending on depth, or until golden and toothpick comes out clean
    • When cooled, dust with powdered sugar

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Chiffon Cake

  • Egg White Foam Cake, but unlike angel food cake, contains fat, yolks, and leavening agents
  • Chiffon cake rises more than angel food cake, also more tender due to yolks and fatr
  • Ingredients (by weight)
    • 5 oz cake flour
    • 6.5 oz sugar, divided 4 oz and 2.5 oz
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
    • /4 oz baking powder
    • 2.5 oz oil (canola, olive)
    • 2.5 oz egg yolks
    • 5 oz egg whites
    • 3.75 oz water
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Procedure
    • Prepare 2 cake pans, grease bottoms, then layer with parchment paper circle, but do not grease the pan sides or paper top, too much grease will inhibit cake rise
    • Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl (5 oz cake flour, 1/4 oz baking powder, 4 oz sugar, 1/4 tsp salt), set aside
    • Make batter, add 2.5 oz oil, 2.5 oz egg yolks, 3.75 oz water, 1/4 tsp vanilla to the mixer bowl with paddle attachment, medium speed is okay, not trying to incorporate air here, just blend the batter ingredients together, pour into another bowl and set aside
    • Clean and dry mixer bowl thoroughly, no fats or yolks here, add 5 oz egg whites, use whip attachment and whip the egg whites a couple minutes, just to get them going, then add 2.5 oz sugar, and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (dry acid to help set the egg whites)
    • On high speed, whip up egg whites to soft peaks, stiff peaks won't leaven as well, about 4 minutes
    • Treat whip and mixer bowl gently to preserve air in the egg whites
    • Fold in 1/4 of the dry ingredients to the whipped egg whites gently, always seeking to preserve the air incorporated in the egg whites
    • Add 1/4 of the yolk mixture, fold in gently
    • Continue to alternate adding the dry ingredients and the yolk mixture to the egg whites incrementally, again, seeking preserve the air in the egg whites
    • When everything is consistently mixed, pour immediately into cake pans in equal portions to ensure consistent baking and get into the oven, remember every second that goes by air in the batter is being lost, and we need that air for best rise
    • Don't slam the pans, you can jiggle them a bit to help spread the batter out evenly
    • Bake at 325F for 35-45 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 350F and bake 10-15 minutes more, or until cake is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean

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