Master Cake Baking: The Complete Introduction
with Amy Kimmel
Understanding Common Ingredients
Have you ever gone to the baking aisle at the grocery store and wondered how
you use all of those products? When I started baking years ago, I would think that
nobody was ever going to buy all of that "stuff" and it's taken me a long time to figure out
what all of it does. Of course, now there are way more obscure products than when I was a
kid.
I want to give you an easy guide to some principle ingredients that you will need for baking
cakes. I won't go to the lengths of explaining what invert sugar is or how to properly use
hazelnut flour...that's a different course. But, simply knowing the distinction between all-
purpose flour and cake flour is important and will most definitely effect the outcome of a
cake.
Flours
All-purpose flour is the most commonly used flour for baking. That's why it's called all-
purpose. A recipe should always state the type that will need to be used. Why is this
important? Because, flours have different protein contents from one to the next. The
amount of protein that is left after the flour is milled will determine the strength of the
gluten structure in a cake. There's a whole lot of detail to get into about protein and
flours, but what you need to know when getting started is this... don't substitute flours in a
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Master Cake Baking: The Complete Introduction
with Amy Kimmel
Understanding Common Ingredients
recipe. Some other ingredients you could get away with, but not this one.
Cake flour is the next most used flour for cake baking. It has the lowest protein content of
all the flours and will give cakes a much finer crumb and lighter texture. In most grocery
stores, cake flour either comes in a small box or a large bulk bag.
Whole wheat flour is not typically used in cakes because of it's higher protein content. In
this course, you will learn how to make a carrot cake with whole wheat flour. Recipes that
call for it will have a higher liquid content to help break down some of the gluten or will
have a lot of heavy additions to the batter that need a strong structure to keep them
dispersed through the batter. Basically, if you put heavy nuts or dried fruit in a weakly
structured cake, they will all sink to the bottom.
Self-rising flour contains baking powder and salt. It's rare to see a cake recipe outfitted
for the use of self-rising flour, but they are out there. Basically, for every cup of flour in
the bag there is 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If your were to
substitute this type flour in a recipe that called for cake flour, your cake would rise so fast
that it would ultimately collapse and be a salty mess.
Sugars
Granulated sugar is the most common. It's easy to find in almost any store you walk into
and almost every cake recipe I've come across is built for this type. The size of the crystals
are specific to the ability to add air in the creaming process, but still be small enough to
dissolve in the baking process. It's universal and good to have on hand.
Caster sugar or Baker's sugar are the same thing, just two names for different parts of the
world. This type of sugar is the middle ground between a very fine confectioner's sugar and
a slightly more coarse granulated sugar. It's basically granulated sugar that's taken a few
spins in the food processor. You may never have to use this type in your recipes, but it's
good to know that it has multiple names.
Confectioner's sugar has a little bit of cornstarch in it, so it should never be substituted for
the types above. It is almost always used in glazes and frostings and occasionally non-cake
baked goods.
Brown sugar has molasses in it. As sugar is being processed, a lot of stuff is removed from
it. Molasses is a by-product of sugar refining, but in the case of brown sugar it isn't
completely removed. Brown sugar has a higher moisture content and that's why it's able to
be "packed" into a cup. If you see this in a recipe, you have found a rare unicorn my friend.
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Master Cake Baking: The Complete Introduction
with Amy Kimmel
Understanding Common Ingredients
Butter
Salted versus unsalted is really what you need to know here. A recipe should tell you, but
if it doesn't, unsalted is a safe bet. A cake recipe will almost always call for unsalted butter
and also call for salt to be added to the batter.
Shortening or butter substitutes are for specialty diet recipes typically. Unless the
ingredient list specifically calls for something else, these are not suitable substitutes. The
fat, or lack thereof, will create a series of reactions in a cake batter that were not planned
for.
Eggs
Size is what's important. Ok and the grade of eggs. Always go for grade A or AA. Lower
grades are a roll of the dice and I never use them in baking. If the recipe doesn't have an
egg size, the general rule of thumb is large. While I'm sure there is research into the area
of cage free versus non cage free, grocery store eggs work just the same as organic
expensive eggs.
Leaveners
Baking powder is a chemical leavener that reacts with moisture and hot air to create lift in
a cake. It is typically used in batters that don't contain a high amount of acidic ingredients,
such as vanilla cakes. Precise measurement is important, because it is very sensitive to it's
environment. It's also double acting, meaning that it begins to work it's magic as soon as it
comes into contact with the liquid and again when it gets into a hot situation. That's why
cake batters with baking powder in them should be baked right away to get the optimal use
from it.
Baking soda is also a chemical leavener that reacts with moisture. It is more commonly
used in acidic recipes, such as chocolate cake. It is also sensitive to precise measurement.
Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable, so care must be taken to ensure
the proper one is being used.
Liquids
Milk is the most commonly used liquid in cake batters. A recipe should tell you what kind
of milk you need. If it just says milk, chances are it's calling for whole milk. 2%, skim, and
other milk substitutes do not have the appropriate fat content to use as an alternative to
whole milk. If you end up using them, your cake will probably still rise and taste good,
however it will not have the ideal characteristics of a properly made cake.
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Master Cake Baking: The Complete Introduction
with Amy Kimmel
Understanding Common Ingredients
Water is typically used in batters that need a liquid to bind and create steam, but don't
need extra fat content. Water is most often seen in certain chocolate cakes or specialty
cakes that have other liquids in them.
Oils create an incredibly moist cake. I love oil based cakes, because they have more
complex flavor profiles and keep longer in the fridge, perfect for cakes that you just want
to eat yourself over the period of a week. Choosing the right oil is the most important
thing to look out for. If a recipe has a specific type, then use that because it's been
formatted around those specific characteristics. In general, I've substituted oils freely with
one another over the years and haven't found a whole lot of evidence suggesting I shouldn't.
Flavor will be affected, as always, but texture has never been an issue. Just, don't sub
coconut oil, because it has a specific viscosity. Olive, canola, and vegetable oils are mostly
universal in cake baking.
Flavorings
Extracts are the most common. If a recipe calls for them, they are interchangeable based
on your preferences. If they are not in a recipe, most likely they can't just be added,
because they are liquid. We're dealing with a delicate balance of ingredients and adding
extra liquid will definitely have an effect.
Herbs and spices can be added to just about anything in small amounts. Typically 1
teaspoon or less won't ruin a cake batter and they will add some really amazing quality to
the finished products. Just be aware of the intensity of the flavor and how much your are
adding.
Extras
Nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips can be added to some cake batters. It all depends
on the weight of the item versus the strength of the gluten structure in the cake. This is an
area where just trying it out is the best way to find amounts that work. In a lot of cases,
you may add things and they just sink to the bottom...try chopping them into smaller
pieces or be ok with a nice layer of goodies on the bottom of your cake. Some other things
to keep in mind are how big of a chunk of something do you want to bite into, how evenly
dispersed do you want the products, and smaller chunks will make the cake easier to cut
and serve in the end.
Cakes are a delicate dance of molecules, temperature, and air pressure. Luckily, time and
lots of dedicated bakers have done all of the work to figure out that perfect combination.
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