Skip to main content

What is wrong with my cakes?


How annoying is to dedicate your effort and time to something worthless?!
Can you handle the pain of going to a supermarket, buying all the ingredients and then bake a dense, dry, flat, short and unflavored cake? Yes, I know! it is disgraceful!
Baking is more than mixing sugar with eggs and flour. Its is more than decorating in the most beautiful way (I mean, what is the matter of having a charming cake while the taste is awful?)

This certainly has to stop. Besides you spend your time and money with ingredients your are just throwing food away.
In this article I will give you some valuable tips for getting the best cake possible.  It is important to notice that each cake batter has it's own particularity. So get a paper, get a pen and get ready to get Kitchening!



Phase 1: Get everything ready

  • I know this seems pretty basic but it's very important. Make sure you have every ingredients in hand, with the right amount and in the right condition (temperature, texture a so on).
  • Of course is always important to get every kitchen wares that you need. I would advice you to use a stand mixer, hand mixer or a blender. This will also help you saving much time otherwise you can use a fouet or a wooden spoon.
  • Pay a special attention to the butter because it should not be too hard or too liquid. You just touch the butter with your finger and it has to bed a little bit soft and not get stuck in your finger.
  • Grease your cake tin with parchment paper or butter and flour. The main idea here is to make your cake getting out of the cake tin after you bake it.

Phase 2: Let us mix it all
When it comes to mixing there are a variety of methods of doing it (the order of ingredients, the timing and the final texture of the batter cake). But what is really important here is to know how to properly form the batter cake. If it's a small cake just beat it in a medium level until you see a homogeneous mixture.
  • Before adding flour and other ingredients make sure that the butter, eggs and sugar are very well-incorporated or else you will end up with a concave cake.
  • It is better when you make a bowl of dry ingredients and another bowl of liquids. I am telling you! It is easier to make like this.
  • Do not ever think that is never too much to overmix you batter. Please don't! When your over mix your cake will naturally contract in the oven and get a dense texture.
  • Finalize your batter by mixing delicately with a wooden spoon. 
  • Organize the batter in the greased tin with a spatula or something similar.


Phase 3: It is time to bake
It is very clear that the temperature depends on the oven but in most cases a cake is baked at 180⁰C or 350⁰F for around 40 minutes depending on the cake.
Notice that you can't open your oven all the time. It is better to open at least after 22 minutes (if it is a sponge cake) or after 30 minutes. Do not think that increasing the temperature of the oven your cake will cook faster... You will burn your cake outside and undercook it inside.
To see if it is done, use a cake tester, a small knife or a wooden toothpick: just prick your cake and if it comes clean it means your cake is done.
An underdone cake is normally pale and raw.
An overdone is dry and darker.
A well done cake is golden, tender, smells good and is fully baked.


Phase 4: Finishing touches
Congratulations because you are almost down with it:
I advise you to let your cake cool down before you unmold it. Be gentle and calm down, do not rush.
After this you are free to sprinkle something, decorate with some topping, fresh fruit and more.
I think this is the funniest part! Enjoy it.
Etiquetas:

Popular posts from this blog

Teriyaki Pork Chops

Prep time: 15 min      Cook time: 45 min      Total time: 1h Ingredients Teriyaki sauce: 2 tbsp Sugar ½  tsp Honey ½ cup Water  ¼ tsp Minced garlic ¼ tsp Minced ginger 1 tbsp Soy sauce 1 tbsp Corn starch  Pork Chop: 1 Pork chop ¼ tsp Paprika ¼ tsp Thyme ¼ tsp Tumeric ¼ tsp Garlic powder Salt Pepper ½ tsp Lemon juice Olive oil Sesame seeds (optional) Preparation Teriyaki sauce: 1. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, stir together all the ingredients leaving out the corn starch for now, and bring it to a boil; 2. In a small bowl dissolve the corn starch in a bit of water and add it to the boiling mixture; 3. Leave it on heat until it starts to thicken and remove. Pork Chop: 1. Season the pork with all the ingredients; 2. Heat a sauce pan with olive oil on high heat; 3. Through in the pork and cook for about 1 min on both sides; 4. Remove the pan from heat, but leave the pork in the pan still. Assemb...
Read more

Custard Cupcakes- "Orelhudos"

Prep time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 20 minutes   Total: 35 minutes  Servings: 16 units Ingredients For cupcakes: 125g of softened butter ; 2 eggs; 1 teacup of sugar; 3/4 teacup of milk; 2 tablespoons of custard powder; 1 tablespoon of baking powder; 1 teacup of all-purpose flour. For the filling: 3 tablespoons of custard powder; ¾ teacup of milk; 3 tablespoons of coconut milk (optional); 2 tablespoons of sugar; Cinnamon to sprinkle. Preparation Cupcakes In one bowl add the sugar and butter. Mix it until it turns white-yellow color; Add eggs and mix for 3 minutes; Pour the milk and after mixing it well and put flour simultaneously with the custard powder. You will see your mixture with a smooth consistency; Put the baking powder and mix for 30 seconds; Heat your oven in  170 ⁰C; Pick some cupcake paper and them in a cupcake tin; With a tablespoon fill ¾ of the paper and put into the oven for almost 20 minutes ...
Read more

Rissois de Vegetais (Portuguese treat)

Ingredients Dough: 1 cup Water; 1 cup All- purpose flour; 1/2 tbsp Butter; 1 Lemon peel; Salt. Filling: 3 tbsp Canned corn; 3 tbsp Diced carrots; 3 tbsp Sliced mushrooms; 3 tbsp Sliced Olives; 3 tbsp Diced onions; 1 tbspButter; 1 cup Milk; 2 tbsp Flour; Parsley; Salt; Pepper. Assembly: 1 Beaten egg; Fine breadcrumbs; Oil to fry. Preparation Dough: 1. Put the water in a pan with the butter, salt and lemon peel and let it come to a boil. 2. When the water starts boiling, remove from heat, take the lemon peel out and add the flour. 3. Get the pan back on low heat and work the flour with a wooden spoon until it looks smooth and dry. 4. Place the dough on a working surface and kneed for a minute or two, just until it becomes even and leave it until we're ready to use it. Filling: 1. In a pan on medium low heat, melt the butter and throw in the onions. 2. When the onions are softened, add the rest of the vegetables and allow...
Read more