Is this the first time you are trying your hands at baking a cake? Then this is the perfect article to read! Baking is all about precision, measuring each ingredient as per the recipe and perfecting the cooking time. It sounds rather easy, but often you may find that the cake has fallen or has deep cracks, a course texture of too doughy and tough. This may happen because of many reasons such as- temperature too high or too low, too much flour and baking powder, not enough sugar- you get the gist.
Here are 5 tips to make perfect cakes each time you bake!
1. Preheat the oven: Always preheat the oven to the specified temperature before starting. Make sure that the rack is in the centre. Preheat at least 10 minutes before baking. You can ruin the cake with a slow start in a cool oven because the cake can rise too quickly and then fall when the oven heat takes a spurt upward. With regard to oven temperature, never increase the baking temperature because you are in a hurry. (Read more: Oven Temperature)
2. Measure ingredients with precision: This is a must! One common cause of baking failure is inaccurate measurement of ingredients. Use individual standard measuring cups available in the market. (Read More:)
3. Mix ingredients properly: Each type of baking has different methods of performing the mixing. While for a few cakes, mixing all ingredients together wouldn’t matter, for some cakes you need to mix certain ingredients with the others and then combine them together eventually as the recipe specifies.
4. Prepare the baking tins properly: Make sure you butter or oil the tins properly before pouring in the batter to make sure that the cake comes out without breaking. You may use a wax paper instead to ensure that the cake comes out cleanly and properly. For a chocolate cake or any cake with a chocolate base, dust the tins with cocoa powder. Also, spread the cake batter evenly in the pans or tins. Fill the tins not more than half or two-third to allow even rising of the cake batter.
5. Test for doneness: Even after the cake has been baked for the prerequisite time as per the recipe, always do a test to check if the cake has been baked properly or not. Use a toothpick or skewer or a piece or raw spaghetti and place it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready!
Follow these simple tips and you’ll have a perfectly baked cake and do not forget to read the recipes properly before starting!
(Sukanya Saha)
Here are 5 tips to make perfect cakes each time you bake!
1. Preheat the oven: Always preheat the oven to the specified temperature before starting. Make sure that the rack is in the centre. Preheat at least 10 minutes before baking. You can ruin the cake with a slow start in a cool oven because the cake can rise too quickly and then fall when the oven heat takes a spurt upward. With regard to oven temperature, never increase the baking temperature because you are in a hurry. (Read more: Oven Temperature)
2. Measure ingredients with precision: This is a must! One common cause of baking failure is inaccurate measurement of ingredients. Use individual standard measuring cups available in the market. (Read More:)
3. Mix ingredients properly: Each type of baking has different methods of performing the mixing. While for a few cakes, mixing all ingredients together wouldn’t matter, for some cakes you need to mix certain ingredients with the others and then combine them together eventually as the recipe specifies.
4. Prepare the baking tins properly: Make sure you butter or oil the tins properly before pouring in the batter to make sure that the cake comes out without breaking. You may use a wax paper instead to ensure that the cake comes out cleanly and properly. For a chocolate cake or any cake with a chocolate base, dust the tins with cocoa powder. Also, spread the cake batter evenly in the pans or tins. Fill the tins not more than half or two-third to allow even rising of the cake batter.
5. Test for doneness: Even after the cake has been baked for the prerequisite time as per the recipe, always do a test to check if the cake has been baked properly or not. Use a toothpick or skewer or a piece or raw spaghetti and place it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready!
Follow these simple tips and you’ll have a perfectly baked cake and do not forget to read the recipes properly before starting!
(Sukanya Saha)