ronaldoponga
Assistant Cook
- Joined
- May 10, 2008
- Messages
- 2
There have been so many instances when the homemade cake just did not come out right. They fell apart in trying to get them out of the pan, they were too dry, the frosting looked like a three year old put it on. Here are a few things you can do to make your cakes perfect every time.
A.Pre-Baking Tips:
1.Grease and/or flour pans as directed in recipes for butter-type cakes. Do not grease pans for angel, sponge and chiffon cakes unless directed in the recipe.Brush the bottom and the sides of your cake pans with melted shortening using a pastry brush. Then add some flour your pans, covering the bottom and sides, and shake off the excess flour. If you are making a chocolate cake you may use powdered cocoa instead of flour. You may also try using powdered sugar instead of flour. This will help the cake come out of the pan easier.
2.You absolutely must preheat your oven. If you put your cakes in a cold oven, the cooking time is incorrect and the varying temperature of the oven will cause your cake to be drier and may cause the cake to be misshapen.
3.Be sure to use pans of the size called for in the recipe. To check the width of a pan, measure across the top from inside edge to inside edge.
4.Do not overfill the pans with batter. Fill them to the halfway point to allow for rising during baking, and allow the batter to settle by shaking the pans before placing them in the oven. The cake will cook more uniformly when this is done.
5.Use shiny metal pans for baking cakes. They reflect heat away, producing a tender, lighter-colored crust.
Baking Tips:
1.Bake cakes with the oven rack placed in the center of the oven, unless the recipe states differently. Bake only on one rack.
2.Bake your cakes for the time and temperature stated in your recipe. Remember if you are using glass pan to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.
3.Do not place the baking pans too close together in the oven as this may lead to uneven browning and under-baking.
Cooling/Frosting Tips:
1.Cool cakes completely on wire racks.
2.Allow the cake to cool for at least three minutes before taking the cake out of the pan and putting in on to a cooling rack.
3.When your cake is completely cooled, you will then need to get it ready for frosting, or the frosting will melt or slide off the cake.
4.Level the top of the cake using a butter knife, so the top of the cake is level. This will give it a really good look.
5.Be sure to brush away any crumbs from the top of the cake so the frosting will not look lumpy. Your pastry brush works well for this.
6.Place your cake onto your cake platter before put your cake in the refrigerator for about an hour so it will be totally cool and be easier to frost.
7.Using a plastic spatula, apply a lot of frosting to the top of the cake, spreading evenly. Then spread the frosting from the top down to the sides. Let cake sit until frosting has set.
Storage Tips:
1.Store cakes with creamy frostings under a cake saver or large inverted bowl.
2.Store cakes with whipped cream toppings, cream fillings or cream cheese frostings in the refrigerator.
3.Cut butter-type cakes with a sharp, long, thin knife.
4.Cut angel food, chiffon and pound cakes with a long, serrated knife or electric knife.
A.Pre-Baking Tips:
1.Grease and/or flour pans as directed in recipes for butter-type cakes. Do not grease pans for angel, sponge and chiffon cakes unless directed in the recipe.Brush the bottom and the sides of your cake pans with melted shortening using a pastry brush. Then add some flour your pans, covering the bottom and sides, and shake off the excess flour. If you are making a chocolate cake you may use powdered cocoa instead of flour. You may also try using powdered sugar instead of flour. This will help the cake come out of the pan easier.
2.You absolutely must preheat your oven. If you put your cakes in a cold oven, the cooking time is incorrect and the varying temperature of the oven will cause your cake to be drier and may cause the cake to be misshapen.
3.Be sure to use pans of the size called for in the recipe. To check the width of a pan, measure across the top from inside edge to inside edge.
4.Do not overfill the pans with batter. Fill them to the halfway point to allow for rising during baking, and allow the batter to settle by shaking the pans before placing them in the oven. The cake will cook more uniformly when this is done.
5.Use shiny metal pans for baking cakes. They reflect heat away, producing a tender, lighter-colored crust.
Baking Tips:
1.Bake cakes with the oven rack placed in the center of the oven, unless the recipe states differently. Bake only on one rack.
2.Bake your cakes for the time and temperature stated in your recipe. Remember if you are using glass pan to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.
3.Do not place the baking pans too close together in the oven as this may lead to uneven browning and under-baking.
Cooling/Frosting Tips:
1.Cool cakes completely on wire racks.
2.Allow the cake to cool for at least three minutes before taking the cake out of the pan and putting in on to a cooling rack.
3.When your cake is completely cooled, you will then need to get it ready for frosting, or the frosting will melt or slide off the cake.
4.Level the top of the cake using a butter knife, so the top of the cake is level. This will give it a really good look.
5.Be sure to brush away any crumbs from the top of the cake so the frosting will not look lumpy. Your pastry brush works well for this.
6.Place your cake onto your cake platter before put your cake in the refrigerator for about an hour so it will be totally cool and be easier to frost.
7.Using a plastic spatula, apply a lot of frosting to the top of the cake, spreading evenly. Then spread the frosting from the top down to the sides. Let cake sit until frosting has set.
Storage Tips:
1.Store cakes with creamy frostings under a cake saver or large inverted bowl.
2.Store cakes with whipped cream toppings, cream fillings or cream cheese frostings in the refrigerator.
3.Cut butter-type cakes with a sharp, long, thin knife.
4.Cut angel food, chiffon and pound cakes with a long, serrated knife or electric knife.
