Study Materials for
         6th Semester
     Paper - DSE-4T
      Unit - III
               Topic -
    Processes for Cakes
       Prepared by -
     D. Chakraborty
                           How to Make a Cake  
       Step 1: Choose a Recipe 
       The first step to baking a gorgeous, mouth-watering cake is choosing a recipe 
       to get you started. You can keep it simple with a classic vanilla cake 
       recipe or a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, or you can choose a slightly 
       showier recipe, like a chocolaty devil's food cake or a luscious red velvet cake 
       recipe. If you're not a fan of frosting, try a German chocolate cake. We also a 
       have a few birthday cake recipes you can make for a party. The possibilities 
       are almost endless, but avoid angel food, pound cakes, and sponge cakes 
       because they require a different method. 
       Step 2: Choose the Right Baking Pans 
       Sturdy, single-wall aluminium pans, with or without non-stick 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. 
                           Prepared by D. Chakraborty
       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.) 
       Tip: Never use melted butter when softened butter is called for. It will ruin the 
       cake texture. 
       Step 4: Prep the Pans 
       Nobody wants their cake to stick to the pan, so it's important to prep your pans 
       before pouring in the batter. With the exception of angel food and chiffon cakes, 
       most recipes call for greasing or lining the pan before baking. Depending on your 
       recipe, here's how to do it: 
       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 non-stick 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.  
                                Prepared by D. Chakraborty
                   Tip: For chocolate cakes, use cocoa powder instead of flour to coat the pan. 
                   Cocoa powder prevents sticking and enhances the cake's flavor, and traces of it 
                   won't be obvious after the cake is turned out of the pan. 
                   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. 
                   Step 7: Combine the Butter and Sugar 
                   Wondering how to make a cake with light, tender texture? A crucial step is to 
                   make sure the butter (or shortening, if specified in the recipe) and the sugar are 
                   perfectly combined.  
                        •   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. 
                                                                                                   Prepared by D. Chakraborty