How to Cream a Cake

Let your butter and eggs come to room temperature-70 degrees.

Using the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer, slowly beat the butter or shortening until it is soft and creamy.

Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until soft and fluffy. This will take six to eight minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Scrape down the sides to assure an even mixture. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add one-fourth of the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until it is almost combined.

Add one-third of the liquids and beat at low speed until it is almost combined.

Repeat with the dry and liquid ingredients scraping down the sides as necessary.

Mixing Fats and Water

Cakes have a high fat content-butter or shortening-and a high moisture content-milk, water, or cream. They naturally separate. When we have a stable mixture of water and oil, it is called an emulsion-a uniform mixture where the water is held in tiny droplets in an oil-rich batter. If you don't create an emulsion, you have curdled batter. A successful emulsion requires both the right balance of ingredients and careful mixing. (We have explained how creamed batters should be mixed.)

The following factors may cause curdling in your batter:

Too much liquid. Follow the recipe carefully. The fat can carry only so much liquid. Once you overload the fat-flour absorbs some of the liquid-water floats free of the fat and you have curdled batter.

Adding too much liquid too quickly. Many recipes call for adding the flour alternatively with the liquid. Add the flour first for the flour will absorb and buffer the liquid. Don't add too much liquid at a time. The eggs are added and mixed one at time since they contain water. (Egg yolks are an emulsifier that helps suspend water in the batter.)

Failure to cream the sugar and fat properly. Cutting the sugar through the fat creates a cell structure that holds water.

Butter and ingredients that are the wrong temperature. Take the chill off butter and eggs before using them. Butter that is 60 degrees is too hard to form good air cells. Butter above 75 degrees is too soft. Batters will hold water in emulsion best at 70 degrees.

Tips for Marvelous Cakes

Slow the mixer down. When the mixer is set on a high speed two things can go wrong-the friction may overheat the butter or the batter and the protein in the flour is developed into gluten to make the cake chewy instead of tender.

Use a low protein flour. Cake or pastry flour is best; all-purpose will work.

Don't mix the batter any longer than necessary. Mixing develops gluten. As soon as the dry ingredients are combined and moistened, stop.

If the recipe calls for mixing dry and wet ingredients alternately, always start with the flour mixture. The initial flour will help hold the water in suspension while adding water before the flour may overload the water-holding capacity of the batter.

Stop the machine and scrape down the sides several times during mixing. Without getting a smooth mixture, your batter may be out of balance.

Always bake at the correct temperature. Too hot and the cake may dome excessively or set before it is fully risen. Too cool and the steam in the batter may not form sufficiently resulting in less volume.

Do not open the oven until the cake is nearly baked and starting to brown. Checking on the cake too early may cause it to fall.

Don't rely entirely on the baking time in the recipe. Different pans, different ovens, and different pan placement in the oven will affect cooking times.

When putting multiple pans in the oven, space them apart. When they are too close together, the air does not circulate properly creating hot and cold spots in the oven.

When a cake is done, the cake will pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, the center of the cake will be set and spring back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick will come out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.

Cake Baking Tip Guide

Successful cake decorating is all about preparation. Baking and preparing your cake for decorating is a critical part of the total process. In this article, I'll share some expert tips for basic cake preparation to get your cake creation off to a fabulous start! These easy tips will ensure your cake decorating success.

Preparing a Cake Board -

Many specially themed cakes are too large to fit on a plate, so a cake board may be used. Cut a piece of stiff cardboard to the desired size. Cover with foil, or heavy coated wrapping paper.

I often use colored tissue paper, covered with colored cellophane of the type used to wrap gift baskets. This gives the desired background color, with a surface which is easy to wipe clean. It also makes a great background to enhance the presentation and photographing of your final cake masterpiece.

Preparing Cake Pans -

Use metal pans with a nonstick finish. Grease and flour pans before adding cake batter. Spread a thin layer of vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides of the pan. This works better than butter or margarine as the cake releases more easily from the pan. Sprinkle a little flour in each pan, and tilt to coat evenly. Shake out excess.

Testing for Doneness -

Follow baking instructions for time and temperature specified in the recipe. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should have pulled away from the sides of the pan and the top will spring back when touched lightly in the center.

Removing Cake from Pan -

Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Invert wire cooling rack over cake and flip over. Shake gently until cake releases from pan. Place a second wire rack over the bottom of the cake and flip over again so cake can cool right side up.

Preparing Cake for Frosting -

Slip each cake layer into a gallon-size freezer bag and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. An even easier method is to place each layer on its own plate and cover with plastic wrap before freezing. I poke a toothpick or two into the top of each layer to keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the cake's surface.

Light freezing firms up the cake just right and allows you to easily brush any crumbs from the surface prior to frosting.

Best Base Frosting Recipe -

The thin texture of the base frosting allows easier coverage without pulling bits of cake and crumbs away from the cake. This is essential particularly if you are frosting white over chocolate cake. When base coat is done, frost over with your desired finish frosting.

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add milk 1 tsp. at a time to desired consistency. Frosting should be fairly thin. This is a great base frosting. Use if as a first coating layer to seal in any crumbs and give a nice smooth surface to the cake.

Cutting and Trimming -

You can create many different cake designs by cutting your cake layers into various shapes. Measure and mark your cutting line with toothpicks or wooden or metal skewers. Use a sharp knife and brush cake lightly with a soft pastry brush to remove crumbs prior to frosting.

Trim the rounded tops off cake layers to form a flat surface. Use a long serrated knife to trim with a gentle sawing motion. You may also wish to trim the edges of rectangular cakes to give a more professional look.

Frosting Tools -

Use various sizes of flexible metal spatulas for frosting. Large ones are used to smooth wide flat areas while a narrow tipped spatula is great for getting into small areas.

Toothpicks or wooden or metal skewers can be used to mark cutting lines on your cake.

A pastry bag with several tips is necessary to pipe on decorations. I have a reusable pastry bag that is easy to rinse clean. In a pinch, you can even use a plastic sandwich bag with a tiny hole snipped from one corner.

Now that you have all these important basics in place, you and your cake are primed and ready for frosting

Another cooking tip to try:

Cake layers will come out of their pans without sticking if you set the hot pans on a damp cloth when they come out of the oven.