Basic knowledge of cake baking: classification of cakes According to different raw materials, mixing methods and batter properties, cakes can generally be divided into three categories.
1. batter. The main raw materials used in batter cake are flour, sugar, eggs, milk and so on. They are the basic organization of cakes. This kind of cake contains high content of oil to lubricate the batter, make the cake produce soft tissue, and help the batter mix a lot of air to expand during mixing. If the amount of grease in the formula reaches more than 60% of the flour, the air mixed with grease during the stirring process is enough for the cake to expand in the oven, but less than 60% of the flour. General cream cakes, such as yellow cakes, white cakes and pudding cakes, belong to batter cakes.
2. Milk foam cake. The raw materials used in this cake are flour, sugar and a small amount of milk as part of the cake. The main raw material is eggs. It uses the tough denatured protein in eggs to make the cake swell during the process of batter mixing and baking, without relying on yeast powder. The biggest difference between it and batter cake is that it does not contain any solid fat, but in order to reduce the excessive toughness of eggs, liquid fat can be added to sponge cake as appropriate. According to the different ingredients of eggs used, milk foam cakes can be divided into two categories:
A. protein. This kind of cake takes protein as the basic organization and puffing raw material of the cake, and generally angel cakes belong to protein;
B. sponge. This kind of cake uses the whole egg or the mixture of yolk and whole egg as the basic tissue and swelling raw material of the cake. Sponge cake belongs to this kind of cake.
3. Qifeng class. This kind of cake is made by mixing batter and foam and changing the structure and particles of foam cake. Qifeng cake undoubtedly belongs to this category.
Basic knowledge of cake baking: key points of cake making cake is the most popular dessert in general West Point. It is not only rich in fragrance and attractive in appearance, but also rich in nutrients. At the same time, it is often regarded as a representative seasonal food in festivals or celebrations.
Making cakes is much easier than making bread, because cakes do not need accurate and suitable fermentation environment, strict dough mixing, control of fermentation time and so on. , but to make a good cake, you must have the following points, otherwise you may fail:
1. Use good materials. The quality of raw materials directly affects the quality of cakes. Although good raw materials will increase the production cost of cakes, they have the advantage of competing with peers, which can not only improve the quality of products, but also increase the sales volume of products and establish the reputation of shops.
2. Need to know the nature and function of various raw materials in the cake. To make a cake, you should use good raw materials, but before choosing raw materials, you should first understand the role of various raw materials in the cake, what irreplaceable benefits they have, what substances are contained in its ingredients, and what chemical reactions and physical changes can be produced during the mixing and baking of batter. For example, the oils used to make cakes include cream, Madeleine, hydrogenated oil, emulsified oil, salad oil and shortening. And milk includes fresh milk, condensed milk, skim milk, yogurt, milk powder and so on. Eggs are divided into protein eggs, yolk eggs and whole eggs. These similar raw materials with different compositions and properties have different characteristics when used, which are necessary for professional bakers. The main raw materials for making cakes are flour, sugar, oil, eggs, salt, milk and chemical leavening agent, as well as dozens of other seasoning materials such as spices, cocoa powder and chocolate. Among the seven main raw materials, we can divide them into dry, wet, soft and tough, and the nature of the species that produce fragrance. The so-called dry raw materials refer to the characteristics that these raw materials can dry the cake when used in the cake formula. There must be enough liquid raw materials to dissolve. Flour, sugar, milk powder, yeast powder, salt and cocoa powder are all dry raw materials. Wet ingredients include milk, eggs and syrup, which are the main sources of water in the cake formula and provide enough water to dissolve other dry ingredients to keep the cake moist and swollen. Flexible raw materials refer to oil, sugar, chemical leavening agent, egg yolk and so on. Their function is to keep the cake soft. Tough raw materials can also be called structural raw materials, which can produce toughness in cakes or increase the gluten of flour to produce toughness. They are the main raw materials of cake skeleton, mainly including flour, milk powder, salt, cocoa powder and protein. The raw materials that produce aroma are sugar, milk, oil, eggs, cocoa powder, spices, etc., because these raw materials can produce unique aroma after entering the oven, making the cake fragrant and delicious. Pay attention to the unique characteristics of each raw material, and the product quality can be controlled freely after flexible application. When there are improper shortcomings or the raw materials are changed for some reason, appropriate adjustments can be made according to the nature of the raw materials to make the products return to normal.
3. The raw material formula is balanced. After fully understanding the functions of various raw materials in the cake, it is necessary to further understand that the dosage of various raw materials varies with the nature of the cake. When setting the cake recipe, first decide whether the cake is of high cost or low cost, and whether the cake texture is soft or hard. Raw materials can be divided into dry, wet, soft and tough, and the four main raw materials that make the cake have a good flavor are sugar, oil, eggs and milk. If these four raw materials are used more, the cost will be higher, but the quality of the cake will be better. But it should be noted that even good raw materials, the more the better. It is necessary to follow a certain proportion of use, and the balance between raw materials cannot be disturbed by emphasizing one of them.
4. The correct mixing method is needed. The batter mixing has two biggest functions. Firstly, all the ingredients in the formula are mixed evenly, so that each ingredient is evenly distributed in every part of the batter. Secondly, proper amount of air is injected into the batter through different stirring instruments and speeds, so that the baked cake has an expansive and delicate structure. With high-quality raw materials and formula, if it is not stirred properly, it will still be wasted and the ideal product will not be obtained. Therefore, before mixing the batter, be sure to determine what kind of cake you are making, and confirm the required mixer and mixing speed to avoid failure.
5. Correct baking temperature and time. Because of the different properties of each cake, the baking temperature and time are different, especially if the box oven is used, the temperature control of the oven is divided into upper and lower fires, and the thermometer controlling the temperature often appears inaccurate. You should be especially careful when baking cakes. You need to develop baking experience at ordinary times to use them freely, otherwise too much or too little firepower will affect the surface color and internal organization of cakes. In principle, any cake baked in a mold with a weight below 100g needs to be baked at 200℃ for about 12- 18 minutes. If the temperature is between 100-450g, the fire at 180℃ is slightly larger than the fire, and the baking time is between18-40min; If the weight is above 450- 1000g, the fire is bigger than the fire, and it is baked at 170℃ for 40-60 minutes. If the cake is baked directly with a baking tray instead of a mold, it should be baked with excessive internal heat, and the amount of excessive internal heat is extremely small, as long as the bottom of the cake can produce color. Generally speaking, the temperature and time of baking depends on the size and type of cake. For small cakes, high temperature should be used to shorten the baking time, and for large and thick cakes, low temperature should be used to extend the baking time. Generally, high temperature means 190℃-232℃, normal temperature is17190℃, and low temperature is162℃-171 Cream cake and light cream cake should be hot, heavy cream cake and Qifeng cake should be at room temperature, and fruit cake and big cake should be low temperature. If the oven temperature is lower than the appropriate temperature, the baked cake tends to be flat and sticky at the top, and the periphery shrinks toward the center. The baking tray contains sticky batter and the internal structure is very soft. On the contrary, if the oven temperature is higher than it should be, the center of the cake will bulge upward, the top will break, and the outer edge of the cake will shrink inward from the baking tray, but the inner side of the baking tray will be smooth and there will be no batter sticking to it, so the internal structure of this cake is relatively compact. If the cake is not cooked, there will be a thick layer of batter on the upper part under the skin. If there is such batter near the bottom of the cake, it is because there is too much water in the formula, or the base is too light, and the grease in the formula is not evenly mixed when stirring.
6. Cooling and packaging. Some cakes will shrink due to sudden temperature changes after baking, so pay attention to cooling when baking to avoid excessive shrinkage. Cake is exposed to air, especially under the influence of wind, so it is easy to dry, so surface decoration should be added immediately after cooling, or properly packaged, which can extend the shelf life. Packaged or frosted cakes can be stored in a refrigerator at 0 to 10 degrees Celsius. If cakes are not packaged or frosted at this temperature, they will soon dry and lose their proper quality. Some big cake factories can make many cakes at a time, pack them and store them in the freezer at MINUS 30℃. Before selling, take the cake out of the freezer and thaw it, which can keep the original fresh flavor for at least 2 hours, and the cake stored in the freezer at MINUS 10℃ can not deteriorate for a long time.
7. Pay attention to frosting. The frosted cake not only has the advantage of prolonging the storage time, but also can improve the appearance of the cake and change the taste of the cake more freely.
A high-quality cake should be full of moisture and non-sticky, with correct style, uniform and delicate internal structure, soft texture and long-term storage without deterioration. Follow the seven basic principles mentioned above-use raw materials well, understand the properties and functions of raw materials, balance the right formula, stir properly, bake properly, package well and cool down, and you can make a good quality cake at any time.
Basic knowledge of cake baking: Qifeng classroom
In the early 1990s, with Taiwan-funded baking enterprises entering the mainland market, Qifeng cakes made by them gradually became popular. In fact, the history of Qifeng cake is not short, at least thirty or forty years. The so-called Qifeng is translated from English Chiffon. The word was originally French, which means that the mixed stuffing is as soft as the delivered protein. Qifeng's hair is to separate the egg yolk from the protein, first stir the protein part very fluffy and soft, and then mix the egg yolk batter, so this cake is called Qifeng cake. Its batter is thin, soft and fluffy, and its product features: egg fragrance, oily fragrance, endless aftertaste, soft and elastic structure, delicate and tight organization.
Pound cake
It uses the solid fat in the formula to mix with air while stirring, and the batter is heated and expanded into cakes in the oven. The main raw materials are eggs, sugar, flour and butter. Its batter is thick and fluffy, and its product features: rich oil flavor, deep aftertaste, compact structure and certain elasticity. It is also called cream cake because the oil content reaches 100%.
Cake ingredients
First, eggs
Eggs are one of the important materials in cake making, accounting for 1/3- 1/2 of the cake cost.
1, chemical composition of eggs:
Eggs contain egg white, yolk and eggshell, of which egg white accounts for 60%, yolk accounts for 30% and eggshell accounts for 10%. Protein contains water, protein, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins, while protein in protein mainly contains ovalbumin, ovoglobulin and ovomucin.
The main ingredients in egg yolk are fat, protein, water, inorganic salts, egg yolk and vitamins. Protein in egg yolk is mainly lecithin and yolk bile white.
2. The main functions of eggs:
(1), bonding and curing
Eggs are rich in protein, and these protein can capture a lot of air to form foam during the stirring process, and form a complex network structure with the gluten of flour, thus forming the basic organization of the cake. At the same time, the protein is solidified by heating, and the organizational structure of the cake is stable.
② Expansion effect
The beaten egg liquid contains a lot of air, which will expand when baking, making the cake bigger. At the same time, the protein of eggs is distributed in the whole batter, which plays a role in protecting gas.
③ Softening effect
Egg yolk is rich in oil and lecithin, which is a very effective emulsifier, so eggs can soften.
In addition, eggs also play an important role in the color, fragrance and nutrition of cakes.
Second, sugar.
1, choice of sugar:
The sugar usually used in cake making is white sugar, and a small amount of powdered sugar or syrup is also useful, which is one of the main raw materials for cake making.
(1) white sugar, abbreviated as granulated sugar, is made by extracting sugar juice from sugarcane or beet, filtering, precipitating, evaporating, crystallizing, decoloring and drying. It is white granular crystal with high purity, and the sucrose content is above 99%. It can be divided into coarse sand, medium sand and fine sand according to its particle size. If you are making sponge cake or Qifeng cake, it is best to use white sugar, especially fine particles, because large particles of sugar cannot be dissolved because of high sugar consumption or short stirring time. If there are white sugar particles in the finished cake, the quality of the cake will decrease. If conditions permit, it is best to use fine sugar.
2, sugar powder It is a replica of sucrose, a pure white powder, which tastes the same as sucrose. Often used for heavy oil cake or cake decoration.
(3) syrup-invert syrup or starch syrup, which is made by adding water and acid to sugar; Starch syrup, also known as glucose syrup, is usually a viscous liquid made by adding acid or enzyme to corn starch and decoloring and concentrating it. It can be used for cake decoration and is often added when making cake batter abroad to improve the flavor and fresh-keeping performance of cakes.
2, the role of sugar in the cake:
(1) Increase the sweetness of the product and improve the nutritional value;
(2) skin color. During the baking process, the surface of the cake turns brown and emits fragrance.
(3) Filling, which makes the batter smooth and delicate and the product soft, is the main function of sugar.
(4), keep moisture, delay aging, and have antiseptic effect.
Third, salt.
The role of salt in cake
1, reducing the sweetness and making it palatable. Cake without salt is heavy in sweetness and greasy after eating, while salt can not only reduce sweetness, but also bring out other unique flavors.
2, the internal whiteness can be increased.
3. Strengthen the structure of gluten
Fourth, flour.
Flour is processed from wheat and is one of the main raw materials for making cakes.
1, flour selection:
Flour can be roughly divided into five categories, namely, high gluten flour, low gluten flour, medium gluten flour, whole wheat flour and cake (bread) special flour. The flour usually used in cakes is soft flour, that is, low-gluten flour or cake-specific flour.
Low gluten flour is ground from soft white wheat. It is characterized by low protein content, generally 7-9%, and wet gluten not less than 22%.
Cake flour is a kind of flour treated with chlorine gas. This kind of flour is white, with low gluten content and high water absorption. The products made from it have high preservation rate and are specially used for making cakes.
2, the role of flour in the cake:
In cake making, the gluten of flour constitutes the skeleton of the cake, and starch plays a filling role and is one of the main components.
Five, cake oil
Cake oil, also known as cake emulsifier or cake foaming agent, plays an important role in the production of sponge cake. In the early 1980s, when sponge cakes were made in China, cake oil was not added, which led to very slow passing time, low output, rough structure of finished products and serious egg flavor. Later, cake oil was added, and the whole process of making sponge cake only took 8- 10 minutes, which greatly improved the output and reduced the cost. The baked finished product was even and delicate in texture and soft in taste.
It can be seen that the birth of cake oil was a revolutionary breakthrough. Now, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, consumers are demanding more and more food, and they are turning full into good food. Therefore, in order to meet the market demand, in recent years, major manufacturers have successively introduced a kind of SP cake oil, which is produced with higher-grade raw materials. In this oil, the time for making sponge cake is shortened, the appearance and texture of the finished product are more beautiful, even and delicate, and the entrance is more lubricated. The properties of cake oil will be introduced in detail below.
1, technological properties of cake oil:
When making cake batter, the cake oil can be adsorbed on the gas-liquid interface, which can reduce the interfacial tension, increase the liquid-gas contact area and increase the mechanical strength of the liquid film, which is beneficial to the foaming and foam stability of the slurry. The specific gravity and density of batter decreased, while the volume of baked products increased. At the same time, the bubbles in the batter can be evenly distributed, and the large bubbles are reduced, so that the organizational structure of the finished product becomes more delicate and uniform.
2. Addition amount and method of cake oil:
The amount of cake oil added is generally 3-5% of that of eggs. Because its addition follows the egg, whenever the egg in the cake formula is increased or decreased, the cake oil must be increased or decreased in proportion. The pastry oil must be added before the batter is quickly stirred, so that it can be fully stirred and dissolved to achieve the best effect.
3. Matters needing attention in adding cake oil:
Before the batter is stirred, the cake oil must be fully dissolved, otherwise it will precipitate and agglomerate; If cake oil is added to the batter, it can't be stirred for a long time, because excessive stirring will cause too much air to be mixed, but it will not stabilize the bubbles, which will lead to rupture. Finally, the volume of the finished product will sink and the tissue will become cotton-like.
Six, Tata powder
Tatar powder, whose chemical name is potassium tartrate, is one of the essential raw materials for making Qifeng cake. Qifeng cake is made of egg white, which is alkaline and has a PH of 7.6. However, egg white can only form a bulky and stable foam in an acidic environment, that is, when the PH value is 4.6-4.8, and a large number of other ingredients can be added after it is made. Qifeng cake is to stir the egg white and yolk separately. After the egg white is stirred, it needs to be mixed with the batter of the egg yolk. Although the egg white without tata powder can be sent away, if the batter of egg yolk is added, it will sink and cannot be formed. Therefore, this characteristic of Tata powder can be used to achieve the best effect.
1, the function of tower powder:
1. Neutralize the alkalinity of protein;
(2) Help protein to start and make the bubble stable and lasting;
(3) Increase the toughness of the product and make it softer.
2. Addition amount and method of tower powder:
Its addition amount is 0.6- 1.5% of the whole egg, and it is added together with the sugar in egg white.
Seven, liquid
1, choice of liquid:
The liquid used in cakes is mostly whole milk (fresh milk), but evaporated milk, skimmed milk or skimmed milk powder can also be added with water. If you want to add a special flavor, fruit juice or jam can also be used as a liquid ingredient.
2, the function of the liquid:
(1), adjust the batter's thin consistency and poor gas retention.
(2) Increase water consumption
(3), make the tissue delicate and reduce oiliness.
④ Flavor (referring to milk and juice)
(The ratio of milk water is 1 part milk powder and 9 parts water. )
Eight, grease
1, choice of grease:
Salad oil and butter are the most commonly used in making cakes. Butter has the characteristics of natural and pure frankincense taste, good color and high nutritional value, which is very helpful to improve the quality of products; Salad oil is colorless and tasteless, which does not affect the original taste of cakes, so it is widely used.
2. The function of the oil in the cake:
(1) The solid grease can retain air during the stirring process, which is helpful to the expansion of batter and increase the volume of cake;
2. Make gluten and starch particles smooth and soft (softness can only be achieved by oil, but not by water in cakes);
(3) it has emulsifying property and can keep moisture;
4. Improve the taste of the cake and increase the flavor.
Nine, chemical leavening agent
1, type:
There are baking powder, baking soda and smelly powder, and baking powder is the most used in making cakes.
(1), baking powder, the ingredients are baking soda+acid salt+neutral filler (starch), and the acid salt includes strong acid and weak acid:
Strong acid-resistant hair powder (hair with water);
Weak acid-slow pulverization (only when heated);
Mixed baking powder-Double-effect baking powder is most suitable for cakes.
(2) Baking soda, whose chemical name is sodium bicarbonate, releases gas when heated to make it bulky and alkaline, and is rarely used in cakes.
(3) Smelly powder-chemical name is ammonium bicarbonate. When heated, it generates CO2 gas, which makes it expand.
2. Function:
(1) Increase the volume;
(2) making the volume structure soft;
③ The pores in the tissue are uniform.