Paul Carmichael's great cake recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the 5 main ingredients in cake? ›

These basic ingredients for baking a cake are; flour, eggs, fat (usually butter), sugar, salt, a form of liquid (usually milk), and leavening agents (such as baking soda).

Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake. Insufficient creaming of sugar and eggs will also make a tight texture because there isn't enough air trapped in the mix to give it a lift.

Sugar helps cakes stay moist after baking. A completely sugar-free cake will dry out quickly, so wrap cooled cakes in cling film to prevent moisture loss.

If you mix incorrect measurements of sugar, butter, and eggs, the cake will become rubbery. You will notice that you have overmixed, the batter when the dough produces a smooth or watery texture. When the dough is overmixed, the air bubbles trapped in the mixture will be lost.

Mayonnaise: The Hidden Gem in Cake Recipes

Made up of eggs and oil, mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier, adding creaminess and moisture to your cake. This unexpected addition can take your cake recipes to a whole new level. To incorporate mayonnaise into your cake batter, simply add a couple of tablespoons to the mix.

Top 10 Baking Essentials Ingredients For A Cake. Flour, sugar, and butter are the key ingredients for a killer cake. Eggs bind everything together, while leavening agents like baking soda or powder invite the fluff. Cocoa powder adds a chocolate kick to your bakes; dried fruits and nuts offer chewy textures.

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.

An overmixed egg foam will look dull or broken, like cottage cheese. With the addition of flour, an undermixed batter will have uneven streaks or visible pockets of flour. When properly combined, the batter will be satiny, a little glossy, and able to make luscious peaks or ribbons.

Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter. The finished cake may be slightly shorter than expected, but its flavor and tenderness shouldn't be affected.” For egg-leavened cakes, the eggs are crucial.

What happens if you forget eggs in a cake? ›

You will end up with an edible cake but it will not turn out as the recipe intended because it won't rise so much and the texture will be denser. It's better to add 2oz or 3–4 tablespoons of something wet to replace the missing egg. (Search online for egg replacements).

Generally speaking, higher temperatures will give your bakes a more golden, crisper crust to the sponge or pastry and a low temperature will result in a fluffier, less golden sponge. With some cakes, you want a golden crust and with other cakes you want them to be gently cooked and fluffy.

Why do cakes crack when baking? A: Oven too hot or cake placed too high in oven; the crust is formed too soon, the cake continues to rise, therefore the crust cracks.

Holes in cakes are caused by improper mixing (generally over-mixing). You can always fill the holes with frosting to cover them up, but of course preventing them in the first place is the better plan. Solution: Consider what mixing method you're using.

The basics of cake

Flour, sugar, egg and fat form the basic components of all cakes. Understanding the function of each of these ingredients in cake baking can give us a better idea of where we can substitute super foods such as flax, chia, or mushrooms.

Food Ingredients– The different ingredients used in baking are flour, refined flour or maida, sugar, shortenings, leavening agents, eggs, water, salt, milk and milk derivatives.

Flour, water, and leavening agents are the ingredients primarily responsible for the characteristic appearance, texture, and flavour of most bakery products. Eggs, milk, salt, shortening, and sugar are effective in modifying these qualities, and various minor ingredients may also be used.