Cakes, Fillings and Frostings
Types of Cakes
Shortened Cakes-contain
fat such as butter,
margarine, or shortening.
Also called butter cakes.
Most are leavened with
baking powder or baking
soda.
Types of Cakes
Pound cakes are a type of
shortened cake that do
not contain a chemical
leavener.
Types of Cakes
Unshortened Cakes-sometimes called
foam cakes, contain no fat.
They are leavened by air, which is
beaten into eggs, and by steam, which
forms during baking.
Examples are angel food cake and
sponge cake. The difference between
these two is the egg content. Angel
food cake contains just egg white.
Sponge cakes contain the whole egg.
Types of Cakes
Sponge cakes are made
with an egg foam that
contains yolks.
Types of Cakes
Chiffon Cakes-are a cross
between shortened and
unshortened cakes. They
contain a fat like
shortened cakes and
beaten egg whites like
unshortened cakes.
Panning and Scaling Cakes
Baking pans are usually coated with fat and flour or lined with
parchment paper.
Commercial pan preparations are also available.
Pans should be filled one-half to two-thirds full.
Spread the batter evenly with an offset spatula.
When making multiple cakes or multi-layer cakes, fill the pans to
the same level.
Have the pans prepared before mixing the batter. Pans should be
filled as soon as possible after mixing is complete so that air cells in
the batter will not collapse.
Shortened Cakes
In order to get cakes consistent size, the batter is scaled before it is
panned.
Place pans in the oven so the heat circulates freely around the cake.
The pans should not touch each other or any part of the oven—this
creates hot spots and the cake will bake unevenly.
Shortened Cakes
To test a cake for doneness-lightly touch the center with your
fingertip. If the cake springs back, it is done.
You can also insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes
out clean, the cake is done.
Look to see if the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan.
Shortened Cakes
Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
To remove the cake from a pan, run the tip of a spatula
around the sides of the cake to loosen. Invert the cooling
rack over the top of the pan, and gently flip the cooling
rack and the pan. Carefully remove the pan and place a
second cooling rack on top of the cake. Turn the cake so
that it is right side up. Let the cake layers cool before
frosting.
Angel Food Cakes
1. Beat the egg whites with some of the
sugar
2. Carefully fold the flour and
remaining sugar into the beaten egg
whites.
3. Usually baked in an ungreased tube
pan.
Angel Food Cakes
The ingredients should be at room
temperature. Egg whites that are
cold will not achieve maximum
volume when beaten.
After removing an angel food cake
from the oven, immediately
suspend the pan upside down over
the neck of a bottle. This prevents
the loss of volume during cooling.
Cool completely before removing
from pan.
Angel Food Cakes
A high quality
unshortened cake has a
large volume, spongy
interior. It is tender and
moist but not gummy.
Sponge Cakes
1. Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.
2. Add the liquid, sugar and salt to the yolks. Continue
beating until thickened.
3. Gently fold the flour into the yolk mixture.
4. Fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
Chiffon Cakes
1. Combine the egg yolks, oil,
liquid and flavoring with the
dry ingredients.
2. Beat the mixture until
smooth.
3. Beat the egg whites with the
sugar and cream of tartar.
4. Fold the egg white mixture
into the other mixture.
Fillings and Frostings
Fluffy whipped cream,
creamy puddings, and sweet
fruits are popular fillings for
cakes.
Spread the fillings between
layers of cake or roll them into
the center of a jelly roll. You
can also spoon them into a
cavity dug into the middle of
the cake.
Frosting a Cake
1. Brush crumbs from the
surface of the layers.
2. Arrange strips of waxed
paper on a cake plate.
Cover only the edges of
the plate.
3. Frost the top of the bottom
layer.
Frosting a Cake
4. Put the top layer on
top of the frosting or
filling. Frost the sides
of the cake. Then
frost the top of the
cake.
5. Gently and slowly
remove each piece of
waxed paper from
under the cake.
Frostings
Cooked frostings-use the
principles of candy making.
They include ingredients that
interfere with the formation of
crystals in a heated sugar
syrup. Then you beat them
until fluffy.
Uncooked frostings-are made
by beating the ingredients
together until they reach a
smooth, spreadable
consistency.
Buttercream Frostings
Simple buttercream-made by combining butter,
shortening, confectioner’s sugar, egg whites and
vanilla.
Buttercream Frostings
French buttercream-made
with beaten egg yolks and
butter.
Beat a boiling syrup into
beaten egg yolks and whipping
to a light foam.
Soft butter is then whipped in.
This is a very rich, light icing.
Buttercream Frostings
Italian buttercream-made
with Italian meringue and
butter.
Italian meringue is made
by beating a hot sugar
syrup into the egg whites.
Makes a very stable
meringue.
Making Italian Buttercream
Place the egg whites
and water in bowl of a
stand mixer. Whip until
they begin to foam.
Gradually add the sugar
and continue whipping
until the whites form stiff
peaks.
Making Italian Buttercream
Place the sugar in a
medium sized saucepan.
Slowly add the water
and place the pan over
medium high heat.
Cook the syrup until a
thermometer reads 248º-
250ºF.
Making Italian Buttercream
Turn the mixer to low speed
and carefully pour the syrup
between the whisk and the
side of the bowl.
Leave the mixer running and
cool the meringue to 80ºF.
Add the butter- 2
Tablespoons at a time.
Add your favorite flavoring.
Buttercream Frostings
German buttercream-made
with butter, emulsified
shortening and fondant-a
sugar syrup.
Simply cream together equal
parts fondant and butter.
Fondant is a cooked mixture of
sugar, water and glucose or
corn syrup added to encourage
sugar crystallization.
Buttercream Frostings
Swiss Buttercream-made with
Swiss meringue and butter.
A Swiss meringue is made
from egg whites and sugar that
are warmed over a hot water
bath while they are beaten.
This warming gives the
meringue better volume and
stability.
