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Cake
Types |
The easiest way to compare
cake types is to look at this chart. It's
interesting to see how the different cakes compare have also included some
valuable tips when making them. (For more).
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~ Cakes
fall into two major groups, foam cakes (little or no fat) and shortened
(butter) cakes. ~ |
Cakes that do not contain fat, such as sponge,
angel food and chiffon cakes, are often referred to as foam cakes. These have a
larger proportion of egg than butter cakes.
Butter cakes, also called creamed cakes, contain
butter, margarine or vegetable shortening, which contribute to a finely
textured, tender and moist cake.
Both foam and butter cakes lend themselves to
limitless variations, depending on the flavorings added to the basic
ingredients, the shapes of the pans used in baking, and fillings, icings and
decorations used.
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Foam Cakes:
High ratio of eggs to flour and
fall into three categories. |
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#1: No Fat: |
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Dacquoises |
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#2: Only Fat is Egg Yolk: |
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#3: Oil and Fat in
Addition to Egg Yolks: |
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Shortened Cakes:
Contain fat, frequently in
a solid form, and a high ratio of eggs to flour. |
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FOAM
CAKES:
Strictly speaking, a foam cake contains
no leavening or fat other than provided by the eggs; baking powder and baking
soda are not necessary in these recipes. As a result, it is important to preheat
the oven and have the baking pans ready in advance. These cakes need to be baked
as soon as they are ready or the egg whites will deflate; they will do so after
about 5 minutes of sitting on the countertop ! Because
Foam Cakes are so light and airy, they should be cut with a serrated knife in a
sawing motion to cut. An electric knife is helpful, too.
There are some similarities
and differences within Foam Cakes:
Sponge cakes
are a light cake whose leavening
comes only from beaten egg whites (no baking powder or soda), and has little or
no butter and thus have very little fat content. As a result, a Sponge
cake takes well to being imbibed with flavored syrups and such.
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There
are essentially two varieties of sponge cakes, the
Biscuit and the
Genoise:
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The Biscuit is where the
eggs are separated and the yolks whipped with sugar until pale
yellow while the whites are whisked with a little sugar until
voluminous. Then the two are folded together with a bit of flour to
bind them and, if desired, melted butter and or a flavoring like
vanilla are added last. Then there is the classic genoise sponge
cake. |
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In a Genoise the eggs
are beaten whole--never separated--with the sugar, until they are
mousse-like and very pale yellow. Last, the flour is folded in as
well as vegetable oil or
clarified butter
for moistness. The butter makes a moister, more tender and flavorful
cake. |
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Chiffon cakes
are light like sponge cakes, but
are easier to make because there are no egg whites to beat and fold in. Plus,
there’s more fat in it (oil) so it’s more tender and moist than sponge cake.
Angel food cakes have no added
leavening (such as baking powder), shortening or egg yolks. They are leavened
with beaten egg
whites and they have a high proportion of them to flour. Angel food
cakes make a fabulous no-fat treat.
SHORTENED CAKES VS FOAM CAKES:
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SHORTENED
CAKES: |
FOAM CAKES: |
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Review
mixing
techniques: different
methods produce different types of cakes |
One of the most
important steps is to properly cream the fat
with the sugar. This is when air bubbles are formed, which will
later expand from the leaveners, and make the cake rise. |
There are two primary types of foam cakes -
whole egg yellow sponge and angel food cake. An angel food cake is a
meringue with added flour for stability and texture. Egg white proteins and
the starch and protein of flour are incorporated into the watery film around
air cells to contribute to stability. Sugar is added not only for its
flavoring action and stabilizing effect on egg white proteins, but it also
acts as a tenderizer, counterbalancing the effects of egg protein and flour.
Cream of tartar is usually added to lower the pH and thus stabilize and
whiten the foam and produce a finer grained cake. Leavening is performed by
the air in the meringue and steam. Ingredients are
folded together gingerly. Old genoise recipes call for melting
butter and folding into the batter. Angel Food recipes have you fold
the sifted flour into the beaten egg whites. |
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Pay attention to the
specified ingredient temperatures: |
Recipes will specify
room temperature butter
and other ingredients, which is very
important. Having the ingredients at approximately the same
temperatures helps make a consistent creamed mixture which holds air well
and incorporates the dry ingredients easily. This helps create a batter that
rises evenly. A mixing bowl right from the dishwasher will melt the fat or
"cook" the eggs, so make sure that it, too is at room temperature.
I like to use an Instant Read Thermometer to help me
through recipes. |
A recipe will say
sometimes say "whip the egg
whites" or "beat
the yolks" and does not specify at what temperature. It is
important in general and makes a big difference when making foam cakes.
These cakes rely upon eggs and/or
yolks for their leavening. The
maximum amount of air can be beaten into them when at room temperature which
means a higher and more tender cake. When sugar is added to Angel Food
Cakes, it should be gradual while beating egg whites at room
temperature.
Some cake recipes will also direct you to
beat egg yolks with sugar
(click for the best way). |
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Use the right ingredients
& pans: |
Superfine
sugar is recommended because it dissolves quickly and makes finer
textured cakes.
The right
equipment and pans are key.
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Superfine
sugar is recommended because it dissolves quickly and makes finer
textured cakes.
The right
equipment and pans are key.
Chiffon Cakes can be typically
baked in a tube pan, as with Sponge Cakes.
The cake should turn out like a large and puffed-up "life-saver" shape.
Chiffon Cakes, however, can also be baked as a layer cake. |
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Bake until done: |
The test for doneness is when
the sides shrink from the pans and when lightly touched in the middle, the
cake springs back. |
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 My
favorite way to cool a Angel Food or a Chiffon Cake is to place the pan
upside in a colander. The holes allow the cake to cool properly and it
is certainly more stable than trying to balance it over the neck of a
bottle. Also, I find that the upside-down warm cake top condenses when
supported by the pan legs. They're short and bring the cake too close to
the countertop where moisture accumulates from the warmth. |
Remove the cake from the oven when it is
absolutely done. If not, the fragile batter will collapse. It is ready when
the edges shrink from the sides or the pan and it springs back when touched
in the center of the batter. (The centers are found around the cake ring). |
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Always cool baked goods
thoroughly: |
Butter cakes can be cooled in
their pans or removed and then cooled. When a cake is cooled completely in
its pan it should be placed on a wire cake rack. If unmolding, the finished
cake should first sit on the rack in the pan for 10 minutes. The cake is
then removed and put back on the rack right-side-up to cool completely. |
Foam cakes must be turned upside down to cool
while still in their pans. The fragile cake structure would collapse if not.
Placing it this way allows the warm cake to stretch and set before turning
it right-side-to when cool. Some place the upside-down-pan on four inverted
drinking glasses or set in a colander, which I prefer. |
MORE CAKE TYPES:
Charlottes:
These molded desserts are a variation of the cake in which fillings - hot or
cold - are poured into a bowl lined with bread, ladyfingers or pieces of cake,
then decorated. A French pastry chef invented the charlotte in the 1800s. The
classic version is the Charlotte Russe. Also try such flavors as chocolate,
eggnog, strawberry, Bavarian cream.
Meringue cakes:
Made from beaten egg whites and sugar, meringue is used as a leavening agent in
some cake batters or to lighten a souffle or mousse. Baked by themselves into
rings or other shapes, meringues make for light and pretty cakes filled with
fruit or ice cream. They can be family size or baked as individual servings.
Rolls: These
are a form of sponge-cake, baked in a shallow pan and used for jellyrolls or
such holiday cakes as the Christmas "yule log," an especially nice variation.
Rolls are immediately removed from the pan and rolled up in a sugared tea towel
after baking. When cool, they are unrolled gently, filled with jelly, custard or
icings and rerolled. For the yule log
(Buche
de Noel), fill and ice with chocolate buttercream, then decorate with
leaves, "branches," meringue mushrooms and woodland animals - a crowd-pleaser!
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