Despite the allure of a perfectly made designer cake gracing an occasion like a birthday or anniversary, there is something to be said for baking cakes in the comfort of your own home. A home-made cake will earn you extra brownie points because your near and dear ones will know that you have put in the effort and used your skills to turn out a yummy and delicious cake for them.
Here are some tips on baking a cake in your kitchen;
- Stick to the recipe: This might sound obvious but sticking to the recipe at all times during the baking process will ensure the cake turns outright. You may be tempted to substitute the ingredients with what you have, but I recommend you not to. Unless the recipe suggests alternatives, do not do it and waste your time, effort, and money because the cake will not turn outright.
- Room temperature: This is a vital factor in the cake making process and there are definitive science and logic behind the usage of room temperature. If the recipe asks for ingredients at room temperature, you should use things like eggs, cream, milk, and butter at room temperature only. There are ingredients like butter that have to be used at room temperature, which is 18 degrees Celsius for you.
- Use proper measurements: This tip may sound very obvious, but a lot of us do not measure properly, thus leading to imbalanced recipes that naturally don’t turn outright. Flour happens to be a very mis-measured ingredient. I recommend that you use the leveled spoon to measure flour. After you have spooned the correct level of flour in the measuring cup, use a knife to level off the top.
- Use cake flour: Experienced cake bakers always use cake flour for their cakes. Cake flour happens to be low protein flour that has a delicate consistency. Its soft and tender texture lends itself very well to a cake baked with love. However, some types of cake recipes cannot use fine cake flour and need regular flour. Read the recipe carefully to know which type of flour to use.
- Avoid over-mixing and under-mixing: If your cake recipe calls for mixing the batter with an electric mixer, or using a whisk, ensure that you are mixing the ingredients together just until the ingredients are mixed well. If you go heavy on the mixing, it will result in a tough textured cake that has an overabundance of gluten and lesser amounts of air, which is vital for baking.
- Use parchment paper: Initially, you have to ensure that you have cake pans of the highest quality. Never compromise on the quality of cake-pans because it is essential to the success of the cake. A pro tip is to use parchment paper to coat the bottom and sides of the cake pan, ensuring that the cake does not stick to the pan.
- Don’t open the oven too many times: During baking, let the cake bake in peace. Do not open the door of the oven ten-fifteen times to check on the cake. Opening the door of the oven allows cool air to get into the oven and the cake’s fluffiness will suffer. Follow the baking tips given in the recipe and sate your curiosity and concern till after the cake is baked.
- The bounce backtest: Use a toothpick to determine if the cake is done properly. Stick the toothpick into the center of the cake and if it goes in and comes out clean, you have a well-cooked cake on your hands that you can enjoy with your family or friends.
- Allow cake to cool: Once again I think it is a no-brainer, but you might be in a rush to bake the cake. Don’t be. If you assemble or decorate a cake before it has cooled, you are asking for trouble. This is because in a cooling cake, the flavor has not found time to settle and the frosting on the cake will also melt. A good tip is to let your cake cool in the cake pan itself, if you are really in a hurry, place the cake and the pan in the refrigerator, no harm done.
- Right temperature for storing: Most cakes taste the best when they are at room temperature. If you have a frosted cake, use the refrigerator to store it.
So there you are the best practical tips for making and baking your own cake. It will be well worth the effort for you to have a beautiful and tasty cake that will earn your brownie points with your loved ones. While you can always order cake online in Gurgaon from the different cake shops in Gurgaon, nothing can match up to a homemade cake.
