school-project2006

[school-project2006]

Baking a cake

Making the Perfect Layer Cake

Many people think that baking a cake is as easy as buying a box of mix and then adding water and a couple of eggs. True, this will produce a cake — if you can call a crumbly, messy disaster a real cake. But this is a far cry from the truly perfect layer cake. From scratch is the way to go. Ingredients make a huge difference. Technique is an incredibly important factor, too. Perfection is possible.

Ingredients 

Once you make sure all the ingredients are fresh, you are well on your way to heavenly deliciousness!

Choose cake flour to increase the lightness of a cake or a whole wheat flour to increase the density of a cake. The kind of sugar you use can also make or break a cake. When you begin frosting the cake, it can be fun to add sprinkles or other decorations.

You'll also need eggs and baking powder. And you'll need butter and some good-sized pans to bake the cake in. Butter will grease the pans so the cake slides out, and the fat in the butter will meld with the sugar to make a cake that almost melts in your mouth.

White sugar will make for a very light and airy cake, but for a cake with depth of flavor and texture, choose brown sugar. Chocolate cakes are especially good when made with brown sugar, as the molasses taste of the brown sugar deepens the chocolate goodness.

The butter will need to really be room temperature so that it can be creamed easily.

Look at the ingredients. It's a good idea to set out all the ingredients in the beginning. That way, you don't end up with a half-mixed batter only to realize you are out of eggs. An unplanned trip to the store (or the neighbor's house) just might sour you on the whole baking experience.

Mixing

Once you have set out the ingredients, start with the butter. Cream that butter until it's a lovely, creamy yellow. For best results, use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. When you get a perfectly creamy, buttery look, slowly add the sugar. Mix the butter and sugar together until they are light. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.

When you mix the batter for your incredibly perfect cake, following the recipe until you are comfortable with the basics is a surefire way to make a great cake. Pausing the mixer to scrape down the sides with a spatula a couple of times during the mixing process will help you get everything in without making a mess. And this will ensure that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

While the mixer is mixing the sugar and wet ingredients, you can make good use of your time by sifting the flour and other dry ingredients together into a separate bowl. Once you have combined the dry ingredients, it's time to set the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, making sure each addition is completely mixed in before adding the next batch. Always start by preheating your oven. A preheated oven is key to even baking. If you throw a pan in an oven that's still heating up, you will end up with a cake that is burned on the top and still batter on the bottom.

Baking

For a layer cake, grease two round cake pans. Then pour the batter into your prepared pans. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans and pop them into the oven. Position them as close to the middle of the oven as possible. This will allow for even baking. Set the timer based on the recipe. While you wait, take the time to prepare your favorite frosting recipe. Colored frosting can be a really refreshing change of pace.

When the timer goes off, testing the cakes with a skewer or cake tester is key to making sure you have baked the cake long enough to take it out of the oven. If the skewer comes out clean or with just some moist crumbs attached, take the cakes out. If not, set the timer for two more minutes and check again. Bake in two-minute increments, watching closely until the cakes are ready. Take them out and cool them in their pans on a rack.

When the cakes are cool, prepare them for decorating. Slide a knife around the edge between the cake and the pan. Invert each cake on a cooling rack. Then take a long serrated knife and carefully slice through the cake from one side to the other. This will create two layers out of one cake. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap. Place the layers in the freezer for at least half an hour. This will make them much easier to work with.

Frosting

Now this is where the fun is beginning! This is called the crumb coat. Take the layers out of the freezer. Unwrap the layers one at a time as you need them. Place the first layer on a cake board. Frost the cake all over with a light coat. This is the crumb coat, so it doesn't matter if you get crumbs on the frosting or if the cake shows through. Think of this as the primer. Continue until all the layers are frosted and in place. Put the whole cake in the refrigerator for another half hour. This will really make the last beautiful coat much easier.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Drop a large amount of frosting on the top of the cake. This will be the final coat. Using a metal spatula, spread the frosting over the top. Then take some frosting with your spatula and, holding the spatula against the side at a 45-degree angle, spread the icing around the cake. You can put the cake board on a lazy Susan to help you turn it, if you'd like.

You should end up with frosting sticking up above the top layer. Use the spatula to smooth the frosting over the top of the cake. Dip the spatula in warm water and smooth out the top of the cake.

Embellishments are very fun and enticing! Add flowers, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, fruit — whatever you think will be delicious and beautiful. Place the cake on a platter or cake plate and invite friends over to celebrate your first perfect layer cake. Your friends' comments will guarantee a second layer cake!