Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 18

12. FLOUR FOR CAKES.--The flour used in the preparation of cakes may be bread, pastry, or blend flour, depending on the kind of cake desired.

While a blend, or an all-purpose, flour makes a satisfactory cake, pastry flour, which is milled from soft winter wheat, or better still, cake flour, is more nearly ideal as the excess gluten is removed, and it is much finer milled; hence it produces a lighter, finer, more delicate cake. Wheat flour is the kind that is generally used, but other flours, such as white corn meal, rice flour, and potato flour, though producing a drying effect, are sometimes combined with wheat. A tablespoonful of corn starch sifted with the bread or hard wheat flour is an improvement over straight bread flour, but as it has a drying effect, it is not to be recommended.

MISCELLANEOUS INGREDIENTS

13. In addition to the ingredients that have just been mentioned, there are numerous other ingredients that are often used in cakes. Some of them are used for the purpose of adding flavor and variety to otherwise plain cakes, while many of them are used entirely for the purpose of flavoring. These ingredients, like the necessary ones, should be of excellent quality. It is essential that their use and value be understood, for by means of them pleasing variety may often be secured with just a plain-cake recipe. For instance, a plain cake as a foundation may be varied by using with it raisins, nuts, spices, coconut, preserved fruits of various kinds, or flavoring of some sort.

To be able to use these ingredients properly, it is well for the housewife to be familiar with their nature and the treatment that must be given to them before they can be used.

14. CURRANTS AND RAISINS.--As has already been learned, currants and raisins are varieties of dried grapes. Currants do not contain seeds, but raisins come in both seeded and seedless varieties, and either of these are satisfactory for cake making. Currants are often dry and hard, and as they are usually very dirty they require considerable cleaning to prevent them from being gritty when the cake is eaten. Because of these facts, currants are not very satisfactory and consequently are usually replaced by raisins, which may be used, either chopped or whole, for any of the purposes currants are used. If small raisins are desired, sultanas, which are a small, light-colored, and mild-flavored variety, are the best to purchase. These two fruits increase the food value of the mixtures to which they are added. Raisins, being extremely high in carbohydrate, are especially valuable as an ingredient.

Before currants and raisins are used in cake mixtures, they should be thoroughly cleaned. To clean them, place them in a colander, and then turn a stream of cold water over them and rub them between the fingers until all dirt or other foreign material is removed. When clean, allow them to dry as thoroughly as possible before using them.

15. MISCELLANEOUS FRUITS.--Fruits other than currants and raisins are often used in the preparation of cakes and puddings. These, which may be dried, canned, or preserved, include dates, figs, citron, apricots, prunes, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, and pineapple. Candied orange and lemon peel are generally used in the preparation of fruit cake. All of these fruits add food value and flavor.

A certain amount of preparation must be given to fruits before they can be used in cakes. All of them except the canned fruits must be thoroughly washed, and some of them, such as dates, must have the stones removed. Those which are very hard, as, for instance, figs and citron, may be steamed to make them soft. The steaming may be done by placing the fruit in a colander over a vessel of boiling water and covering the colander to retain the steam. When treated in this manner, these fruits will cut more easily and will be softer and more moist in the finished cake.

16. NUTS.--In the making of cakes, nuts of almost any variety may be utilized. Not only do they add a large amount of food value in the form of fat, but they increase the richness of the cake and provide a very delightful flavor. The nut meats are generally too large in size to be used whole, and so they must be made smaller before they are added to the mixture. They may be put through a chopper, but usually it is preferable to chop them with a chopping knife in a bowl or cut them into pieces with a paring knife.

It should be remembered, however, that the use of nuts in a cake adds greatly to the cost, for, with the exception of peanuts, they are rather expensive, particularly when they are bought sh.e.l.led. As can readily be understood, both the nuts themselves and the labor involved in removing the sh.e.l.ls must be paid for. The cost, of course, may be reduced by buying the nuts in the sh.e.l.ls and sh.e.l.ling them at home.

17. COCONUT.--The flesh of the coconut when shredded is much used in the preparation of cakes, being put in the cake mixture or used in connection with icing between the layers and over the top layer. Coconut may be purchased already shredded in boxes or cans, or it may be obtained in the sh.e.l.ls and then shredded at home. That which is prepared commercially either is dried, when it will be found to be somewhat hard, or is mixed with the milk of the coconut or with glycerine, which keeps it soft. Much more satisfactory coconut can be secured by procuring a coconut, cracking open the sh.e.l.l, removing the flesh, and then grating or grinding it. Coconut of this kind will be found to be very delicious and will make excellent cake. In case coconut becomes dry and hard before it is used, it can be softened by steaming it in the manner in which dried fruits are steamed.

18. CHOCOLATE AND COCOA.--Materials that are much used for flavoring cake mixtures and icings are chocolate and cocoa. Chocolate is sold in pound and half-pound cakes in both the bitter and the sweetened form, while cocoa is sold in packages or bottles in powder form. The bitter chocolate gives the greatest amount of food value and flavor and is therefore used the most. Cocoa is neither so strong in flavor nor so high in food value as chocolate, but it can be subst.i.tuted for chocolate when this is not in supply.

19. SPICES.--In many kinds of cake, spices are needed to give the desired flavor. When they are to be used for this purpose, they should be obtained in the ground form and then mixed with the dry ingredients.

The princ.i.p.al varieties used in cakes are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Sometimes a combination of all these is added to the mixture, but very often just a little cinnamon or a mild flavoring of nutmeg is all that is required. When spices are purchased, the best possible brands should be selected, because these things are very easily adulterated with other materials and adulterated spices have not so much strength as the better kinds.

20. FLAVORING EXTRACTS.--In cake preparation, almost more than in any other part of cookery, flavoring extracts have a place. They are used in plain cakes that do not contain any of the other miscellaneous ingredients, and some of them are also added to many cake mixtures and icings that contain fruits, nuts, spices, chocolate, etc. Vanilla, which is an alcoholic extract of the vanilla bean, is probably used more frequently than any other flavoring. The alcoholic extracts of orange, lemon, almond, pistachio, and various other flavors are also valuable in cake making. When any of these flavorings are used in cakes, it should be remembered that much of their strength is lost through the baking.

Therefore, in order that the cake may be well flavored after it is baked, a comparatively large quant.i.ty of flavoring must be used.

GENERAL CLa.s.sES OF CAKES

21. Although many varieties of cake can be made, they may all be put into two general cla.s.ses: _sponge cake_ and _b.u.t.ter cake_. These cla.s.ses may also be regarded as cake made without b.u.t.ter and cake made with b.u.t.ter, for it is the presence or absence of fat in a cake mixture that makes the difference in the method of mixing the ingredients and determines the texture after baking. While there are many true examples of each of these cla.s.ses, it must be remembered that there are also numerous variations of the two which must be placed in either one or the other of these cla.s.ses. For instance, a true sponge cake does not contain baking powder, but some recipes for sponge cake are given in which baking powder is included. Such recipes must be regarded as variations of sponge cake, for they are more similar to that than to b.u.t.ter cake.

The ingredients are not, however, the only source of difference between these two general cla.s.ses of cakes. They also differ as to the method used to combine the ingredients, the correct oven temperature for baking, and the length of time required for the baking. All these differences must be thoroughly understood if successful cake making is to be the result.

GENERAL EQUIPMENT FOR CAKE MAKING

22. The different forms of cake require, of course, different utensils, and these are taken up in connection with the preparation of each cla.s.s.

However, it is well for the housewife to be familiar at the outset with the general equipment used in the making of cakes and similar foods.

23. The utensils required for the mixing of the ingredients are somewhat similar to those used in the preparation of hot breads. An earthen bowl is preferable for the mixing of the batter. If this kind is not available, an enamel one rather than an aluminum one should be used.

When cake dough is stirred in an aluminum dish, the sides usually become darkened and are liable to discolor the mixture.

Spoons for the mixing of the ingredients are also important. Enameled spoons are not very satisfactory, because the enamel is likely to chip off the edges. Aluminum spoons may be used. In fact, they have lightness in weight which recommends their use, but if much stirring is done, a slight discoloration is apt to occur from the spoon. Wooden spoons or spatulas are found to be the most satisfactory for this purpose. They are light in weight, cause no discoloration, and do not chip nor wear off.

24. Two measuring cups, one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet materials, should be provided, as they will prove a convenience. A tablespoon, a teaspoon, and a case knife are also necessary for measuring. To remove any foreign material from the flour and at the same time make it light, a flour sifter is required.

25. Certain utensils are required for the beating of the eggs used in cakes. If they are to be beaten separately before being put into the mixture, a bowl and a rotary egg beater should be provided. In case the eggs are to be separated and the whites beaten alone, a flat dish, such as a platter or a soup plate, and an egg whip are the most satisfactory.

26. The kind of pan required for the baking of cakes depends entirely on the kind of cake that is to be prepared. Fig. 1 shows the types of pans for which the housewife will have the most use. The square pan at the left is suitable for any kind of cake that is to be baked in the form of a loaf. In front of this is a layer-cake pan with a removable bottom. This type of layer-cake pan is the most satisfactory, for the cake may be lifted right out of the pan rim on the cake-pan bottom and the bottom then easily removed from the cake after it has been placed on the cooler. Of course, pans without false bottoms may also be used successfully with a little care. The large flat pan at the right is a pan for the baking of all kinds of cookies. On this is shown a round pan having a removable bottom, to the center of which is attached a tube.

Sponge cakes, although they may be baked in loaf-cake pans, are generally baked in a pan of this kind. Pans for individual cakes range in size from large m.u.f.fin pans, like the one shown at the right front, to pans that produce cakes very small in size.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1: cake pans.]

PROCEDURE IN CAKE MAKING

PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS

27. In cake making, as in the preparation of other dishes, a systematic plan must be followed if good results are desired. A housewife cannot expect to have a successful cake if she has to stop during the mixing to get some of the ingredients or some of the utensils ready. Before the mixing is begun, all the utensils and ingredients should be collected and any of the ingredients that require special preparation should be prepared. Then, if the recipe is correct, if the ingredients are measured accurately and combined correctly, and if the baking is done properly, success in cake making is a.s.sured.

28. The first thing to be done, when a cake is to be made, is to read the recipe to determine just what is required and to find out whether all the ingredients called for are in supply. With this done, all the utensils should be placed conveniently on the table and the ingredients collected and measured. Some authorities advise the weighing of the ingredients in cake because weight is always regarded as more accurate than measure. If a recipe calls for weights, it will be found easier to use them than to try to change them to measure; but when a recipe requires measures, and does not state weights, it would be unwise to attempt to use scales for measuring.

29. The measuring of the fat often requires a little attention. For instance, if only 1/4 cupful of b.u.t.ter or some other fat is required, it may perhaps be more convenient to measure it with a tablespoon than with a cup. Otherwise, unless the recipe calls for melted fat, the fat should be measured by pressing it down tight into the cup until it reaches the mark indicating the required amount. If the fat is hard and cold, as is usually the case when it is first taken from the refrigerator or other cold place, it will be difficult to cream. A good plan is to let the fat stand until it is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or ordinary room temperature, before the mixing is begun.

30. The dry ingredients used in cakes include the sugar, flour, baking powder, spices, etc. Granulated sugar seldom requires any preparation except measuring. However, sugar other than granulated, particularly brown sugar and pulverized sugar, should be rolled with a rolling pin and then sifted in order to free it from any lumps it might contain.

Flour should be sifted once before measuring and again with the baking powder, or soda and cream of tartar, and salt in order to mix them.

Other dry ingredients, such as spices and occasionally pulverized sugar, may also be sifted with the flour and other dry ingredients. If the dry leavening agent appears to be lumpy when the cover is removed from the can, it should be worked smooth with a spoon and sifted before it is measured. A very small mesh wire sieve may be used for this purpose.

31. The liquid should be measured by pouring it into the measuring cup with the cup stationary and level. The eggs, which are, of course, one of the liquid ingredients, should be neither broken until just before they are to be used, nor beaten until the mixture is brought to the point where the eggs are to be added. If the whites are to be used for the preparation of icing after the cake is baked, they should be kept in a cool place until they are beaten.

32. Fruits, nuts, and other miscellaneous ingredients should be prepared before the mixing of the cake is begun; that is, they should be cleansed, cut, ground, or chopped, as the case may be, so that it will not be necessary to stop the mixing of the cake to do any of this work.

If they are to be dredged with flour, this may be done at the time they are prepared.

PREPARATION OF PANS

33. The pan or pans in which the cake is to be baked should also be prepared before the mixing is begun. The treatment to be given to the pans depends to a large extent on the cake that is to be put into them.

b.u.t.ter cake or any of its variations requires greased pans, whereas sponge cake should be put in pans that are not greased.

34. b.u.t.tER-CAKE PANS.--The fat used to grease pans of any kind should be a clean, tasteless fat. Less will be required to cover the surface of the pan if an oil rather than a solid fat is used. In case b.u.t.ter is selected for this purpose, it should first be melted and then allowed to stand until the clear fat that rises to the top can be gathered.

However, fats that are less expensive than b.u.t.ter are perfectly satisfactory for greasing pans, and so b.u.t.ter should not be used unless other fats are not available.

35. m.u.f.fin pans or individual pans of any kind should first be greased with a brush or a small piece of clean paper dipped into the fat that is to be used, and then dusted with flour. The flour should cover the surface of the pan, but should be shaken out so that no more than just a film remains over the grease. A brush may also be used for the greasing of other pans, but it is not recommended, as the fat is apt to become rancid in the brush, and if it is cleansed as often as is necessary to keep it in good condition, a great deal of fat, which clings to the brush, will be wasted. A small piece of paper dipped in fat will be found much more economical and quite as satisfactory for this work.

36. Loaf-cake pans, that is, pans that make cake in the form of a loaf, should first be greased and then, as shown in Fig. 2, have the bottom covered with a piece of oiled paper or light wrapping paper that may be oiled after being put into the pan. This paper should be the exact width of the bottom of the pan and should be long enough to cover the bottom and extend up to the top of each end. The sides of the pan need not be covered, as it is a simple matter to loosen the cake from them with a knife. When the cake is turned out of the pan, the paper will stick to the cake, but it may be easily removed by merely pulling it off.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2: loaf pan.]

37. Layer-cake pans, whether they have false bottoms or not, should be greased and then covered with a light layer of flour, just as is done with individual pans. If such a pan does not have a false bottom and the cake seems to stick to it, the best plan is to turn the pan upside down and place a cold damp towel on it for a few minutes. This will moisten the surface of the bottom sufficiently to permit the pan to be removed without difficulty.

38. SPONGE-CAKE PANS.--The preparation of sponge-cake pans differs from that for b.u.t.ter-cake pans because of the nature of the cake. No grease of any sort should be applied to the surface of sponge-cake pans. If desired, they may be dusted with flour, but even this is not necessary, as very satisfactory results are obtained by putting the cake mixture into the bare pan.