Report on cake making process
Answers
Step 2: Choose the Right Baking Pans
Sturdy, single-wall aluminum pans, with or without nonstick coating, are great cake pans. Here are other points to keep in mind:
• Dark or Shiny? We prefer shiny pans for achieving a golden appearance. If you use a dark or dull-finish pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and check doneness 3 to 5 minutes early to prevent overbrowning.
• Sizes and Shapes. Many recipes call for either 8x1½-inch or 9x1½-inch round pans. they are interchangeable, but cakes baked in 8-inch pans generally require 5 to 10 minutes longer in the oven. Square and round pans could also be used as long as they're the size called for in the recipe.
Step 3: Allow Ingredients to Reach Room Temperature
Many recipes require some ingredients, such as eggs and butter, to stand at room temperature for a specified time. This is because room-temp butter blends more easily with other ingredients and room-temp eggs result in higher cake volume. (For food safety reasons, don't leave the eggs at room temperature for more time than specified in the recipe.)
If your recipe calls for greasing and flouring the pan, use a paper towel or pastry brush to evenly spread shortening or butter on the bottom, corners, and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. (Or spray nonstick cooking spray.) Sprinkle a little flour into the pan; tap the pan so the flour covers all greased surfaces. Tap out any extra flour into the sink.
If a recipe calls for lining the pan with waxed or parchment paper, place the pan on the paper and trace around its base with a pencil. Cut just inside the traced line; line the bottom of a lightly greased pan with the paper, smoothing any wrinkles or bubbles. Unless otherwise specified, grease and flour the lined pan, too.
Step 5: Preheat the Oven
When a cake bakes too quickly it can develop tunnels and cracks, too slowly and it can be coarse. Let your oven preheat for at least 10 minutes, and use an oven thermometer to make sure it reaches the proper temperature. Remember, if you're using dark cake pans, you'll want to reduce the oven temperature called for in your recipe by 25°F.
Step 6: Stir Together Dry Ingredients
Dry ingredients usually include flour, baking powder and/or baking soda, and salt. Rather than adding each dry ingredient individually to the batter, mix them together in a bowl beforehand. That way you know that the ingredients are equally distributed throughout the batter.
Using an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Generally, a stand mixer requires a medium speed for this step and a hand mixer requires a higher speed.
Add the sugar in small amounts, about ¼ cup at a time, beating on medium. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Adding the sugar little by little incorporates more air into the mixture.
Beat the mixture on medium speed until it is combined and has a light, fluffy texture. (This will probably take 3 to 5 minutes. Don't cheat on your timing.) Scrape the bowl occasionally while beating. Tiny bubbles will be created as the butter and sugar are combined, which will give your cake that dreamy, light, fluffy texture.
Adding eggs to cake batter
Step 9: Alternate Adding Dry and Wet Ingredients
Alternate between adding some of the flour mixture and some of the milk (or other liquid specified in the recipe) to the butter-egg-sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Begin and end with the flour mixture. (This is because when liquid is mixed into flour, gluten begins to form. Too much gluten makes for a tough cake, so be sure to start and finish with flour, and not overmix once you add liquid.)
Step 10: Pour Batter Into Pans and Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the baking pans. Use an offset metal spatula to spread the batter in an even layer. Be sure to spread it to the pan edge. Bake your cake according to your recipe's directions.
Step 11: Check Cake for Doneness
How do you avoid a dry cake? Avoid overbaking it. Start checking the cake for doneness after the recipe's stated minimum baking time. For creamed cakes, insert a wooden toothpick near the center of the cake. If the pick comes out clean, the cake is done.
Step 12: Cool the Cake
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes maximum. To remove from the pans, run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the sides. Place a wire rack over the top of the cake and flip the pan. Lift the pan off the cake, being careful not to tear the edges of the cake. If you used waxed or parchment paper, gently peel the paper off the cake.
Step 13: Assemble the Cake
To avoid crumbs in your frosting, brush the cake layers with a pastry brush before assembling. Spread about ½ cup of frosting over the first layer, then carefully top with the next layer. Repeat until the cake is assembled.