Key Ingredients to make any Kind of cakes are: FLOUR, SUGAR, SHORTENING and EGGS.
You can also add many other ingredients as your unique flavor profile like: Milk, Brown sugar, Starches, Gums, Butter, Essences, Baking powder etc…
1. Which Flour to use for Bread and which for Cake?
A) Generally you would want a high protein content flour for bread for proper gluten development and a lower protein content for cake to which gluten development is not so critical.
B) Ideally Bread flour should contain between 11 % - 13 % protein
C) And Cake flour would contain between 8 % - 9 %
2. What is the Importance of Sugar in a cake batter?
Sugar contributes to various Baking , Mixing and Eating characteristics of the cake.
A) Flavor – Sweetness
B) Moisture Retention – Extends shelf-life
C) Aids in Crust color – Caramelization
D) Enhances Tenderness
3. What does Shortening ideally contribute to?
A) All kinds of Shortenings and Oils contribute to Tenderness primarily.
B) The cell structure of the cake is initiated in the mixer in the shortening called Nucleation Sites.
C) However Emulsifiers are used to accomplish proper aeration.
D) Flavor carriers.
4.Why are Eggs used for in a cake batter?
A) Eggs primarily provide structure.
B) Egg Yolks give Tenderness.
C) While Egg whites Contribute to toughness in the formulation.
D) Eggs contain a natural emulsifier called Lecithin.
E) For flavor
F) Nutritional Value
G) Moistener
5. Why is Milk used as in a cake formulation?
A) It acts as a toughener primarily because of its protein content.
B)It aids to crust color because of Lactose sugar present.
C) Enhances Flavor.
D) Moistener
E) Nutritional Value
7. Baking powder is used to give Rise & Volume to the cake structure and to soften the cake.
8. Pre Gelatinized Starches are used to Increase Batter Viscosity.
6. Water generally adds to the structure of the product and moist eating qualities.
9. Preservatives like Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate are added for Shelf Life.
10. Any kind of Flavors go with cake batters , as fats are good carriers of flavors and enhances the taste greatly
