Nov
29
2008
What are the right proportions of ingredients and the magic trick to make a cake fluffy, moist and smooth?
Posted by: dmin in Cooking & Recipes, tags: Cakes, Recipes, Sandy
Desire A asked:
Everytime I prepare a cake it ends up having a greta taste but the texture is always dry, sometimes sandy and compact.
For some reason, it doesn`t matter how many things I try to change or how many recipes I try, my cakes always end up being everything but fluffy or moist.
Does anybody know what am I doing wrong?
Everytime I prepare a cake it ends up having a greta taste but the texture is always dry, sometimes sandy and compact.
For some reason, it doesn`t matter how many things I try to change or how many recipes I try, my cakes always end up being everything but fluffy or moist.
Does anybody know what am I doing wrong?
I`ve tried the whole “the secret is in the stirring process” but that hasn`t changed the results so far.
Entries (RSS)
Try adding a cup of plain yogurt or sour cream to your cake batter - this helps it be more moist and you don’t even taste it.
Deep Chocolate Cake
Prep: 40 min.
Bake: 20 min.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup butter, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups milk
12 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces dairy sour cream
4-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
Chocolate curls (optional)
Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting *
Fresh raspberries (optional)**
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)
Directions
1. Grease three 9-inch round baking pans, three 8X8X2-inch square baking pans; lightly dust each pan with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.
3. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to chocolate mixture, beating on low speed until well mixed. (Batter will be thick.)
4. Divide batter among prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
5. Make chocolate curls, if using. Arrange curls in an even layer on a waxed paper-lined tray and set aside in a cool, dry place. To assemble cake, spread Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting on tops of two of the layers; stack. Add top layer; frost the top and sides of the cake. If desired, while frosting is still moist, use a 4- to 6-inch wooden skewer or tweezers to lightly press chocolate curls into frosting around the bottom two-thirds of the cake. If desired, garnish top with raspberries and mint. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
6. *In a large saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers.
7. **Chocolate-Mint Sour Cream Frosting: Prepare as above except stir in 1/2 teaspoon mint extract with the sour cream. Makes about 4-1/2 cups.
**********************************************************************
Mile-high chocolate cake
Gourmet | January 2008
This four-layer stunner may just render all your other chocolate-cake recipes obsolete. A generous amount of sour cream keeps the cake layers tender, and the frosting is a glossy triumph. It’s a natural fit for practically any get-together—from a simple family birthday celebration to an elaborate dinner party.
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr
Servings: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
For cake
5 ounces fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
For frosting
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 sticks (1 1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Equipment: 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans
Preparation
Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter cake pans, then line bottom of each with a round of parchment paper and butter parchment. Flour pans, knocking out excess.
Melt chocolate with butter, then cool.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. At low speed, mix in melted chocolate until incorporated, then add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread batter evenly in pans and rap pans several times on counter to eliminate air bubbles.
Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick inserted in center of each comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pans on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pans. Invert onto racks and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make frosting and assemble cake:
Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add milk and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is smooth and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature, covering surface with parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming.
Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy, then add cooled chocolate mixture a little at a time, beating until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.
Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread top with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Repeat with 2 more layers, then add remaining layer and spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting.
Cooks’ notes:
• Cake layers can be made 2 days ahead (but not split horizontally) and kept, wrapped tightly, at room temperature.
• Frosting can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature (about 1 hour) and beat until fluffy before using.
• Cake can be frosted 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Without seeing your recipes, it is hard to give you a great answer. From your descriptions, it sounds like you might not be creaming the shortening and sugar well enough, that your flour is too “heavy” (the bags always say pre-sifted, but you should always sift anyway) or that you might be overcooking a bit. EDIT - I have ALWAYS used electric mixers for cakes. I think that they do a better job than trying to do it by hand. My beloved Kitchen Aid is my best friend when it comes to baking.
I have been baking cakes for years and can offer you tips that always work for me.
1. Have your butter at room temperature and cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
2. Eggs should be at room temperature too. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the flour before measuring and measure using the dip and sweep method - overfill the cup, then level off with a knife.
4. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, soda, etc.) using a whisk.
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and your liquid, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until all ingredients are well combined.
6. Cook slightly less time than the recipe calls for and check for doneness. Some ovens cook hotter than others.
7. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes before turning out of pan.
Hope these tips help! Good luck with your next cake.
when i make a sponge cake i always mix the butter and sugar by hand , yea its tiring but you have two hands alternate you have more control this way and you don,t end up over beating the mix, remember the more DRY ingredients you add the dryer the end product will be so add a little extra beaten egg or milk to compensate not much after 2 or 3 trys you should get it right
happy cake making,Desire A
Easiest chocolate cake
Have fun
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