CAKES

Cake Baking Tips

Invest in good chocolate, fruit fillings, nuts etc.

You will taste the difference if you start with the best ingreedients.

Always use fresh eggs. Eggs separate best when cold, but egg whites whip up best at room temperature.

Butter gives the best flavor.

A cake is a treat.

Live a little

If the cake rose unevenly in the oven:

The flour was not blended sufficiently into the main mixture.
The temperature inside the oven was uneven.
The oven temperature was too high.
If the batter overflowed the pans:
Make sure you used the right size pan.

The uncooked mixture should fill the pan by no more than two-thirds.

If the cake is dense and heavy:

The eggs were too small. Always use large eggs when baking.
Insufficient air was whisked into the egg and sugar mixture.
The flour was not folded in gently. Always mix in the flour at the lowest speed.
The melted butter was too hot when added, causing it to sink down through the whisked foam.
The oven temperature was too low.

If the top of the cake dropped:

The oven temperature was too hot.
The cake was not cooked long enough.
The oven door was opened too soon, which created a draft.

If the batter curdles and separates:

The ingredients were not at room temperature.
The butter and sugar were not creamed together well enough before adding the eggs.
The eggs were added too quickly.
If the cake’s texture is too heavy:
The butter, sugar and eggs were not beaten together long enough.
The flour was beaten at too high a speed.
Too much flour was added to the creamed mixture.
The oven temperature was not hot enough.

If the top of the cake peaks and cracks:

The oven temperature was too hot, causing the outside of the cake to bake and form a crust too quickly. As the mixture in the center of the cake continued to cook and rise, it burst up through the top of the cake.
The cake wasn’t baked on the center rack of the oven.
If raisins, dried fruit and nuts sunk to the bottom:
The pieces of fruit were too large and too heavy.
The sugary syrup on the outside of the fruit was not washed off- this caused the pieces of fruit to slide through the mixture as it heated.
The washed and dried fruit was not dusted with flour before being added to the mixture.
The cake mixture was over beaten or was too wet so it could not hold the fruit in place.
The oven temperature was too low, causing the mixture to melt before it set to hold the fruit in place.

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

CHEESECAKES

Cheesecakes are creamy, and smooth, and rich, and dense, and absolutely delicious.

We cannot talk about cheesecakes without mentioning the pitfalls, mainly the questions of how do we prevent cracking and when are cheesecakes done?

First, let's talk about cracks on the surface of a baked cheesecake, as this is a common problem and is caused either by over beating the batter and/or by too much moisture being lost as the cheesecake bakes (over baking).

In order to prevent cracks make sure you beat the ingredients at low speed as, unlike a butter cake, you do not want to incorporate a lot of air into the batter, you only want to beat the ingredients until they are nice and smooth.

As far as the over baking of cheesecakes goes, this is a common problem as it is difficult to know when a cheesecake is done.

The thing to remember is that you want the cheesecake to be firm but, if you shake the pan gently, it should still wobble a little, and the center will still look a little wet.

For even though the center may not look fully baked, once it cools it will firm up and be the correct consistency.

Cheesecakes are cakes that should not to be eaten straight away as they need to cool and then be refrigerated for several hours, preferably overnight, so the flavors have time to blend and the texture becomes nice and firm.

The great thing about cheesecake is that it stores very well and can also be frozen.

To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm.

Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer.

It can be frozen for several months.

Thaw the uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.

This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.

CUPCAKES

Basic Vanilla Cup Cake Recipe

Ingredients:-
5 oz (150g) Butter - softened
5 oz (150g) Castor sugar
6 oz (175g) Raising flour
3 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:-
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF (180oC).
2.Line a 12 cup cake pan, with cup cake papers.
3.Crack the eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.
4.Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
5.Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
6.Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7.Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.
8.Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
9.Allow to cool fully before icing.