Monday, April 14, 2008

Some [recently learned] information

Anna made a comment about having trouble with cakes because they get crusty edges and a peak in the middle. I usually have this happen with my cakes. In fact when I took a cake to the office last week it was exactly like that. While doing some research for a new cake recipe for Oceana's birthday I came across a bit of information about cake baking. I thought I'd try it, just to see if it was worth keeping.

After you put the batter into the pan, slam the pan down on the counter a few times. I probably did it about 20x. All the bubbles that went i while I was beating up the eggs (by hand, but I beat them pretty furiously with the sugar) rose to the top. I kept doing that until I saw a bunch of little bubbles come to the top and pop. There were tons! And then I slid it in the oven. It had NO PEAK and it had NO CRACK down the middle.

I'll do this every time I make a cake from now on. It also give you a dense cake, rather than a swiss cheese looking cake with bubbles all through it. Hope it's helpful for all of you.

If only I'd known this last year. I usually cut off the peak and flip the cake upside down to frost it. Then no one else knows the cake was an ugly thing... HAHAHA.

17 comments:

  1. Good tip! I usually bang mine on the counter a couple of times, but usually only to make the batter spread evenly through the pan. Next time I bake a cake I'll try banging it a few more times!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a top tip, Susie! I'll give it a whirl next time it's my son Charlie's birthday! I just wanted you to know that I'm still checking in on your blog every day, and remembering you all in prayer daily too. Hoping you're all hanging in there. With love XX

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love your blog! I love WHO/what you stand for! You are a wonderful witness to others in their walk with the Lord, thank you.

    I love cakes, I wanted to let you know that if you bake the cakes at a little lower temp it will not have a bump in the middle but will almost come out even. I bake my cakes at 325 F rather than the 350 F. Hope this works for you. You just need to bake it for a little longer. Have fun baking. I do.

    I found out about your blog from babyfit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. another very helpful hint is to put the cake pan on a jelly roll pan and take two kitchen towels, wet them, and ring them out still leaving them rather damp, then wrap them around the base of the cake pan and bake as directed. The cake will be nice and flat, and very moist and delicious!!

    OH...now I think I'm gonna have to make a cake :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the tip! I will definitely try that. Good job on the kitchen!! It is depressing seeing the mountains of dishes sometimes, but then getting them done is a good feeling :) Your house looks really cute! I think the separate room for the toilet is really funny! Just a thought, I am also working on potty training, and have found that bribery with M&M's is very handy! Hannah also really likes flushing and watching her poo go down the toilet. She waves "bye bye" to it and everything :) Maybe that will work for Oceana too?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Susie, There are also some wraps to get to put arooujnd the outside of the cake pan while it bakes to help prevent the peaking. Also I learned in a cake class to spin the cake pan after the batter is in it before baking.
    It looks to me as tho you are having fun[tho exhausting] setting up housekeeping in your new house. Hope you do enjoy the house.
    Thanks for connecting us all with Marie and little Elijah's blog. I am now following it. Barb Nower

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for that tip about the cake! I'll have to try that tomorrow, when I do my baking. Mine do the same thing, and I disguise them the same way *grin*

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh bother, I forgot the rest of my url.

    While I'm here, though, did you get my email? I don't mind if you haven't read it, or don't want to/have the time to reply, I was just wondering if it got there *smile*

    ReplyDelete
  9. hey susie, I have been thinking while reading your blog and the blogs of others you have links to.

    Just a thought - what do you think about putting together a scrapbook of the blogs you have all put online and giving it to the hospital.

    I just think that so many of you say on your blog, we were offered the option of abortion but as sucky as some of it was, the experience of not aborting your babies was far more rewarding.
    Maybe this may help inform other mothers who are facing having to make that choice - in terms of; both abortion and having a baby die suck big time but there are rewards and blessings to continuing a pregnancy (not to down play the pain and heartache), a horrific diagnosis does not have to be the end of the joy of pregnancy. ( I don't know, I have not been in this situation, it was just a thought I had, maybe you have a better opinion).

    Sounds like things are going well for you in Tauranga, you look like you are working very hard, take care
    Love Rae

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cool! Thanks for the tip!

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oooo I love finding out the little tricks like this! Thanks for sharing.

    Yanno, I have been thinking about you all a lot lately. My son had his spinal cord surgery yesterday and I spent a lot of that day being so thankful that he could have that surgery. Sending your baby off to surgery is a rather horrible experience, but one I am so grateful for because of Joshua.

    Thank you for helping me to become more grateful.

    All my best,
    becca

    eyeonthebaby.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. that's great! thanks for the tips & research! I'll do that from now on too...like you I always cut the top off and flipped it over, but still got crumbs in the frosting...! Needless to say, this will help me! You're the best!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I do the same with my cakes, cut off the top and flip over to frost. Even if the cake is fine on top, I still flip to frost because I prefer to frost the bottom of the cake (I find it easier to do).

    Love from Trinidad.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You can also take an old dish cloth wet it and safety pin it to the pan. It will take a little longer to bake but it helps even out the temp. you can buy the insulators from Wilton but the towels works just as well.

    Tiffany
    Illinois

    ReplyDelete
  15. Now I gotta bake a cake to try it out.......LOL. Yay no more hilly cracked cakes.

    Finally got caught up on your blog. Had puney kids around here....and when you 21 month old doesnt feel well, you know......the world stops..cause they are clingy and such but it is so sweet when they want you and only you.....LOL

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Susie:
    Ok from a cake decorator, here are a few tips from me, for you and Anna.
    1) use shortning to grease your pan first then add a bit of flour to cover the shortning, (empty out extra flour)your cake will never stick to the pan.
    2) Lower the temp. about 25-50 degrees it takes longer to cook but moist in the end and the corners are not as thin.
    3a) to split the cake in two horizontaly use a piece of thread and pull it through the cake.
    3b) filling to make the cake thicker put a ring of icing around the inside of the cake about an inch in. A filling I like to use is pudding (choco. & Van. same as the cake)only using 1 1/2 or less cups of milk instead of two. The icing keeps the filling from comming out of the cake when the lid go back on it.
    4) Crumbs in your icing: after filling the cake if you are filling it then put it in the freezer for about an hour or so and use a new dry paint brush to brush off the crumbs on and around the cake.
    5) icing the cake: put a huge glob of icing in the middle of the cake and spred it out to the edges then down the sides.

    Even if you freeze the cake when done this way it will not be dry when your ready to eat it.
    Hope these tips help you out.
    Great job on the cake!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for the tip! I will have to remember that!

    ReplyDelete