Different Methods and Tips for Baking the Perfect Cake

At Wisk by Cakesmiths, an exquisite pastry school which conducts baking courses in Mumbai, our students know that cake making can literally be as easy a piece of cake. You don’t need to be blessed with inherent skills of cake making courses in Mumbai. The most important key to any making pastry or cake is to learn confidence.

To develop confidence, one needs to understand the process and techniques behind the cake making methods, as well as why that process is followed,so as to ensure that mistakes are avoided. In making batter, the main objectives are:

1. to ensure uniform distribution of ingredients
2. prevent excess loss of the leavening agent
3. ensure ingredients are blended at an optimum level
4. develop or prevent the formation of gluten.

Here are the most common methods of cake making:

1. Conventional Method (creaming or sugar batter method): This method produces a light cake with dense volume. The fat and sugar are creamed until it becomes fluffy and light. The eggs are then beaten in one at a time or in a steady manner. Additionally, the flour is sifted along with other dry ingredients such as baking soda, baking powder, salt or cocoa. It is mixed in alternating batches until a smooth batter is formed, without any lumps.
2. Two-stage Method: This method produces a more moist and velvety textured cake with a tender crumb, although the cake may not rise as high as those made using other methods. It is called the two-stage method as liquid is added in two stages. All the dry ingredients such as flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder are sifted after which the fat and part of the liquid is mixed in at a low speed. Lightly beaten eggs are combined with the liquid and gradually beaten in.
3. Flour Batter Method: This method renders a fine-textured cake, although there may be some toughening due to development of gluten. Fat is blended into the sifted flour until it becomes smooth. Eggs and sugar are whipped separately until thick and light, after which it is combined with the flour and fat mixture until the batter is smooth. Liquid is mixed into this batter little by little.
4. Single Step Method: This method produces a coarse cake. All the dry ingredients are sifted and mixed in a bowl with other ingredients at a low speed for about 1-3 minutes. It is then mixed at a medium speed for about 5 minutes and once again at a low speed of 2 minutes.

Additional tips:

1. Prevent burning by ensuring the oven temperature is not too high.
2. By covering the base of your baking tray with bread paper with sprinkled flour on top, the paper will be thicker and easier to peel off from the cake.
3. Thick cakes should be baked at an oven temperature of about 180°C while thinner cakes should be baked at a higher temperature of about 200°C.
4. Make your cake edible for more than 5 weeks by wrapping with aluminum foil and storing in in the freezer.
5. In addition, avoid fruits which are high in water content as it will be harder to preserve longer.
6. To obtain a smoother and less grainy batter, sieve the chocolate powder along with the wheat flour.
7. Liquid colouring should be added into the batter the first time it is stirred, which will ensure the cake volume is maximized.
8. To prevent the cake batter from becoming rough, cool off the liquid butter before it is added to the mixture.
9. Make sure that the cake has been cooled off for at least two hours before adding buttercream to it.
10. Always use room temperature eggs, as eggs taken directly out of the fridge will not capture air in the batter when mixed.

The author is working with a Cake Smiths, a leading supplier of baking tools and equipment in India. The writer has flair for writing and he keeps on writing related to baking industry.