Tonight's chat isn't "just" for the novice, but it might be nice for the rest of us to return to basics just for awhile and help them out. It is easy to forget all the things we wondered about when we first started.
I'll post a few tips, then you can be thinking and post your own. If anyone has questions, please send them up when I finish this...or anytime.
Anyone need help on opening your chat log so you can record this chat?
Concerning 'summer' cakes...The best cakes to take to family reunions and picnics may be the heavy-fruity type that don't require much if any icing. We must always be careful with milk, cream cheese and puddings. Bacteria can begin to form in a hurry when out in the out-door heat.
Turn your cakes 'bottoms-up' for a nice flat decorating surface.
OVEN TEMP: Most recipes inst. insist on 350 degrees for cakes. But temperature guages aren't always accurate...and it may be best anyway, if we bake cakes at a slightly lower temp! The cake should ideally bake with a nicely rounded top. Not too brown either! If your cake bakes with a 'peak' in center, your oven was too HOT. Cakes can also bake lopsided when placed too close to the back oven wall. The oven is usually hotter here and cake bakes faster where oven wall is hotter, not allowing the cake to rise as high. With box-mixes it is safe to give cake a half-turn after 15-20 miniutes for more even baking.
Bake a cake ONLY until it is done. OR it will be dry and tasteless. Box directions can only be guidelines. If weather is humid, baking takes longer...If you add a few more drops of water, baking takes longer...a few less drops takes a shorter baking time, etc. Large eggs can be a factor, as opposed to small.
TO TEST for doneness: (Applies to box cake mixes, not always good for heavy scratch cakes)...more later.
TEST: When you think the cake should be done, open the oven door and press your finger gently on the center of the cake (the last to be done), if cake BARELY springs back up, it is done NOW. Remove it from the oven and cool for 10 minutes or longer. Either turn it out onto a cake rack or a doily or foiled cardboard. Cool thoroughly before icing.
HEAVY cakes: First, heavy cakes tend to stick in a greased & floured cake pan. So you should grease/flour and also cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the pan bottom. Insert it into the grease/floured pan and also grease/flour the parchment paper circle. (Loosen sides if nec. before turning out cake).
TEST for donness: I can't get by without some guesswork here. (If anyone has a better method, please share). I insert a toothpick or cake tester. If it comes out clean, cake is done. If cake is not very heavy (fruit cake, etc) you can also try the finger-pressed-lightly-in-center method. If your heavy cake is too brown on bottom (or top), either ot is over-baked or you have your oven temperture set too high. ----- QUESTIONS???? ----- I also have a 'tried & true' Carrot cake recipe to share with you. This is a 'dump' cake. So easy. Just start with the first ingredient. Keep the mixer beating and keep adding ingredients. This is a great recipe for wedding cakes or any other. I have made it many times. A great summer cake. This cake is plenty flavorful without ANY icing!- Or just make a mixture of milk and powdered sugar then drizzle over.
Dolores' Easy Carrot Cake - 1 recipe=30 Servings
ADD IN ORDER GIVEN: 1/3 cup Karo, 1 cup Granulated sugar, 1 cup Brown sugar, 4 Eggs, 1 1/2 cup Salad oil, 1 teas. Cinnamon, 1/4 teas Cloves, 1/4 teas Ginger, 1/4 teas Nutmeg, 3 cup Raw carrots, grated fine, 1 teas Vanilla, 2 cup Sifted flour, 2 teas Baking soda, 3/4 teas Salt, 1 cup Pecans, chopped
Beat sugar, eggs, Karo and oil until light and fluffy. ***Be sure you beat this a long time. I beat the entire time I grate carrots. Add rest of ingredients in order given. *Do not beat much after adding flour. Pour into 3-8"pans and bake at 350 degrees until, when touched lightly with your finger, the cake barely springs back up.
Notes: Only one recipe will fit in the ordinary mixer bowl at one time. -2 mixes makes 1-16" layer, or 1-12",plus 1-8" layer, or 2-10" layers plus 1-6"layer. -A 12" and 6" 2-layer cake requires over 1-2lb bag of carrots and 3 recipes. -1 recipe makes 1-10" plus 2-6" layers. -1 recipe is not quite enough for 1-14" layer -2 mixes makes 1-14" layer plus 1-10" layer -*One bag of carrots makes 2 recipes and a little over -For a 2-layer 14",10",6" cake, use 5 lbs carrots & 4 cups pecans+5 recipes. Also need: 3 pks carrots, 1/2 bags brown sugar, 2 pks pecans, over 1 qt Crisco oil. -Always l line bottoms of pans with baker's parchment/grease & flour the parchment too! Cake tends to stick in the pans. Source: A bride gave to me in 1975 to make for her wedding. --- Would anyone have a special request for next time? I think Pwd sugar is hosting next weeks chat entirely since I'll be away and there are no phone facillities where I'll be. I'll be back the following week.
--------------------------- Here are the recipes shared by Pwd sugar...
White Cake
Place 3 White Cake Mixes (2 Duncan Hines and 1 Pillsbury) in the mixing bowl and Add 2 Cups Eggs divided as follows 1 1/2 C. Egg Whites 1/2 C Whole Eggs 2 Lbs Sour Cream 1 1/2 C. Oil Dollop of Butavan (Available from Restaurant Supply Co's) Mix thoroughly then add 2/3 C. Home Brew (Same as Kaluaha receipe without the Coffee)
Just Mix until well blended Do Not over beat
Fill Greased Pans 1/2 Full
Bake at 325x For 1 hr. to 1 hr. and 20 min.
Earlene's Kaluaha Fudge Cake 7/96
Place in Mixing Bowl 2 Devils Food Cake Mixes 1 Cup of Flour (If you live near sea level you may need to omit or decrease the flour) 1 3/4 C Whole Eggs 2 pounds of Sour Cream 1 1/2 C. Oil
Mix thoroughly and then add
2/3 C. Kaluaha
Mix until well blended Do Not over beat
Remove from mixer and stir in
2 C. Chocolate chips
Pour in pans filling 1/2 full Bake approximately 1 hour to 1 20 min. at 325o
Pan Coat
3/4 Cup (Wesson) Oil 1 Cup Crisco (solid) 2 Cups flour
Whip and store in container such as a recycled Crisco can. Invest in a good brush to use just of this pan coat. Parrish's has an excellent round brush that works great.
See you all on Thursday Aug 8th, Dolores