Light and fluffy, home-made cake is not as easy as it sounds, which is why it can’t be baked by everyone. The desire to do it properly is most important, of course, but still – there are some “secrets” and tips that will provide you with success when it is time to bake a cake.
Ingredients
The first secret of successful cake baking is eggs you use for batter should be cool. However, they should not be too cool. So after removing from the refrigerator, let them sit at a normal room temperature for a at least ten minutes before using them.
Also, eggs should be beaten very well before you start adding the rest of the ingredients. Put them in a large bowl and beat them with a mixer until they turn into yellow foam. Remember to always tilt the bowl to one side when beating the eggs with the mixer.
Sugar should be added spoon by spoon, while the mixer is still on. Avoid the temptation to add all the sugar at once.
Know your oven
There are different types of ovens, so before making a perfect cake you should try to learn what your oven has to offer. To put this another way, you should try your best to prevent overdone or underdone cakes. To achieve that, you need to know the oven you use very well. The best way to choose the perfect temperature for your cakes is buying and using an oven thermometer. The built in thermometers are not always accurate.
The cake should be placed in the centre of the oven, which will prevent it from burning on top or bottom part. Also, in order to provide your cake with fantastic flavour, you may add some vanilla flavour in the dough/batter or on the sides of your pan.
Follow the recipe strictly
Each cake recipe specifies the exact time and temperature for baking the dessert. Be particularly careful if the time and temperature are not mentioned in the recipe and try to improvise. Also, have in mind that the temperature at which cakes are baked always influence the final result.
It is the temperature which determines how the cake will look and if it will be baked properly. If you don’t pay attention of these “minor” details, you will probably end up with a under or overcooked cake. In addition, in order to prevent this from happening, you must always know what is the proper temperature for baking a certain type of dough or batter.
Do not open the oven
Remember – cakes are always baked at medium temperature, but you should heat the oven first before putting the pan in it. Another key aspect that you should be aware of is that you should not open the door of the oven while baking the cake. Even if you open it only once, the cake will possibly not bake properly and could fall. In addition, the cake should be removed from the pan when it is completely cool, otherwise it may tear apart or crumble.
Check and double check the flour you are using
Different cakes are made with different type of flour. So, do not forget to always check and double check what flour is best to use when preparing a particular recipe. Only the right type of flour will guarantee perfect and tasty results.
Learn how to measure the products properly
The best way to do that is use your kitchen scale. And if you don’t have one, then it is the perfect time to buy one. This is the best and most accurate way to measure the “dry” ingredients when preparing a home-made cake.
Jack Sheamus
Author Bio: Jack Sheamus loves read about and try new recipes. He has a lot of experience in cooking. He works a part time job at http://www.shinylondon.co.uk/end-of-tenancy-cleaning-sw15-putney/ and in his spare time he loves to be in the kitchen. Photos are from flickr.
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