Baking for Dummies Read online

  1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-x-9-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.

  2In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the flour, oats, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts (if desired), cinnamon, and salt. Press the dough into the pan.

  3Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown on the edges. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then cut into 4 x 4 rows.

  Per serving: Calories 149 (From Fat 72); Fat 8g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 16mg; Sodium 40mg; Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.

  Chapter 8

  Creating Great Cakes

  In This Chapter

  Getting the lowdown on different types of cakes

  Recognizing what happens when a cake bakes

  Baking great-looking cheesecakes

  Cooling a cake properly

  Recipes in This Chapter

  Light and Fluffy Yellow Cake

  Martha’s Chocolate Cake

  Carrot Cake

  Applesauce Cake

  Banana-Sour Cream Bundt Cake

  Classic Pound Cake

  Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake

  Chocolate Cupcakes

  Lemon Cupcakes

  Angel Food Cake

  Jelly Roll

  Classic Cheesecake

  Pumpkin Cheesecake

  Lemon Curd Cheesecake

  Anyone can bake cakes. There’s no magic to it — although you may think that there is when you watch a simple mixture of eggs, butter, flour, and sugar turn into a thick, creamy batter, and then bake into a yummy treat that melts in your mouth. Although magic isn’t involved, chemistry and technique are. Both can be explained and mastered. If you’re feeling at all apprehensive about making a cake, don’t. You can feel like a complete klutz in the kitchen and still turn out a respectable cake. My premise is everyone can, and should, bake cakes.

  When you’ve decided to bake a cake, you need to choose the kind of cake you want to make. In this chapter, I introduce the categories of cakes so that you can size them up for yourself. Whichever you choose, I include lots of tips and hints to help you bake a great cake.

  Butter Cakes

  The most popular and best-known type of cake is the butter or shortening cake. These are the classic layer cakes, the cakes you associate with birthday parties and festive occasions, loved for their moist sweetness and high-stacking layers filled with delicious frostings and topped with decorations.

  What makes butter or shortening cakes different from other varieties of cakes is they have a lot of fat (butter, shortening, or oil) in relation to the number of eggs used. Making a good butter cake isn’t difficult, but you do need to know how to correctly mix the ingredients together to produce a silky batter that includes the right amount of air. Butter cakes rise from the air whipped into the batter as well as from the addition of baking powder or soda.

  I recommend purchasing cake flour when you bake cakes. It really does make a difference with the final product, and you can freeze flour (label it first!) if you don’t use it often.

  Because the fat is the essential ingredient in butter cakes, selecting the best fat for your purposes is critical. Many professionals say unsalted butter is the best choice. Salt was originally added to butter as a preservative, but with modern refrigeration we no longer really need the salt. If you bake without it, you have more control over the salt content of your foods. If, however, you have only salted butter on hand, don’t worry — it won’t affect the flavor of your cake.

  An often forgotten ingredient in good butter or shortening cakes is air. Solid vegetable shortening is great for incorporating air into the batter, which gives added volume to cakes and makes them softer and spongier. Solid vegetable shortening is the densest and will cream better than any other fats. Unfortunately, the flavor is not as rich as if you were to use butter (or even margarine), which can be disappointing. In all the butter/shortening recipes, feel free to substitute half shortening and half butter to get the best of both ingredients. For more on fats, see Chapter 5.

  If you find your cakes continually come out with domed centers, decrease the flour in your cake recipe by 1/4 cup and spread the batter from the center to the sides of the pan. Domed centers are caused by thick batters cooking the edges first, allowing the centers to continue to rise higher than the sides.

  A well-prepared butter cake is moist and has a tender crumb. For the best results, make sure the fat you choose is softened. Shortening is ready to go from the can, but if you choose butter, you’ll have to let it soften. If the butter yields slightly to your touch, but is still solid and not melted, it’s just right. If you have to press hard, it’s still too cold. Let it sit out for 15 more minutes and test again. If the butter is melting inside of the wrapper, it’s too soft; pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to harden slightly before using. Butter taken directly out of the refrigerator should be ready to use in 20 to 30 minutes.

  If you are pressed for time and need your butter to soften pronto, cut the butter into 10 to 12 pieces and leave it at room temperature. It will be softened and ready to use in about 5 minutes.

  The proper technique for preparing butter cake batter is to have all the ingredients at room temperature. Cream the butter or butter/shortening blend with the sugar until light and smooth. If you use an electric mixer, begin on medium-low speed and then increase to medium speed. This will allow air to be incorporated into the fat without overheating and melting it — an important thing to keep in mind when working with all-butter cakes. Then add the eggs, followed by the dry ingredients, oftentimes alternated with the liquids to keep the batter creamy and smooth. Bake and — voilà! — perfect cakes!

  If your cake falls in the oven, cut it into chunks and dip it in a chocolate fondue. The texture will be uneven, but that won’t matter. Or you can use the cake for a custard bread/cake pudding.

  Light and Fluffy Yellow Cake

  I add ginger to my yellow cake. You don’t have to, but it lends a delicate flavor to the cake, and most people love the hint of something special. You can also add ground cinnamon or nutmeg, too. The cover shows this cake with Mocha Frosting (Chapter 9).

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 25 to 35 minutes

  Yield: 16 servings

  2 1/2 cups cake flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon ground ginger

  1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

  1 1/4 cups sugar

  3 eggs

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  3/4 cup sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

  2In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ginger. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

  3Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir just enough to combine, but don’t overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.

  4Bake until golden brown around the edges and the center springs back when you touch it, 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch pans, 25 to 30 minutes for the 9-inch pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.

  Per serving: Calories 263 (From Fat 134); Fat 15g (Saturated 9g); Cholesterol 76mg; Sodium 195mg; Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 3g.

  Martha’s Chocolate Cake

  Martha, who is one of my best friends, told me how she used to sit in her math class when she was in grade school and dream of having a slice of this cake when she got home from school. This cake is so moist and delici
ous that it will keep you dreaming, too. Flip to Chapter 9 for Martha’s Sweet and Creamy Frosting if you want to try the real McCoy! See the color section for a photo of this cake.

  Specialty tools: an electric mixer

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 25 to 30 minutes

  Yield: One 9-inch layer cake or one 8-inch layer cake and 6 cupcakes

  2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  2 cups sugar

  1 cup vegetable oil

  1 cup hot coffee

  1 cup milk

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour either two 9-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans and 6 muffin cups.

  2Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, coffee, milk, eggs, and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes (the batter will be thin).

  3Pour the batter evenly into both 9-inch cake pans or fill the 6 muffin cups halfway with batter and divide the remaining batter between both 8-inch pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (check the cupcakes after 15 minutes). Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the pans. Let them cool completely on the wire racks before frosting.

  Per serving: Calories 404 (From Fat 186); Fat 20g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 38mg; Sodium 458mg; Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 5g.

  Carrot Cake

  This is quite a cake — a three-layer beauty. I love carrot cake, so I can never have too much of a good thing. If you don’t have three pans, bake two of the layers and then wash and reuse one of the cake pans. Think about making this cake a day in advance. It tastes even better the second day.

  Preparation time: 25 minutes

  Baking time: 30 to 40 minutes

  Yield: 12 servings

  1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

  2 cups sugar

  4 eggs, beaten

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 cups flour

  3 teaspoons cinnamon

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  3 cups grated carrots

  1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

  1Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

  2In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.

  3Sift together the flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt, and add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the carrots and walnuts, if desired. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

  Per serving: Calories 485 (From Fat 263); Fat 29g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 71mg; Sodium 435mg; Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 5g.

  Let them eat cake!

  Birthday cakes have a long history. The Roman emperors celebrated their birthdays with offerings of cakes to the gods and to the common people. In the Middle Ages, people celebrated with a cake on the feast day of their name saint instead of their birthday.

  It is believed that the first birthday cake candles were used in Germany during the Middle Ages as symbols of earlier religious votive candles. The candle in the center of the cake was called the Lebenslicht, or “light of life”; today we call this the “one to grow on.”

  Applesauce Cake

  When fall arrives, my refrigerator is full of apples, and I like to make my own applesauce. If you aren’t that ambitious, look at your grocery store for the flavorful applesauce blends. I have used pear applesauce and even peach applesauce for this recipe.

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

  Yield: 12 to 14 servings

  2 cups flour

  1 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon cloves

  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  1/2 teaspoon allspice

  1/2 cup vegetable oil

  1/2 cup applesauce

  2 eggs

  1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan.

  2Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice into a large mixing bowl.

  3Add the oil and applesauce and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix for 2 minutes longer.

  4Fold in the nuts and turn into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and finish cooling on a metal rack.

  Per serving: Calories 304 (From Fat 150); Fat 17g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 269mg; Carbohydrate 36g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 5g.

  Banana-Sour Cream Bundt Cake

  This is a lovely, dense cake that travels well. If you want, you can throw in a cup of chocolate chips or dress up the cake with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

  Specialty tool: 6 1/2-cup capacity ring mold or Bundt pan

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 45 minutes

  Yield: About 12 servings

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

  1 1/4 cups sugar

  2 eggs

  1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)

  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1/2 cup sour cream

  2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/2 cup chopped walnuts

  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease well a 6 1/2-cup capacity ring mold or Bundt pan.

  2In a large bowl, beat the butter until light, about 1 minute. Slowly beat in 1 cup of the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and sour cream.

  3Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour into the creamed mixture, stirring just to blend (do not overbeat).

  4In another bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the bottom of the prepared ring mold. Spoon in half of the batter.

  5Sprinkle in the remaining walnut mixture and cover with the rest of the banana and sour cream batter.

  6Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is brown and starts to pull away from the sides of the mold. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it onto a wire rack to cool further.

  Per serving: Calories 308 (From Fat 127); Fat 14g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 203mg; Carbohydrate 42g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 5g.

  Pound Cakes

  The pound cake got its name because it traditionally contained 1 pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It is a staple for bakers because it’s easy to make, reliable, delicious, and keeps for a long time. Today’s pound cakes are not restricted by the original recipe and can be glamorized with bits of chocolate, poppy seeds, fruits, and raisins, just to name a few. The old-fashioned plain pound cake is still a classic, though.

  For a truly dense cake, mix the batter by hand. For a lighter texture, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, then finish mixing by hand. This is supposed to be a dense cake, so be careful not to overmix the batter by beating it too long with the mixer. Otherwise, it may come pouring over the sides of the pan when it bakes.

  Bake pound cakes in loaf, tube, or Bundt pans, preferably of shiny metal rather than dark steel. Dark pans cause the outside of the cake to brown before the inside is baked through. For more on ba
king pans, see Chapter 3.

  Don’t fret if the top of the cake splits — this is normal, caused by steam escaping during baking.

  Cooling a cake

  Cakes need to cool properly before they’re handled. First, allow cakes to cool in their pans for a while. If a cake hasn’t cooled enough, it will be quite reluctant to leave the pan — some of the cake may stick to the pan, or half of the cake will come out, and the other half will stay attached. Wire racks are perfect for cakes to cool on after they’re removed from baking pans, because the wire racks allow air to circulate all around the cake while it cools. Some kinds of cakes require specific cooling techniques, such as

  Cheesecakes: Allowing the cheesecake to fully set before removing the springform pan is important. Cool the cheesecake to room temperature. Then cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to set for at least four hours; overnight is ideal. After the cheesecake is completely chilled, run a butter knife between the cake and the edge of the pan and gently release the springform ring, bringing it over the top of cake.

  Sponge or angel food cakes: Sponge and angel food cakes are leavened with air, so they have to cool hanging upside down or they will collapse into themselves. The easiest way is to use a pan that has feet attached to the pan. Just flip around the feet, and turn the cake upside down. If your pan doesn’t have feet, don’t worry — just turn the pan over onto the neck of a wine bottle or long, heatproof funnel. If those aren’t handy, balance the edges of the pan on inverted mugs or cups. Allow the cake to completely cool for several hours. Then remove the pan from the bottle and slide a sharp knife with a long, thin blade between the cake and side of the pan to free any sticking crumbs. Place a plate over the top of the tube pan, flip it over, and remove the pan.