Tips for Baking Cakes | Suite101.com

Michael Vyskocil, David McFarland/Hanover Studio of Photography

Posted by
Michael Vyskocil
Mar 8, 2008

Cake Baking Basics

So many people think they can't bake a homemade cake. But don't think you need to inherit special skills from you mother or grandmother. Here are my top three techniques for achieving perfect results:

1. When a cake recipes instructs you to beat together butter and sugar, this is called creaming. Creaming creates air bubbles in the cake batter and yields a good cake texture. It takes about 3 minutes with a standing mixer and 5 to 7 with a portable mixer. You'll know you have sufficiently creamed the butter when the resulting mixture is light and fluffy.

2. Baking is a science. Measure your ingredients accurately. Adding too much flour or too little liquid ingredients can prevent your cakes from baking correctly. Remember to always use level measurements for dry ingredients like flour and sugar by using standard dry measuring cups; liquids are always measured using liquid measuring cups.

3. If you're making a meringue cake (like Orange Meringue Cake), an angel-food food cake or chiffon cake, it is important that your bowl, beaters, and spatula be free of all fat or grease. Otherwise, the egg whites will not whip properly. Wash all utensils in hot, sudsy water and dry well.

Using Margarine for Baking

When using margarine for baking, choose one that contains no less than 60 percent vegetable oil, according to the Better Homes and Gardens test kitchen. Spreads that contain less vegetable oil and more water can affect the texture and overall quality of your baked goods, they say. For example, biscotti made with an extra light margarine or spread won't be as crisp as expected. When shopping for margarine or other spreads, the BH&G test kitchen recommends carefully reading package labels (especially the fine print) to see how much vegetable oil is in a product.

Dec 20, 2008 1:18 PM

Michael Vyskocil :

Baking is more of a science than an art. When it comes to baking cakes, adhering to details can mean the difference between success and failed efforts. The problem with overflowing batter in your baking pans could be caused by a number of matters. First, make sure that you're using the proper baking pan size specified in your recipe. Recipes are designed with specific pan sizes in mind, and sometimes, when you use a pan that is larger or smaller than the size indicated in the recipe, you won't achieve the proper results.

Second, be sure that the flour you're using to bake your cakes is not self-rising flour. Self-rising flours already contain leavening agents in them. Adding additional baking powder or other leavening ingredients to your cake batter can cause the batter to rise too much and overflow, especially if you're using shallow baking pan.

Third, avoid filling your cake pans all the way to the top of the pans. The batter will need room to expand while baking, and if you fill the pans all the way to the top, you won't have any sides to support the cake batter when it rises, causing it to overflow. If you're concerned about overflowing batter, you can try wrapping a paper collar around the sides of the cake pan to add height to your pans. This technique is used quite often when making souffles, and it will hold the cake upright.

Whenever you're baking anything in a shallow pan, it's a good idea to place the pan on a baking sheet before placing it in the oven. The baking sheet will catch any spills or drips so that you won't have to clean up the inside of your oven if the batter happens to overflow the pan.

Good luck with your cake baking, and I hope these pointers helped!