Cake Woes
believe me every time you eat a heavenly cake there is a lot of pain, practice and tears behind it. practice makes perfect and so if your cakes don't turn out the way you want them to, don't lose heart. baking is a science and if you understand just a few simple concepts it will make things easier.
the common problems one faces when they start baking are burnt cakes, collapsed cakes and dry cakes. it all depends on the basic ingredients, their proportions and how you handle them.
the first point to remember is follow a cook whose recipe you trust and stick to the measurements mentioned. once you become adept at the task you can tweak around and start having fun of your own. every good recipe book has lots of manpower, time, dedication and experimentation behind it.
now coming to the actual ingredients:
a cake will rise like a dream if enough air is incorporated into it and if you don't end up beating that air at a later stage. you must have seen that the eggs and sugar are beaten together till white and fluffy. this indicates that air bubbles are being created. a white foamy mix is just correct.
now the next thing to remember is not to beat out these air bubbles when you add the flour. flour contains a substance called gluten. if flour is overworked it will toughen the gluten which is not a good thing. to give a simple example when you are making namkin or papdi you don't knead the dough too much and it helps the namkeen become crunchy and khasta. when you make naan you play around with the dough a lot, even while rolling it out. have you ever tried eating naan that is a little cold? that stretchy, chewy texture is courtesy the gluten in flour. so remember gently fold in the flour drawing a figure of eight with your spatula.
baking powder and baking soda start working as soon as they come in contact with the wet ingredients. carbon di oxide is released and this creates more air in the batter. so keep your oven preheated and your cake tin lined and dusted before you add the flour. the batter should go into the hot oven as soon as possible. when the baking process starts these air bubbles will rise giving the cake the soft and spongy texture.
i know it is very tempting to keep opening the oven door to check how well the cake is doing. however never open the oven till the cake in done 3/4 th. the cold air entering the oven will disrupt the baking process.
if after following all the steps your cake still turns out dry then you can do one thing to salvage the cake. make a syrup of sugar and water. prick the cake with a toothpick and drizzle the sugar syrup over the cake to moisten it. if you cover the cake with a good icing believe me all the flaws will be camouflaged.
believe me every time you eat a heavenly cake there is a lot of pain, practice and tears behind it. practice makes perfect and so if your cakes don't turn out the way you want them to, don't lose heart. baking is a science and if you understand just a few simple concepts it will make things easier.
the common problems one faces when they start baking are burnt cakes, collapsed cakes and dry cakes. it all depends on the basic ingredients, their proportions and how you handle them.
the first point to remember is follow a cook whose recipe you trust and stick to the measurements mentioned. once you become adept at the task you can tweak around and start having fun of your own. every good recipe book has lots of manpower, time, dedication and experimentation behind it.
now coming to the actual ingredients:
a cake will rise like a dream if enough air is incorporated into it and if you don't end up beating that air at a later stage. you must have seen that the eggs and sugar are beaten together till white and fluffy. this indicates that air bubbles are being created. a white foamy mix is just correct.
now the next thing to remember is not to beat out these air bubbles when you add the flour. flour contains a substance called gluten. if flour is overworked it will toughen the gluten which is not a good thing. to give a simple example when you are making namkin or papdi you don't knead the dough too much and it helps the namkeen become crunchy and khasta. when you make naan you play around with the dough a lot, even while rolling it out. have you ever tried eating naan that is a little cold? that stretchy, chewy texture is courtesy the gluten in flour. so remember gently fold in the flour drawing a figure of eight with your spatula.
baking powder and baking soda start working as soon as they come in contact with the wet ingredients. carbon di oxide is released and this creates more air in the batter. so keep your oven preheated and your cake tin lined and dusted before you add the flour. the batter should go into the hot oven as soon as possible. when the baking process starts these air bubbles will rise giving the cake the soft and spongy texture.
i know it is very tempting to keep opening the oven door to check how well the cake is doing. however never open the oven till the cake in done 3/4 th. the cold air entering the oven will disrupt the baking process.
if after following all the steps your cake still turns out dry then you can do one thing to salvage the cake. make a syrup of sugar and water. prick the cake with a toothpick and drizzle the sugar syrup over the cake to moisten it. if you cover the cake with a good icing believe me all the flaws will be camouflaged.
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