Baking Cake Tips "E" - az cake recipes

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AZ Cake Recipes -> Baking Tips -> "E" Cake Tips

Baking Cake Tips, "E"

Eggless Cake tips

About Eggless Cakes.
Always preheat oven to the required temperature before placing the cake in the oven. Prick with a knitting needle or skewer to check if done. The needle should come out clean. Never keep the batter too thick. The cake will turn out hard and dry. The cream used should always be chilled and beaten in sharp upward strokes to incorporate air. Never overbeat. While making butter icings, beat the butter well to make it light and fluffy. Then add sieved icing sugar and beat again. Add 2-3 drops lemon juice & color and essence as required, and beat again. Turn the cake tin around between baking if the oven is not distribution even heat and the cake is baking unevenly.
Eggs tips

Egg Whites.
A copper bowl is ideal, because copper reacts with the albumin in egg whites and makes for better foaming. Wash your bowl with vinegar and kosher salt, then rinse well just before adding the whites. Use a whisk or an electric hand mixer on a low setting until the whites are foamy. At this point, add a pinch of cream of tartar to stabilize the whites. This helps them to hold their shape longer. Continue to whip. If using a hand mixer, increase the speed. If your recipe calls for sugar, add it as the whites are beginning to form soft peaks. Whip the whites until they form stiff, glossy peaks that retain their shape. If you over-whip unsweetened egg whites, they will lose their glossy appearance and their ability to stay in firm peaks. A large balloon whisk is the easiest way of getting air into the egg whites. Egg whites should expand to four times their normal size during the whisking process. A copper bowl is the best kind of container for the whipping, too, because copper strengthens the protein of the whites, giving them more height and stability.

Freshness Test.
Fill a bowl or pan with cold water and add some salt. Place the egg in the water. If it sinks to the bottom, it is fresh. If the egg rises to the top, the egg is no good.

Raw Egg Whites.
Although it is possible for Salmonella to be in both the white and the yolk of the egg, the white does not readily support bacterial growth. Cold souffles, mousses, and chiffons containing raw beaten whites require refrigeration to maintain their character, and added safety factor. Such dishes might be considered low risk for healthy individuals. For further safety, combine the whites with the sugar in the recipe (using a minimum of 2 tablespoons of sugar per white) and beat over hot water or over low heat in a heavy saucepan until the whites stand in soft peaks. Without sugar, the whites will coagulate too rapidly and produce an unsatisfactory meringue. This is the same procedure used in making 7-minute Frosting and can be used to make Royal Icing or other frostings ordinarily containing raw whites. If using an unlined aluminum saucepan, do not add cream of tartar. It will react with the aluminum to produce and unattractive gray product.

Raw Egg Yolks.
Raw egg yolks are a fine growth medium for bacteria. It is best to cook yolks for use in such dishes as cold souffles, chiffons, mousses, mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauce. To cook yolks, the recipe must contain at least 2 tablespoons of liquid per yolk. Less liquid will produce scrambled eggs. Simply combine the yolks with the liquid in the recipe. Cook in a heavy saucepan over a very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats a metal spoon, bubbles at the edges or reaches 160 F. Cool quickly and proceed with the recipe.

Raw Eggs.
There have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of food poisoning. With eggs and all other raw foods from animals, there is a small possibility of Salmonella food poisoning. The risk is greater for those who are pregnant, elderly or very young and those with medical problems which have impaired their immune systems. These individuals should avoid raw and undercooked animal foods. Healthy people need to remember that there is a very small risk and treat eggs and other raw animal foods accordingly. Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound-shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs. Avoid mixing yolks and whites with the shell. Refrigerate broken-out eggs, prepared egg dishes and other foods if you won't be consuming them within an hour. For summer outings, use ice or coolant in an insulated bag or cooler to keep cold foods cold (40?F. or lower) and thermal containers to keep hot foods hot (140?F. or higher). When toting raw eggs on outings, leave them in their shells. Immediately consume, refrigerate or freeze raw or lightly cooked egg dishes. Eggnog and homemade ice cream should be based on a cooked stirred custard to ensure safety. The kitchen, too, can be a source of bacteria. Clean hands and equipment, sanitary food handling practices, proper cooking and adequate refrigeration are essential in safely preparing all foods.

Whipping Egg Whites.
Whipping egg whites is a simple task, but light and fluffy results require the proper equipment and procedure. First, the separation of the eggs is essential: even a drop of yolk will drastically reduce the desired eight-fold volume. A stainless steel (or unlined copper) bowl is necessary - glass, plastic, and aluminum will all cause problems, either in volume or color. You will achieve the best results by hand with a large balloon whisk. A electric mixer with a whisk attachment will do a good job, but there is a greater chance of over whipping and making the whites grainy and unstable. Begin by adding a pinch of salt to the whites which will help break them up. Then start whipping slowly, in a small circular motion. As the whites begins to froth, use more of the bowl by whipping in larger circles. When the whites begin to fluff you can make the foam more stable by adding a pinch of cream of tartar. The whites will then begin to stiffen, and are done if they hold a peak when you pull the whisk from the bowl. Sugar is usually added for flavor and to enhance stability in dessert recipes. However, it also increases whipping time and reduces lightness and volume. To achieve the best results, add sugar slowly and only after the whites begin to develop peaks.