I am learning to be a good baker. I have learned to bake with the help of online classes and yes, it is a story of trial and error. The lockdown period had us all stay indoors and I utilized the extra time to try to learn how to bake. So, I have learned a lot of lessons by now and hope to share it with you all and also as a reminder to myself to not repeat the mistakes ever again.
Baking is a science and so, every action has to be precise. That is the first lesson because if we try and alter even a bit, the result will be disastrous.
[a cake that did not rise properly, is dense and less sweet - a failure]
Let me share the lesson as tips so that you can read it easily.
- Follow the recipe
- Make sure you have the right measuring cups
- All ingredients should be at the right room temperature
(Butter at room temperature in Alaska will certainly be different from the one in Africa. So, just make sure that the butter is just good enough to press with a finger and not melted at all. it should be soft to pick with a butter knife.) - If you are a vegan, you can use coconut milk instead of cow's milk. Using milk is better but if you do not have it, you can always use milk powder which makes the baked goods soft, especially cakes.
- Vegetable oils can be used but Rice Bran oil is good for the heart. So, if you can buy it, use it preferably instead of the usual sunflower oil. Coconut oil is healthy too but it gives a strong taste and is not good for baking.
- When beating butter and sugar, make sure it is fluffy. Do not overbeat after mixing in the flour. Otherwise, the cake will turn out dense.
- The oven should not be too hot when baking cakes. it is alright if the oven is too hot when baking bread but not a cake because the outside crust will cook faster and the inside will remain uncooked. So, if you preheat to 180 degrees Celsius, reduce the oven temperature to 170 and bake the cake longer for thirty minutes. Open the oven at 25 minutes and check if it is done.
If your cake is undercooked, slice it and place it on a tray, and bake it again for another twenty minutes before it completely cools down. You can still save it. - Soak dry fruits in Rum and keep them in an air-tight glass jar and you can use it for making fruit cakes. It stays alright for more than six months.
- Make sure to check baking soda and baking powder from time to time. Some brands stay good for up to a year while others go bad. The chocolate powder I bought went bad after six months.
- I tried to bake a chocolate cake and my chocolate powder had gone bad. I used Hershey's chocolate syrup instead and it came out good. So, yea, make sure you have all ingredients on hand before you start to bake.
- Adding a spoon of coffee powder to cakes will enhance the flavor.
- Using brown sugar is also a healthier option.
- Using lemon juice instead of vinegar is good.
- You want to make a special cake for your loved ones. Do try to make a cake as a trial before the actual one that you are going to gift to avoid last-minute issues.
A sugar glaze or butter frosting is better than using store-bought whipped cream. You can also use chocolate shavings to decorate a cake.
image - own