Solving The Cake-making Blues |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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Well, William Sonoma's suggests the following for a baker's failure in why their cake belly flopped. Thusly, it may help for the next go around, but overbeating - how does one determine that! Ingredients:
problem: batter curdles and separates. |
solution: eggs were not added one at a time and beaten thoroughly after each addition; an electric mixer was set at too high a speed; and/or the eggs were too cold. try adding 1 tbs. flour per egg and reducing the speed of the electric mixer. |
problem: cake didn't rise. |
solution: too much or not enough fat or liquid in the batter; batter was overbeaten; and/or oven temperature was too high. |
problem: cake is tough. |
solution: butter and sugar were underbeaten in the early stages of mixing; batter was overbeaten after the flour was added; not enough sugar; not enough baking powder; and/or not enough fat. try brushing cake layers with sugar syrup, or filling and frosting the layers with a generous layer of moist frosting. |
problem: cake crumb is sticky. |
solution: too much sugar in the batter or sugar was too coarse. |
problem: top crust is hard. |
solution: oven temperature was too high; cake was overbaked; and/or cake was baked too close to the top of the oven. try slicing off the top of the cake layer before frosting. |
Directions:
1. Problem: Cake sinks in the center.
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3. Solution: Too much fat and/or sugar or leavening; batter was overbeaten; cake pan was too small; the filled cake pan was tapped too roughly on the countertop; the oven door was banged shut; or the oven temperature was too low. Try cutting out the fallen center and treating the cake like a tube cake; or fill the depression with fruit or extra frosting.
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5. Problem: Cake peaks in the center.
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7. Solution: Wrong type of flour was used (contained too much gluten); batter was overbeaten; too little fat and/or sugar in the batter; and/or oven temperature was too high. Try slicing the peaked center off the cake, then frost the cake.
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9. Problem: Tunnels run through the cake.
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11. Solution: Not enough fat in the batter; batter was overbeaten; or wrong type of flour was used (contained too much gluten).
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13. Problem: Crust is unevenly colored.
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15. Solution: Too much leavener and/or sugar in the batter; not enough fat in the batter; oven temperature was too high or too low; oven heats unevenly. Try camouflaging with frosting.
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17. Problem: Cake rose unevenly.
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19. Solution: Cake layers were crowded on the oven rack and heated unevenly. Bake each layer on its own rack. Trim the layers to even them out and camouflage with frosting.
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21. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion, (Time-Life Books, 2000).
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