5 Main Principles behind the Making of Cakes

 This article throws light upon the five main principles behind the making of cake. The principles are: 1. Combining of Ingredients 2. Formation of Air Cells 3. Texture 4. Formula and Balance 5. Baking and Cooling of Cakes.

Principle # 1. Combining of Ingredients:

Careful attention has to be given to the mixing process. The cake mixture has to form a uniform emulsion, so that the water is held in suspension surrounded by fat and other ingredients in the batter. A batter can curdle if the mixture changes to fat in water, with small particles of fat surrounded by water.

Curdling can occur due to the following factors:

i. The quantity of butter should be measured accurately in the given recipe, so as the formula has a balance of both fat and water. Whole eggs, if ever used, will help the batter hold the liquids in the mixture.

ii. Ingredients should not be too cold; a temperature of 21 °C will enable an emulsion to form best.

iii. Mixing of ingredients in the first step too quickly will not be able to incorporate a good quantity of air into the batter.

iv. Adding of liquids too quickly may also cause the batter to curdle hence, they have to be added in steps and a little at a time.

v. Preparing of the moulds prior to baking sponges is of utmost importance and is an art in itself. Many chefs lightly grease the cake tins with oil and fill up the tin with cake flour and pour out excess by tapping it slightly. This ensures a thin film of flour on the cake tin and prevents from the batter sticking to the mould. The other method is to line the cake tin with grease roof parchment paper.

Principle # 2. Formation of Air Cells:

Formation of air cells in a batter is of great importance since they give the sponge its texture and also act as a leavening agent. The air trapped in the batter expands when subjected to heat and this acts as a natural leavened giving the sponge a good raise even if no chemical agent is used.

Correct temperature of ingredients and a suitable mixing are vital for the formation of good air cells in the batter. In the case of foam cakes the egg and sugar mixture should be slightly warmed to approximately 38°C. Whipping should be done at a high speed first, then at a moderate speed to retain the formation of air cells.

Principle # 3. Texture:

Another important principle in sponge making is the texture of the sponge. The development of gluten in the batter is responsible for the texture of the end product. A very little amount of gluten is required in cake making; hence weak flour will be a better choice. In some sponge recipes, com starch replaces some of the flour requirement, thereby reducing the gluten content even more. On the other hand certain rich fruit cakes require more gluten to hold the structure and the fruits in the cake.

Since the amount of mixing affects the gluten, the flour in the recipe is always added towards the end of the mixing process after all the ingredients have been added, thus ensuring that there is very little development of gluten. If the batter is mixed for too long after the addition of flour, then the cake is likely to be tough.

Principle # 4. Formula and Balance:

Ingredients and quantities can be changed only to a certain extent in a given recipe. A formula in which the ingredients fall within these limits is said to be in balance.

For the purpose of balancing ingredients can be classified into the following four functions:

i. Tougheners:

They provide structure, for example, flour, eggs (white and yolks).

ii. Tenderizers:

The provide softness or shortening of protein fibres, for example, sugar, butter, and chemical leavener.

iii. Driers:

These are the ingredients that absorb moisture, for example, flours and starches, cocoa powder, and milk solids (powder), etc. A sponge may require formula balancing if even after following all the steps has not come out correctly.

iv. Moisteners:

They provide moisture to the batter, for example, water, milk, liquid sugar, eggs, etc.

The formula would be balanced if tougheners equal tenderizers, and driers equal moisteners. In other words a balance has to be maintained between the given ingredients. Egg yolk contains fat which is a tenderizer and at the same time contains protein which is a toughener.

A common practice in balancing a formula is to decide the flour and sugar ratio, then balance the rest of the ingredients against this combination as follows:

i. If liquid is increased, reduce the eggs and the shortening.

ii. If eggs are increased, increase the shortening.

iii. If extra milk powder is added as enrichment, add an equal weight of water.

iv. If large quantities of moist ingredients such as apple sauce, mashed bananas are added, then the batter may require an increase in the quantity of flour and eggs.

Principle # 5. Baking and Cooling of Cakes:

The importance of the salient features of baking while baking breads and the same should be followed for baking cakes.

In addition, the following points would be useful:

i. Preheat the oven. The sponge needs to be given an instant shock of heat as this will help create the oven spring. Cool ovens will result in dry and crumbly sponges.

 

ii. Make sure that the oven shelves are even. The cake batter is very soft and if the shelves are uneven, the batter will tend to flow with the slant, thereby resulting in a thick and thin cake. While the thick will cook, the thin might burn or become crisp.

 iii. Do not let pans; tin trays, etc. touch each other. There should be an even circulation of air, as it creates humidity, which helps to bake the products with uniform colour.

iv. Bake at the correct temperature. Baking at low temperatures will give dry and pale cakes, and baking at high temperature will colour the cake too fast resulting in burning it.

v. Do not open the oven door and disturb the sponge, until it has finished rising and is partially browned. Opening of the door of an oven might result in a collapse of sponge, as when the oven is opened, the steam formed in the oven tends to come out of the oven with a force thereby creating a vacuum in the oven, which results in the collapse of volume.