“Cake is happiness! If you know the way of the cake, you know the way of happiness! If you have a cake in front of you, you should not look any further for joy!” - C. Joybell C.
As I write my column this week it is a very dreary
day in the Bay. It is grey, wet and miserable outside which means only one
thing – we need cake, and lots of it!
I love cake and everything about it. Making them is
one of the pleasures of my life and making them for others is one of my most
favourite gifts to give. There are a few simple rules for making a good cake
and I will share them with you today.
One: Use the right flour for the job. If your recipe
calls for Standard (or All Purpose) flour, don’t use High Grade (or Strong
flour) and vice versa; each flour delivers for a different texture. High Grade flour is high in a protein called
Gluten and is meant for breads and dough that are elastic and strong.
Two: Use a light hand; heavy hands make heavy cake.
One of the main ingredients for most cakes is flour and it is the gluten in
flour that holds the cake together. The more you work your batter, the stronger
the strands of gluten become and the tougher your end result will be.
Three: Measure you ingredients and follow the
recipe. Someone else has done all the trial and error to make sure you get
great cake, so follow their instructions.
Four: Eggs are essential. The protein in your eggs
wraps around the bubbles made by the baking powder, and or baking soda and that
keeps your cake light and airy. Bad eggs make bad cake. Use fresh eggs at room
temperature for baking.
Five: Your cake will taste only as good as the ingredients
you use; if you use cheap coffee, that is what you will taste. This is
especially true with vanilla.
Kia makona, Mawera xx
Ingredients
·
Chocolate Cake
·
2 cups
all-purpose flour
·
2 cups
sugar
·
¾ cup good
cocoa powder
·
2
teaspoons baking powder
·
1½
teaspoons baking soda
·
1
teaspoon salt
·
1
teaspoon instant coffee
·
1 cup
milk
·
½ cup
vegetable oil
·
2 eggs
·
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
·
1 cup
boiling water
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180º . Prepare
two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly
flouring.
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking
powder, baking soda, salt and coffee to a large bowl or the bowl. Whisk through
until well combined.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs,
and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together – do not over mix. Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter.
4. Pour cake batter evenly between
the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester
inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to
cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.
6. To finish, make a large cake by
sandwiching together with jam and or cream, and frost cake with buttercream, or
simply dust with icing sugar. Or have two smaller cakes, finished the same way
but with cream on the side.
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