Cakes n Creams Baking Academy

Basic Sponges and Cakes

INTRODUCTION
Cakes and pastries are one of the most common food items that come to our mind
when we talk about bakery and confectionary. In this chapter, we would discuss
various kinds of basic cakes and pastries and their evolution over period of time.
When a small piece of cake is served individually garnished, it can sold as a
pastry. The pastries can be layered separately to form various shapes such as
circles, rectangles, and squares and with new moulds available in the market, one
can also make three dimensional shapes such as pyramids and ovals. When cakes
are prepared as bite sized, then they are often referred to as petit four glace, which
is a generic title that covers all small bite sized pastries and cakes that are ‘iced’.
Petit four glace are served with coffee after a meal, particularly in special functions,
buffets, etc.
Cakes are the richest and sweetest of all bakery products. Baking cake is a
skill which requires a lot of precision when it comes to the intricate details such as
measurement of ingredients and the quality of the ingredients being used.
BASIC SPONGE CAKE
Sponge is light and airy cake that contains three basic ingredients – butter,
sugar and flour and is leavened solely by aeration which occurs by beating, or
creaming. A basic sponge is made by creaming the butter and sugar until pale and
fluffy. Sifted flour and other dry ingredients are folded into the creamed batted
followed by wet ingredients, which is poured into a greased and lined mould and
baked.
Ingredients Used in Cake Making
The foundation of a good cake begins with the base. Every effort and care
needs to be taken in preparing the base, as there is no advantage in decorating the
poor quality bases in an attempt to make them look better. The purpose of
decorating a cake is to make it more appealing to the eye and to the palate.

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The main ingredients you require to prepare cakes are fat, sugar, flour, baking
powder, and emulsifiers. Many cakes also use flavouring ingredients to create
different flavours. Let us understand each of these ingredients individually.
Fat Butter is recommended. For creaming, butter should be soft, not oily, and the
amount of fat that is added to a sponge batter will determine its texture. The more
the fat, the heavier will be the sponge.
Sugar When preparing a sponge batter, use castor sugar because it readily
dissolves in the batter.
Flour All cakes of a light nature needs a weaker soft flour (one with low gluten) to
obtain a more crumbly result. If this type of flour is not available, an all-purpose
flour can be used with the addition of some cornflour to make it softer. Usually
20% of the cornflour or cocoa powder is replaced with the amount of flour.
Baking powder This is used to aerate the cake. Make sure that it is weighed
correctly and sieved several times with the flour to ensure that the cake is not over
or under aerated and the distribution is even throughout. Cake mixture should be
cooked immediately or the gases emitted from the baking powder will start to
develop and break out of the batter.
Flavouring ingredients Many other types of ingredients can be added to the
sponge mixes, depending upon the usage that the sponge will be put to. For a
chocolate cake, it is advisable to substitute 20% of the flour with cocoa powder to
give it a dark rich chocolate flavoured sponge. For a coffee flavoured cake, a paste
of coffee with water can be used, for honey and almond cake one should use honey
and flaked almonds and so on.
Principles of Sponge Making
The aim of mixing cake batters is to combine all the ingredients into a smooth
uniform, stable emulsion, that is, water in fat. It may seem very easy but the process
requires a thorough understanding of the principles involved in making a sponge.
For example, sometimes an experienced baker becomes too impatient to get on with
his tasks and may just increase the speed on the mixture while creaming fat and
sugar, thinking that high speed will do the job faster only to later realize that due to

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the high speed there was no formation of air cells, which resulted in poor texture of
the product.
Combining of ingredients Careful attention has to be given to the mixing process,
the sponge mixture has to form a uniform emulsion. A batter can curdle if the
mixture changes to fat in water, with small particle of fat surrounded by water.
Curdling can occur due to the following factors.
Incorrect measuring of butter The quantity of butter should be measured
accurately in the given recipe, so that the formula has a balance of both fat and
water.
Ingredients too cold Ingredients should not be too cold; a temperature of
21degree Celsius is best suited to enable an emulsion to form.
Emulsion : fine dispersion of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble.
Quick mixing of ingredients Mixing of ingredients in the first step too quickly will
not be able to incorporate a good quantity of air into the batter.
Quick mixing of liquids Adding of liquids too quickly may also cause the batter to
curdle hence, they should be added in steps and little at a time.
Incorrect preparing of moulds Preparing of the moulds prior to baking sponges is
of utmost importance and is an art in itself. Many chefs lightly grease the cake tins
with oil and fill up the tin with cake flour and pour out the excess whilst tapping it
slightly. This ensures a thin film of flour on the cake tin and prevents the batter
from sticking to the mould. The other method is to line the cake with greaseproof
parchment paper.
Formation of air cells Formation of air cells in a batter is of great importance
since they give the sponge its texture and also act as leavening agent. The air
trapped in the batter expands when subjected to heat and this acts as a natural
leavener giving the sponge a good raise even if no chemical agent is used. Correct
temperature of ingredients and suitable mixing process are vital for the formation of
good air cells in the batter.
Texture Another important principle in sponge making is the texture of the
sponge. The development of gluten in the batter is responsible for the texture of the

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end product. A very little amount of gluten is required in cake making, hence weak
flour will be a better choice. In some sponge recipes, corn starch replaces some of
the flour requirements, thereby reducing the gluten content even more. On the other
hand, certain rich fruit cake requires more gluten to hold the structure and the fruits
in the cake.
Since the amount of mixing affects the gluten, the flour in the recipe is always
added towards the end of the mixing process after all the ingredients have been
added, thus ensuring that there is a very little development of gluten. If the batter is
mixed for too long after the addition of flour, then the cake is likely to be tough.
Formula balancing Ingredients and quantities can be changed only to a certain
extent in a given recipe. For the purpose of balancing, ingredients can be classified
into the following four functions.
Tougheners These are the ingredients that provide structure to the cake. For
example, flour help the cake retain its shape and size.
Tenderisers These ingredients must create a soft texture in the cake. Ingredients
such as sweeteners, fats, and chemical leavening agents falls under this category.
Driers These are the ingredients that absorb moisture, for example, flours and
starches, cocoa powder and milk solids (powder) etc.
Moisteners These ingredients provide moisture to the batter and include water,
milk, liquid sugar, etc.
It is must to maintain a balance between the given ingredients. A common
practice in balancing a formula is to decide the flour and sugar ratio, then balance
the rest of the ingredients against this ratio.
 If liquid is increased, reduce the shortening.
 If extra milk powder is added as enrichment, add an equal weight of water.
 If large quantities of moist ingredients such as apple sauce, mashed bananas
are added, then the batter may require an increase in the quantity of flour and
butter.
A formula in which the ingredients fall within the aforementioned limits
is said to be in balance.

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Baking and Cooling of Sponges

After the batter has been made with utmost care, it is important to follow the baking
time and temperature guidelines to get a perfect cake. Few of the things that should
be kept in mind are:
 Pre-heat the oven. The sponge needs to be given an instant shock of heat as
this will help to create the oven spring. Cool ovens will result in dry and
crumbly sponges.
 Make sure that the oven shelves are even. The cake batter is very soft and if
the shelves are eneven, the batter will tend to flow with the slant, thereby
resulting in a thick and thin cake. Whilst the thick will cook, the thin might
burn or become crisp.
 Do not let pans, tins, trays etc touch each other. There should be even
circulation of air as it creates humidity, which helps to bake the products in
uniform colour.
 Bake at the correct temperature. Baking at low temperatures will give dry and
pale cakes and baking at high temperature will colour the cake too fast
resulting in burning it.
 Do not open the oven door and disturb the sponge, until it has finished rising
and is partially browned. Opening the door of the oven might result in the
collapse of the sponge, as when the oven is opened, the steam formed in it
tends to come out with a force, thereby creating a vacuum in the oven, which
results in the collapse of volume.
Test for Doneness
 The sponge will be springy, the centre of the cake on the top will spring
back lightly when pressed.
 A cake tester or a wooden skewer/toothpick when inserted into the centre
of the cake should come out clean.
Cooling and Removing from the Pan
 Cool the sponge cake for 15 mins in the pan and then take out when
slightly warm, if removed from the moulds when just baked the cake will
be too hot and will break.

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 Place the sponge onto the cooling racks for proper circulation of air. If they
are not cooled on cooling racks, the moisture will accumulate in the base
resulting in a soggy cake.
Important Points for Making Sponges and Cakes
 Weigh and measure ingredients correctly.
 Sieve flour to aerate and remove impurities.
 If using baking or cocoa powder, sieve it several times with the flour
to ensure even distribution.
 Tins, frames, hoops, and baking trays should be properly cleaned and
prepared. The paper that used as a liner should be free from creases.
 Dried fruits should be washed and drained well. This is done only for
hygienic reasons but to increase the moisture content in the dried
fruits, giving the cake a moist quality. Another way of achieving this
is to macerate the dried fruits in spirits or liqueurs.
 Remember to get all the necessary equipment ready (for example,
moulds, tins, pre-heating the oven, etc.) before starting to prepare the
cake. Whisked mixtures will collapse if left too long before baking.

 Cakes that are large or heavy such as fruit cakes require longer cooking
time at lower temperatures. Smaller or low density cakes require shorter
cooking time at higher temperature.
 To prevent cakes from over-colouring on the top during the baking
process, place them under a greaseproof paper and reduce the top heat.
 To check the ‘doneness’ in small cakes and sponges, press lightly on the
surface. The impression made should spring back immediately. For
heavy fruit cakes, insert a clean skewer, on withdrawn, it should not
have any moist mixture clinging to it.
 Allow cakes to stand in the moulds they were baked in for a few minutes
prior to removal.
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 Cakes are turned upside down on cooling racks and allowed to cool.
Castor or icing sugar or cornflour is sprinkled on the greaseproof or
parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking. Sponge cakes may
be cooled in the mould, turned upside down. This will give the cake a
flat top and also prevent drying out.
 Do not remove the paper that was used to line the cake until you are
ready to use it. This will prevent the cake from drying out.
 Cover cakes properly for storage either in the refrigerator, freezer, or a
dry cool place, depending on the cake and your personal needs.
 In the case of frozen decorated cakes, it is advisable to cut and portion
the cakes while they are still frozen.

Types of Basic Sponges

Various types of sponges are made by using the aforementioned principles.
Each sponge is used for a different purpose. A plain vanilla sponge can be used for
making fruit based cakes, such as kiwi, mango, pineapple, whereas chocolate
sponge can be used for making chocolate cakes. Sponges can also be used as bases
for mousse cakes and pastries or can be simply crumbled and mixed with fruits such
as apples to make apple pie. The sponge in this case helps to absorb the juices
coming out of the apple and result in a crisp apple pie.

Name Description Uses Method Storage

Butter Butter cake These cakes Creaming The cakes
cake sponge as are often eaten method: Butter should be
sponge known in US during with sugar is wrapped
and commonly afternoon and creamed until individually
known as an hi teas. They light and fluffy. in plastic and
English Pound are usually Flour is added stored in a
cake around the served sliced and folded with cool and dry
world. It is and are never spatula. A environment.
called so iced. At the small amount If needed to
because it most they can of baking be stored for
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contains a be topped with powder is longer period

pound (454gm) sifted icing added for of time, the
of butter, sugar, sugar. aeration. Dried cake should
and flour. candied fruits be stored in
can be added to freezer. The
make fruit cake should
cake. be allowed to
thaw in the
refrigerator
before
serving.

Eggless This is very These can be Creaming or The cakes

sponge famous in India substituted for whisking should be
because of any regular depending on wrapped
religious sponge. the recipe: The individually
implications. It sponge is made in plastic and
can be made in by creaming stored in a
any flavor and butter and cool and dry
can be used in condensed milk environment.
place of the until light and If needed to
regular sponge. fluffy. Flour, be stored for
baking powder, a longer
and baking period of
soda, time, the
water/milk are cake should
folded carefully be allowed to
into the mixture thaw in the
and the sponge refrigerator
is baked until before
cooked. Other serving.
recipes use oil,
yogurt, and
flour along
with baking
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soda to create a
sponge, in
which case the
cake is made
by whisking
method.

CLASSICAL CAKES AND PASTRIES

Before we move further to learn different types of classical cakes and pastries, it is
important to understand the basic composition of any cake.
Base It is the base of the cake or pastry. It is not mecessary that every cake will
have a base, but most of the cakes have a base that serves many purpose, such as:
 Add texture to the cake. For example, black forest cake which is a
soft cake layered with whipped cream and sponge with cherries, has a
base of sweet paste biscuit, which offers a crunchto the soft textured
cake to create an interesting mouth feel.
 Helps to lift up the soft cakes and pastries from the plate for
consumption, or else if the cake is too soft it will fall apart.
 Prevents the spongy cake to soak up any odd flavours if refrigerated
on a tray.
Sponge This is the body of the cake. Various types of sponges can be used for this
purpose. The most basic of all is Butter sponge that is made by creaming method.
Sometimes other kinds of bases can also be used instead of sponge or with a
combination of sponge to layer a cake.
Filling This is the main flavouring of the cake with which it gets its name. For
example, chocolate truffle cake would have the filling of truffle inside. The base of
the cake is layered with various kinds of flavoured creams and fillings to prepare
the cake or pastry.

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Icing It refers to the topping that is the glaze of the cake., which is given for
various reasons, such as:
 To give a decorative appearance to the cake and make it look attractive.
 To form a cover on the cake and prevent it from drying out.
 To add flavor and texture to the cake.
Icings used for cake can be of various kinds. Some cakes are covered only with
dusted icing sugar, whereas some can be covered with caramelized sugar or even
whipped cream.
Garnish This is one of the most important parts of a cake or pastry. These are put
on the cake to decorate it and hence, are known as garnishes. Garnishes can range
from fresh fruits to chocolate and sugar garnishes that would complement the flavor
and texture of the cake. It is very important to choose the right kind of garnish to
finish a cake.
Moistening agents The moistening agent in the cake is usually flavoured sugar
syrup that adds flavour and moistness to the cake. Each layer of sponge is brushed
with liberal amount of sugar syrup. Always spread sugar syrup with a wide brush.
This helps to spread the syrup equally on the sponge. Always remember not to put
too much syrup on the base as it will make the cake too soft and difficult to lift.
Moistening is done for the following reasons:
 It helps to add sweetness to the cake.
 It helps to add flavor to the cake.
 Some of the syrups flavoured with liqueurs are traditional for classical cakes.
For example, a black forest cake is moistened with cherry syrup or kirsch
flavoured liqueur,
 Syrups are added to wet the sponge, so that it allows the fillings to stick to the
sponge and it does not let the sponge give out its crumbs, whilst spreading
cream with palette knife.

Cake/ Pastry Base & sponge Filling Garnish

Black forest This cake usually The cake is Whipped cream
gateaux has a base of layered with fresh covers the top and
This cake comes baked sweet paste whipped cream, all the sides of the
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from the Swabia biscuit and chopped dark cake. Dark

region of apricot jam is chocolate chips, chocolate flakes
Germany, which spread in a thin and Morello are put on top
is famous for its layer over the cherries. Some with swirls of
black forest. The biscuit and a slice recipes also use whipped cream
appearance of the of chocolate sour cherries that is decorated
cake represents Genoese is put on which should be with cherries. The
the forests of the top. cooked with sugar sides can be left
region. and corn starch. plain or can be
decorated with
chocolate flakes.
Walnut brownie Brownie is a This cake is This cake can be
The walnut special sponge served as it is and served warm,
brownies that is made for is not filled or dusted with icing
originated in various kind of layered. The rich sugar. It can
America in the desserts. The fudgy texture of sometimes be
early 1900s. It is a mixing technique the cake acts as a covered with
flat type of dark here is very moistening agent chocolate fudge
chocolate cake important as it for it. also.
that I ssomewhat decides the
between a cookie texture of the
and a cake. It is brownie.
often eaten with Chocolate is
tea and can be melted along with
eaten paired with butter and kept
vanilla ice cream aside to cool.
and hot chocolate
sauce.
Baked This is a very This cake does The cake is
Cheesecake unique cake as it not have any served dusted
This cake comes is not layered like filling. with castor sugar.
from America. In other cakes. In Sometimes it is
order to create the this, a cake ring is spread with castor
famous lined biscuit base sugar and
Neufchatel cheese and baked blind. caramelized under
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from France, the The cheese is an equipment

American chefs creamed along called
accidentally with sugar, salamander,
stumbled upon a whipping cream which emits
recipe for an and fresh cream. radiated heat from
unripen cheese The prepared top only.
which they called batter is then put
as cream cheese. into the mould
In 1912, a method and then baked in
was developed to a water bath.
pasteurize the
cream cheese and
thus, the
Philadelphia
cream cheese was
born.
Chilled The chilled The cake is The cheesecake
cheesecake cheesecake usually filled with can be garnished
Chilled traditionally has a a cream cheese in a variety of
cheesecake unlike base of sponge, mixture, which is ways.
the baked but one can use made by using a Traditionally, it is
cheesecake is set other bases such variety of cream covered with a
in a mould with as biscuits crush cheese such as fruit gel and
the help of or even meringue. Philadelphia, garnished with
gelatin. This The sponge used Mascarpone, or fruits.
popular cake from in the base is even yoghurt
France has a moistened with cheese. The cake
smooth creamy sugar syrup. This can be flavoured
texture that comes cake would be with any
from creamy prepared in a ring flavourings such
cheese. shaped mould as zest, juice of
which is lined any citrus fruit,
with sponge. The berries, and
cheese cake chocolate. Gelatin
mixture is filles is added to the
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and smoothened mixture and this

on top and the mixture is poured
cake is chilled. into moulds and
set.

HI TEA CAKES

Name Description
Tea cake Butter cake sponge as known in US and commonly known
as English pound cake around the world. This cake can be
flavoured with various kinds of ingredients such as cutrus
fruit zest and juices. It can also be flavoured with artificial
flavours and colours. Candied fruits can also be mixed
along with the batter to prepare dry fruit cakes.
Banana Banana bread is also commonly served as a breakfast
bread pastrt or even in hi teas. Soft and pulpy bananas are used
for preparing this cake. This type of cakes are baked in
loaf tins. The cake is then sliced and served.
Fruit loaf Various kinds of fruits are used for making dry cakes for
hi tea. Apples, mangoes, pineapples are few of the fruits
that can be combined in a pureed form or in a small
chunks to make moist and soft cakes that are often served
at hi teas.
Marbled This is same as English pound cake but the batter is
cake divided into two parts. One part is mixed with cocoa
powder and the other is flavoured with vanilla. Both the
batters are put in a baking tin and randomly stirred with a
small rod to intermingle the designs. The resulting baked
cake is marbled in texture.

COMMON FAULTS IN CAKE MAKING

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Cake baking is a combination of art and science blended with years of experience.
Even the most professional bakers sometimes cannot make a product as per the
right standard. There can be many faults that may occur during cake making. Some
of these can be outside your control and a few you will be able to identify so that
either you can rectify them or learn from them so that they are not repeated in the
future.
Faults Reasons
M fault As the name suggest an M shape is formed in the cake whilst
baking. The cake sinks in the middle and does not rise
evenly.
Most of the cakes sink in bottom due to recipe imbalance.
Some of the things that can go wrong in recipe are:
 Use of very weak flour
 Too much of raising agent in the mixture
 The oven was opened midway resulting in collapse of
volume
 Too much of sugar in the recipe
X fault This is one of the most common faults that can occur in a
sponge. In this fault, the cake rises evenly but the corners of
the cake sink inside giving an uneven finish to the top of the
cake. Some of the common causes could be:
 Uneven baking temperature
 Too much liquid component in the batter
 Uneven dispersion of raising agent
Cake does not Quite a common problem and can be caused due to various
have good reasons such as:
volume  Too much of dry ingredients resulting in a stiff batter
 Over mixing of flour in wet ingredients, resulting in
loss of volume
 Oven temperature too low or too high
Cracked top This is an undesired appearance in few cakes and in some
cakes such as tea cakes, it is important to have a peak
resulting in a small crack.
Some of the reasons associated with this fault are:

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 Oven too hot in the initial stage

 Less quantity of raising agent
Sugary top This is a fault in the cake when you see dark coloured spots
or specks of sugar on top of the sponge. This fault occur due
to the following reasons:
 Recipe imbalance where too much sugar is added
 Sugar has not dissolved in the mix due to lack of
moisture content
 Granular sugar was used in the recipe and it has not
dissolved
 Cake left too long outside before being put in the oven.
Leaving the cake uncovered causes moisture loss and
hence, accumulation of sugar patches on top. After the
cake is baked, there is a white sugary streak
Curdling of This is a fault that can occur during the batter making
batter process. Following could be the reasons why the batter
curdles whilst making:
 The ingredients are at different temperatures, some are
at room temperature whilst others are chilled.
 The batter is being made at a very high speed.
Sinking of This is one of the most common issues that the dry fruits
fruits sink to the bottom. This alters the texture of the sponge and
also the appearance is not very pleasant. Some of the reasons
for this fault could be:
 The flour used is a very weak flour
 The batter is overbeaten and hence very soft
 Too much of raising agent in the recipe
 Fruits are not dry and have too much liquid in them

ICING
Icing is a common English term, also called frosting in America. When a mixture
such as types of creams are used in layering of cake, they are called fillings and
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when these are used for covering a cake they are known as icings. Icing is done for
various reasons. The most important are:
 It adds a sweet taste to the cakes and pastries.
 It improves the appearance of the product.
 It helps in preserving cakes as it covers all the sides and top of the cake, thus
preventing it from drying out.
 It adds moistness and flavour to cakes and pastries.
Kinds of Icing and its Classical Types
Icing Description
Buttercream This is a light and fluffy mixture of unsalted butter and
icing sugar. The butter is creamed along with the sugar
until air is incorporated thereby, making the icing light,
creamy and fluffy. There are various kinds of
buttercreams and slight variations could be made to
enhance their texture and flavour. Few of the common
variations of buttercream are:
Italian buttercream: In this, half of the buttercream is
folded along with Italian meringue. The butter is creamed
with less amount of sugar as Italian meringue is already
high in sugar content
Swiss buttercream: In this type of buttercream, the
butter is creamed till light and fluffy and then combined
with swiss meringue. Swiss meringue is made by cooking
egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until 45 degree
Celsius and then whipping the mixture until a foamy and
thick meringue is obtained. The meringue must be cooled
down to 30 degree Celsius before incorporating it into the
creamed butter.
American buttercream: In this buttercream, the ratio of
sugar to butter is almost three times. The butter is
creamed along with the sugar until air is incorporated
thereby, making the icing light, creamy, and fluffy. The
consistency of this buttercream is very thick and

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sometimes the consistency is adjusted by adding a

spoonful of milk.
Flavoured buttercreams: These kinds of buttercreams
are flavoured with various kinds of flavourings and
colours to make ornamental cakes and several other types
of cakes. Some of the most common flavourings used in
buttercream are vanilla, melted chocolate, coffee, nut
paste such as hazelnut, chestnut and almond paste, and
liqueurs such as rum.
Fondants Fondant is a sugar based icing that is mostly used on
festive cakes and wedding cakes. The consistency of this
icing is such that it can be rolled and then used for
covering cakes or pastries.
Chocolate icing Various kinds of chocolate icings are used to cover and
decorate cakes and pastries. The two major ones are
truffle and ganache. Few other kinds of chocolate icings
used on cakes and pastries are:
Chocolate glaze: It is made by cooking cocoa
powder/chocolate, water, fondant, and liquid glucose
until the mixture is thick and shiny. Then soaked gelatin
leaves are added and the mixture is blended until smooth
and shiny. The mixture is allowed to cool down to 32
degree Celsius before applying on any cake. It can then
be used to cover the top of the cakes. The gelatine allows
the glaze to set on the cake with a shiny appearance.
Chocolate fudge: Chocolate truffle is whipped until it
becomes fluffy and of matt finish. Softened butter is
incorporated into the mixture to create fudge icing. The
fudge icings are spread with palette knife and lifted up to
form peaks on the top of the cakes.
Glazed icings This category of icings can be comprise of various kinds
of icings that are used for decorating cakes and pastries.
Glazed icings can be of following types.
Hot and cold gel: Proprietary cold and hot gels are also
available in modern times and they are neutral in flavour.
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These cold gels can be mixed with flavourings and

colours and spread on top of cakes and pastries. The hot
gels are requires to be heated along with a little quantity
of water and flavourings and then spread over chilled
cakes or pastries.
Jams and preserves: Apricot jam is the most commonly
used jam in the pastry for various kinds of decoration of
cakes and pastries. The Danish pastries are iced with
boiled apricot jam. Boiling and applying the jam allows
the jam to spread in a thin consistency and it sets like a
gel after cooling down.
Hot sugar glaze: This icing is like a mock fondant. It is
the quickest icing to make as icing sugar is combined
with very little water and heated over moderate heat until
it becomes opaque and of flowing consistency. This can
be used to glaze and decorate cakes and pastries.

KEY TERMS
Batter: Flowy mixture of flour and liquids. The consistency would depends upon
the amount of liquid in the batter.
Beating: Creaming butter and sugar in a mixer using a paddle attachment.
Blind baking: Usually refers to biscuit shells baked without any filling.
Buttercream: Creamed unsalted butter and icing sugar in the ratio of 2:1 used for
layering and icing cakes.
Cocoa powder: A residual powder left behind in the production of chocolate.
Docking: Making small holes in pastry goods to discourage the puffing up.
Folding: Mixing two or more ingredients together without losing volume.
Gateaux: French word for cakes. Usually a reference to whole uncut cakes.
Icing: Layering and decorating a cake.

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 Cakes n Creams Baking Academy

Leavened: The incorporation of air into a dough or batter.

Petit fours Bite sized decorative sponges or pastries, served with coffee.
Pinning: Rolling the dough with a rolling pin.
Piping: Forcing out the mixture from a bag.
Pound cake: Another name for butter cakes.
Rubbing-in: Mixing in flour and butter with fingertips to resemble breadcrumb
texture.
Silpats: Silicone baking mats.
Turn table: An equipment used for layering and icing cakes.
Whipping: Incorporating air into liquids, by using wire whisk.

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