Baking is no piece of cake

Whenever a celebration is called for – a birthday, wedding, job promotion, reunion, christening – or whenever there’s an occasion to mark a milestone in someone’s life, the centerpiece would most likely be a cake!

From simple to extravagant, baking cakes come as natural to me as waking up in the morning. It’s a passion I share day in and day out with my students, clients, loved ones and friends. And if you truly love what you do, it will come to you with such ease.

However, as excited as some would be at the start of the pursuit of baking the perfect cakes, novices would just as easily be frustrated and give up. How often have I heard these comments: Cake is either too crumbly, won’t rise, too dry, overbaked or underbaked. I realize, with the bulk of mail I’ve been receiving on the Net as well as queries posed by my students, that cakes can bring so much pleasure to the point of hedonistic indulgence, but it could also break one’s spirits in so many ways.

So before starting out with this adventure, let me lay the groundwork. First off, always remember to follow the instructions. You can never experiment on the technique because once you do, you’re bound to fail. Baking is an exact science – once you change a component in the formula, everything will turn into a disaster. There’s a reason for the recipe – it is meant to be followed! In my years as a teacher, I’ve had students who start taking cooking lessons instead, because they lack this virtue which could spell the difference between cooks and bakers – patience. In baking as in life, everything takes time – time for the cake to rise and to settle, time for the oven to heat, time for it to cool. Time is of the essence in baking, you can never rush the procedure.

So in general, baking is relatively easy. Everything has been laid out for you in simple English. Procedures that have been tested through time to ensure that each venture would be a success. All you really need to do is to follow the instructions. And in response to my dear readers as well as viewers of my weekly television show A Taste of Life with Heny Sison... here are my answers to your questions regarding common errors and pitfalls in baking. Hope this helps!

Why do cakes fail?

Cakes fail (that is, they do not achieve their optimal size, appearance, and texture) for a number of reasons:

• Obviously, the formula is incorrect or was not followed to the letter.

• If there is too much or too little of any ingredient. For example, too much baking powder produces a cake with a coarse grain that dries out rapidly.

• A pocket forms in the bottom of the cake if there is too much milk.

• The flour may be too strong or too weak for the cake desired.

• A cake peaks in the center if there is too little baking powder, too many eggs or too high a bottom (oven) heat.

• Too little liquid causes it to "dip."

• Aside from improper formula and the wrong quantities of ingredients, two principal reasons for failures are the mixing procedure and the control of the heat in the oven.

• A cake that is overly tender or falls apart when picked can be caused by too much baking powder or sugar, not enough eggs or improper mixing. Another reason is that the oven temperature is too low.

• Another reason for cake failure is shrinkage – that is, the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and drops. Shrinkage can be caused by using too much liquid or fat. Another reason is that the oven is too hot. An excessively hot oven causes cracks on top and a dark bottom crust.

• Oven was not preheated. Correct oven temperature is very important. Oven must be preheated 30 minutes before baking. An oven thermometer is a must for bakers. Hardly can you find an oven that is accurate. I always leave an oven thermometer inside my oven to check the temperature. If oven is too hot, you can set the thermostat lower. If the temperature is too low, you can set it higher. Make sure to consult the thermometer for the adjustment that has to be made after 30 minutes. Once the temperature has settled to the required temperature, then you may put your cake inside.

• Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or they have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Oven door must not be opened from time to time because each time the door is opened, the temperature drops sharply.

Which is better to use – an aluminum pan or a nonstick pan?

Aluminum pan is better than dark-colored nonstick pan because aluminum transmits heat faster and more effectively than pan with shiny surface. Dark-colored pan produces a cake with a dark top.

How do you prevent cakes from shrinking?

Sponge cake and chiffon cake should be inverted right after baking to prevent them from shrinking. Fat-type cakes such as butter cakes can be allowed to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting or cooling on cake racks.

So don’t lose hope! Persevere! These practical tips will help you on your journey as a baker and get you on the road to sweet success. With patience and precision you’ll soon take baking to heart and find every adventure to be a piece of cake!

Try this easy recipe of Pound Cake – as the name suggests, the traditional recipe calls for 1 pound of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. But I made it smaller to fit a smaller baking pan.

Pound Cake

1/2 pound or 1 cup Magnolia Gold Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsps. Ferna vanilla flavoring
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sifted cake flour
Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease butter and line with parchment paper one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

Place butter and sugar in the bowl of the mixer and beat on medium speed for 10 minutes or until very light. Add vanilla extract.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

At low speed, add flour gradually. Mix until smooth and there’s no more trace of flour.

Remove from the mixer and fold using a rubber scrapper to make sure the batter is properly mixed.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for a few minutes then unmold on a rack and turn upside down to finish the cooling.

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If you have questions or comments, e-mail the author at henysison@pacific.net.ph or write to ‘A Taste of Life with Heny Sison,’ IBC-13, Capitol Hills, Diliman, Quezon City.