Yummy in tummy.....

Trouble ShootingRefer to this checklist to figure outwhy a cake did not turn out as expected.

**If a homemade cake has a coarse texture, the following problems may have occurred:
Too much baking soda or baking powder may have been used.
Not enough liquid may have been used.
The butter and sugar may not have been beaten together long enough. If the recipe calls for creaming butter and sugar, or beating until light and fluffy, this should take at least three to four minutes of beating.
The oven temperature was too low.


**If a homemade cake is too dry, the following problems may have occurred:
Too much flour or leavening (baking soda/baking powder) was used.
Not enough shortening or sugar was used.
The cake was over-baked - the oven temperature was too high and/or the baking time was too long.


**If a homemade cake fell (the center of the cake sinks), the following problems may have occurred:
The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
The liquid was over or under measured.
The pan was too small - the batter was too deep.
The cake was moved or jarred before it was sufficiently baked.
Old or expired baking powder was used.
A wooden pick or cake tester was inserted into the cake before it was sufficiently set.


**If a homemade cake has low volume or is too flat, the following problems may have occurred: The liquid was over- or under-measured.
The batter was under-mixed or extremely over-mixed.
Too large a pan was used.
The oven temperature was too low or too high.


**If a homemade cake has a peaked center, the following problems may have occurred:
The batter was over-mixed.
The oven temperature was too hot.


**If a homemade cake shrinks excessively around the edges, the following problems may have occurred:
The baking pans were greased too heavily.
The baking pans were placed too close together in the oven.
There was too little batter in the baking pan.
The batter was extremely over-mixed.
There was too little liquid in the batter.
The cake was over-baked - either too long a time or at too high a temperature.


**If a homemade cake is soggy, the following problems may have occurred:
The cake was moved or jarred before it was sufficiently baked.
The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
Old or expired baking powder was used.


**If a homemade cake has a spotted crust, the batter was probably under-mixed.

**If a homemade cake has a sticky top crust, the following problems may have occurred:
The cake was stored while still warm.
The liquid was over measured.
The cake was under-baked - the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.
The air humidity was too high.

**If a homemade cake has tunnels throughout the layer, the following problems may have occurred:
The oven temperature was too high.
The batter was under-mixed or extremely over-mixed.

**If a homemade cake has uneven browning, the following problems may have occurred:
There was uneven heat circulation in the oven.
The baking pans were placed too close together in the oven.

**If a homemade cake has uneven layers, the following problems may have occurred:
The oven rack was not level.
The cake pans were warped or bent.

Storage & Cutting
Cool unfrosted cakes completely before storing, or they will become sticky on the surface.

Store cakes with creamy frostings under a cake saver or large inverted bowl.

Store cakes with whipped cream toppings, cream fillings or cream cheese frostings in the refrigerator.

Cut butter-type cakes with a sharp, long, thin knife.

Cut angel food, chiffon and pound cakes with a long, serrated knife or electric knife.

http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/Cutting Cake Tips:

Heat a knife first before cutting a cake for crumble-free slices. To heat the knife, you can run the knife under very hot water then wipe dry with a clean towel.

Use unwaxed dental floss to slice through the cake (great for the gooey or sticky cakes).

Keep Cut Cake Fresh:

Once you start slicing the cake, the exposed or cut sides can dry out quickly. Here’s a way to keep things fresh:

Wrap the cut cake with a few slices of fresh apple or cubes of sugar or a slice of fresh bread set inside the cake pan (or in the open space of the cake plate). Make sure to store the cake in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap.

http://tipnut.com/cake-baking-tips/Frosting & Icing Tips:

Don’t attempt to ice the cake until it’s completely cool. Dust the cake lightly with a pastry brush before frosting, helps reduce crumbs in the icing.

First ice the cake with a thin layer of frosting, then refrigerate (covered). After an hour you can do a complete frosting job. This helps keep the crumbs at bay and your outer frosting layer should be crumb free.

After frosting the cake, you can use a hair dryer to slightly melt the frosting. This will give the frosting a smooth, glossy look. If you prefer you can use a metal icing spatula or knife first heated by sitting in hot water, wipe dry, then use the heated knife to smooth the icing.

Have a bag of chocolate chips on hand? Just sit the whole bag in a bowl of very hot water, and mush the bag up every couple of minutes until all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps. Snip the corner of the bag and squeeze out the melted chocolate directly onto the cake.

Have two favorite frostings and can’t decide which one to use on a layer cake? Try both! Spread one frosting on top of one layer, and spread the other on the bottom of the other layer (you’ll want to flip the bottom ‘up’ when frosting). Then put the layers together. The middle will have a delicious two-frosting surprise :). Can also use this technique when filling the layers with a combination of fruit and whipped cream or frosting.

To help prevent a flaking or cracking frosting, add a pinch of baking soda when mixing the frosting.

If icing is a bit too thin or runny, lightly dust the top of the cake with flour then spread the icing on top. This will help the icing hold to the cake.

Quick Tip: Icing Cakes: For one layer cakes, turn the cake upside down before icing so that the top is perfectly flat and even. When icing two cake rounds or squares, place a layer of frosting on the top of one round, then place the other round upside down on top for a perfectly flat top.

Easily Color Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut can be a nice, decorative touch achieved easily. Simply put the coconut in a clean jar (only one half jar full at a time), add a few drops of food coloring in your choice of color, then cap the jar and shake it until all the coconut is evenly tinted.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/cakerecipes/a/cake_tips.htmIngredients & Techniques
When measuring flour, fluff it in the bag then spoon into the measuring cup; level off with a knife.


To "lighten" a hard wheat flour, spoon 2 to 4 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup dry measure, then sprinkle the flour in until full and scrape off the excess with the back side of a knife.

For better texture, try substituting buttermilk for regular milk in your cake recipe. For each cup of buttermilk used, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients.

Beat butter and sugar for as long as the recipe directs.

To make a lighter cake, separate the eggs first. Add the yolks to the butter mixture, beat the egg whites then fold into the batter.

In general, use 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder for every cup of flour in cake batters.

To speed up the softening of cold butter, grate or thinly slice it and let stand for about 10 minutes over a bowl of warm water.

Toss nuts, raisins and chopped fruits in flour first. This will help keep them suspended in batters.

To split layer cakes loop a long strand of unflavored dental floss around the center of the cake horizontally. Cross the ends and slowly and firmly pull on each end to cut cleanly through the cake.

Cool the cake thoroughly before frosting.

To moisten confectioners' sugar frostings, use other liquids in place of milk. Melted jelly, fruit juices, coffee, peanut butter (with a little milk), honey, or maple syrup are just a few alternatives.

Make chocolate whipped cream by combining 2 tablespoons each unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in 1 cup whipping cream, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before beating.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/cakerecipes/a/cake_tips.htm
Temperature & Cookware

If your oven temperature is questionable, invest in an oven thermometer. Some ovens can be off by as much as 75°.

Before mixing the batter, prepare the pans, turn the oven on, and make sure the rack is in the center.

Shiny pans reflect the heat, and are your best choice for cake baking.

Reduce the oven temperature by 25° when using glass pans.

Substitute 8-inch square pans for round if you want, or use 2 to 3 8 X 4-inch loaf pans. The baking time will be less, so begin checking about 15 minutes before the time suggested.

Have all ingredients at room temperature for best results.

Grease pans with about 1 tablespoon of fat per layer pan.

Use cocoa (or carob powder) instead of flour for dusting a greased pan when making a chocolate cake.