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TOPIC: Principles of cooking methods (baking) e.g. pastry and confectionery
 Sub Topic 1: Baking (pastry and confectionery)-cake mixtures and decorations.
Sub Topic: cake mixture
Cakes are classified according to the method by which the fat is incorporated; this in turn is dependent upon the proportion of fat in the mixture. Therefore, cakes are classified as
- Rubbed-in, or plain mixtures
- Melted fat mixtures
- Creamed or rich mixtures
- Whisked or sponge, mixtures which contain no fats.
NB: plainness or richness of cake mixtures refers to the proportion of fat in mixture and has nothing to do with the addition of fruit.
Choice of ingredients
- Flour
- Fat: butter is good for creamed mixture, margarine is used for all mixture, Lard is suitable for rubbed in mixtures, clarified drippings may be used in rubbed in mixture and cooking oils is used in melted mixture
- Sugar; granulated is suitable for rubbed-in mixtures, caster sugar blends readily with fats suitable for creamed mixture, brown sugar is very suitable for melted mixtures and others in which light coloured result is not required.
- Raising agents
- Flavourings
- Eggs: most recipe refer only to hen eggs but duck and goose eggs can be used provided they are quite fresh.
- Dry powder e.g. cocoa, spices should always be sieved with flour
- Dried fruits if large should be chopped
- Nuts with tough skins should be blanched and skinned before chopping and added like fruits
- Essence should be added to the first half of the liquid to ensure even blending throughout the mixture.
General rules for cake making
- Collect all apparatus needed beforehand. Grease pan with saltless fat. Line tin used for large and very rich cakes with greased paper
- Prepare all ingredients well before mixing them. Sift flour and salt if used, to remove lumps and impurities and also aerate the mixture, stone and clean the fruit. Measure out ingredient carefully.
- Use good quality ingredients. Eggs must be fresh; flour should be dry and free from smell. Sieve sugar to get rid of lumps. The fats should be neither too hard nor oily.
- Attend to the oven. Allow sufficient time for the desired temperature to be reached before the mixture is ready for baking.
- Handle cake- mixture lightly and beat in upward direction.
- Bake the cake immediately the mixing is completed or the baking powder may lose some of its strength.
- Add the liquid to obtain correct consistency.
- Open the oven door as little as possible and do not bang it.
- Do not open the door until 10minutes after small cakes have been put in, for large cakes do not open door for ½ hour. Then the cakes will have risen and set.
Rubbed –in mixtures as the proportion of fat to flour is not more than half, it can conveniently be rubbed in.
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