Successful BAKING

Baking is cooking in an oven and differs from roasting mainly in its reference to the type of food cooked. for example, one bakes a cake, but roasts a chicken. Cake baking is one of the most sensitive types of cookery as all ingredients must be measured exactly and there is very little room for experimentation.

You also need to be very careful with the type of bake ware that you use. Non-stick bake ware has a tendency to make a darker crust on a cake, while glass has a tendency to cook more quickly, so if you use glass you'll need to adjust your cooking time and possibly your oven temperature. If you're not in the mood for baking, why not try a Delicious Home Bistro Sampler!

Both stainless steel and aluminum bake ware need additional coating such as shortening or non-stick cooking spray on the bottoms and sides to make sure the cake doesn't stick to the pan. If you use shortening to grease the pan, you can avoid the mess by using a paper towel to spread the shortening or by putting a plastic sandwich bag over your hand. Then sprinkle flour on top of the shortening and tap the sides of the pan to coat the shortening with the flour.

Tips for Baking

• Always use metal measuring cups for dry ingredients and a glass measuring cup for liquid ingredients.
• You should have all of your ingredients measured before you begin.
• All the ingredients should be at room temperature unless the recipe says otherwise.
• Have your recipe close at hand so you can add the ingredients in the correct order and use the correct mixing times and speeds.
• For a better-textured cake, you might want to consider using buttermilk instead of milk if your recipe calls for milk. Because buttermilk contains more acid than milk, remember to add half tsp. of baking soda for each cup of milk you use. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own buttermilk by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk.
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• For a lighter cake, separate the eggs and add just the yolks to the butter mixture first. Then whip the egg whites separately using clean beaters until they form soft peaks, and then fold them into your cake batter.
• Be sure to beat the butter and sugar for as long as the recipe directs.
• Cool the cake thoroughly before frosting.
• Invest in an oven thermometer, some ovens can be off by as much as 75°.
• Before mixing the batter, prepare the pans, turn the oven on, and make sure the rack is in the center.
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• Substitute 8-inch square pans for round if you want, or use 2 to 3 8 X 4- inch loaf pans. The baking time will be less, so begin checking about 15 minutes before the time suggested.
• To split layer cakes loop a long strand of unflavored dental floss around the center of the cake horizontally. Cross the ends and slowly and firmly pull on each end to cut cleanly through the cake.