After soup, bake a cake - Not for the weaklings!

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After soup, bake a cake - Not for the weaklings!
Haniff
08/14/01 at 00:16:53
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

[center]To bake, be brave

By Anis Siddiqi
[/center]

Baking is an art. There is an old saying that says that baking is like trying to catch a horse. If you show fear, everything goes wrong. So, courage is what is needed here. Then, of course, if you want to master the art of baking, perseverance is also essential. Here are some tips that might help you in trying to make perfect cakes.

Sifting

Sifting the cake flour at least three times to thoroughly aerate it as well as mix the baking powder evenly in it. This is essential for a well-baked cake.

Beating

If beating by hand, it'll be much faster if the bowl isn't slipping about. So, place a damp cloth under the bowl.

Mixing

When mixing in the flour for a cake, use a lifting movement (like when beating eggs with a fork) of the spoon so that as much air as possible is incorporated into the mixture. The final mixing is what makes a cake light and spongy.

Lighter sponge

If your sponge cakes don't rise, add a dessertspoonful of boiling water just before putting it in the tin.

Short of eggs?

If you are short of eggs, a tablespoon of vinegar can be substituted for one egg in a cake, with no ill effects, provided it contains a raising agent.

Perfect sponge cakes

To be sure of success with a sponge cake, make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting off. This is essential because otherwise the ingredients won't mix well resulting in a bad cake. Also, grease the tin well and then dust it with equal amounts of flour and sugar. This gives the skin a nice finish. For a glossy top, sprinkle it with sugar just before putting it in the oven.

Heating the oven

Always heat the oven to the required temperature before starting to make the cake. Once the mixture is ready, it should be popped straight into the heated oven. If allowed to stand while the oven is still getting hot, the cake will not rise.

Flatter tops

If you want your cake to have a flat top, spread the mixture in the tin so it dips in the center, as it is the middle that rises the most.

Preventing burns

To prevent a cake from burning, put a double fold of greased paper at the bottom of the tin and on top of it when baking. To prevent the outside of a large fruit cake from overcooking, wrap the bottom and the sides of the tin in several layers of a damp newspaper and place a baking tin of water in the bottom of the oven.

Cakes which stick

If a cake sticks to the tin, run a knife round the edge and stand the hot tin on a folded wet cloth for a while. It will then come off easily.

Timing cake

Cakes cook much faster in aluminum tins than in the traditional tin ones, but the recipe books never say which type their timings are based on. So, the solution is to check the cake three-quarters of the way through the given time. If a skewer stuck into the center comes out clean, the cake is done. If there is mixture stuck to it, give it the full time and test again -- but remember to close the door slowly, as slamming can flatten the cake.

Dried fruit cakes

When making such cakes, the dried fruits tend to sink to the bottom of the mixture. The way to avoid this is to toss them in flour, or warming them a little in the oven, before adding them to the mixture.

[i]Arab News - 26 May 1995[/i]

Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Haniff (with 2 f's)
Re: After soup, bake a cake - Not for the weaklings!
abc
08/14/01 at 10:04:18
Thanks for the tips :)
Baking definitely takes courage (actually for me any type of cooking does):)

Another tip for sifting flour is: if u don't have a big sieve (like me) then just put the dry ingredients in a clean plastic bag (i use the bread bag) and give it a good shake. You can also use this mixture for dusting the greased cake tin instead of plain flour. This way there won't be any whitish powder on the cake when its done.

So anyone like to share some easy cake recipes?? :)


Re: After soup, bake a cake - Not for the weaklings!
Ruqayyah
08/18/01 at 22:12:23
[slm]

Another tip for getting the tops of your cakes to have a perfectly smooth top is to just flip the cake upside down! This way the bottom which is smooth is now the top! and if you're really picky, you can just cut off the top layer of the top of the cake so it's a bit smoother when you turn it upside down and it becomes the bottom. I hope i haven't confused anyone :P


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