What's Wrong with this Cake?

Subject: What's Wrong with this Cake? Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:26 pm

What's Wrong With This Cake?

This is a kind of a list of possible,
what went wrong
and a list of
why we do it this way
Hopefully it may help someone in there
adventures in baking

What are butter cakes and how would you distinguish them from other cakes?
Cakes are divided into two general classifications
All cakes containing butter and other fats are classified as "Butter Cakes" and all those that do not contain butter are classified as "Sponge Cakes"

Why is cake flour used in cakemaking?
Cake flour is preferred in cakemaking because it has gone through a special milling process and contains less gluten than bread or all purpose flour, thereby making cakes more velvety and tender, if using all purpose flour use 2 tbsp less for each cup of cake flour

Should Butter cakes be released from pans as soon as thy are removed from oven?
No. It is best to allow cakes to remainin pans, on a cake cooler, for 10 to 15 minutes, thereby permitting cake cells to stiffen slightly before turning out
This will prevent breaking,a nd the cakes become sufficiently rigid to withstand the shock of handling

What Causes Heavy Cakes?
Oven temperature too low
Oven temperature too high
Overbeating of flour and milk
Underbeating and overbeating of butter, sugar, and eggs. It is important to beat these ingredients with electric mixer or a heavy spoon until mixture is thick and fluffy and light in color, but not runny or oily
Fine granulated sugar should be used. On a cool day the butter sugar, and eggs should be beaten continously 7 to 8 minutes. before flour and liquid are added
Reduce beating time on a warm day
Underbeating of flour and milk will also cause a heavy cake
Batter must be beaten until smooth after each addition of flour and milk

What Causes Sugary Crust?
Insufficient beating of butter, sugar, and eggs,
Use of very coarse granulated sugar, fine granulated sugar should be used
Too much sugar

What Causes Tunnels in Cakes?
Overbeating when adding flour and liquid
Too much baking powder
Beating is best accomplished in a circular motion

What Causes a heavy, unbaked layer on bottom or center of cakes?
Insufficient mixing beat longer
Too much liquid, reduce liquid
Overbeating, especially on a warm day. Beat butter, sugar, and eggs until mixtue has the consistency of a heavy whipped cream, and is not runny or oily
Very soft flour, increase flour
Warm ingredients, must be cool, but not cold
Insufficient beating of yolks
Flours do vary from one season to another, and if cakes are consistently soggy or form a heavy layer on bottom, decrease milk by 2 tbsp for each cup in recipe, or increase flour by 2 tbsp or a little more if necessary for each cup
If batter for butter cakes appears too thin after it is completely beaten it s better to add a little more flour.

What Causes Dry Butter Cake?
too much flour. Insufficient shortening. Overbaking. Not enough moisture

What Causes Tops to Split?
It is characteristic of some loaf and other cakes baked in deep pans to crack on top, this does not affect texture
Too much flour and too much heat will also cause some cakes to split on top

What causes Butter Cake to Fall?