Baking Basics

[Bowwowmeow]

What You Need to Know About How to Make Cake That Will Fool Necrotarians

First of all, preheat the oven. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your temperature is accurate, rather than depending on the oven to give the correct temperature.

Next, prepare your pans. Cupcakes are easiest when baked with paper liners.

Cake pans should be greased with a thin layer of margarine or shortening. Apply the fat with a bit of paper towel, or the margarine wrapper in a thin, even layer. Then dust with flour. Shake the pan around, making sure the flour adheres to all the fat. Then, tip the excess flour out, and tap the pan to make sure no clumps of flour remain. Any lumps of flour and fat will show up in the cake, so do as smooth a job as possible.

Occasionally, the cake will still stick. If its just for me, I don't care. But if I am making a special cake, I take a parchment paper cake pan liner, which are available at baking supply shops, and press it into the bottom of the pan. You should be able to get these in pre-cut circles the same size as your pans, but you can cut your own too. Apply a thin layer of fat to the paper, and dust with flour. This may seem like overkill, but I have had more than one cake tear when removing from the pan, so I prefer to be sure my cake will come out properly. The paper liner may stick to the pan, but it is easy to peel off the cake if it sticks to the cake instead.

When making cake, I prefer to always use a hard fat, like margarine, shortening, or coconut oil. I have always disliked the texture of cakes made with liquid oils, and since margarines and shortenings without trans-fats are now available, I recommend them exclusively. Cake is not a health food, and if you really want to impress people, use a hard fat in your cake batter.

I use Earth Balance, straight from the refrigerator, to cream with the sugar. I use my Gramma's old mixer, and beat the margarine and suger at high speed for no longer than one and one-half minutes. Any longer may melt the margarine and ruin the texture of the final result.

I never use all-purpose flour, or self-rising flour for cakes. I prefer the light, fluffy, silky texture obtained by using finely milled cake or pastry flour. When substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour, the amount must be increased. When a cake recipe calls for one cup of all-purpose flour, I use between one and one-half cups, to two cups, of cake flour, depending on what kinds of liquid ingredients are being used. You do have to get familiar with what a proper batter looks like, and adjust accordingly. Baking is mostly science, and there is not too much leeway in the recipe, but with practice you will get to know what your batter is supposed to look like.

I also increase the amount of baking powder, about one-quarter teaspoon for every extra one-half cup of flour.

ALWAYS sift your flour BEFORE measuring, resift it with all the other dry ingredients, and then add it to the margarine-sugar mixture alternately with the liquid ingredients. Do not over mix, or you will develop the gluten in the flour, and your cake will be more like bread. There is very little gluten in cake flour, which is why its best for cake, but you can still spoil your cake by overmixing. Only mix enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.

Pour your batter into the cake pan immediately, and give the pan a gentle side-to-side shake to make sure the batter has filled the corners where the sides meet the bottom, no matter what shape your pan is. Then, lightly tap it on the counter a few times, to pop any bubbles that might leave tunnels or large holes in your cake, and place into a preheated oven. The acid and alkaline ingredients in the cake begin reacting immediately upon mixing, and the gasses produced by this reaction are what makes your batter rise. If you wait too long, your cake will not rise.

Do not open the oven door until the cake is nearly done. Testing doneness can be accomplished by lightly pressing a finger on the surface of the cake, in the center. If it springs back, its done. If you leave a dent, its not. You can always use a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it should be done, but I like the fingerprint test the best, since sometimes the toothpick comes out clean, but a finger lightly pressed in the center still leaves a dent. If the cake is not done, check it in five minute incremements until it is.

Always let your cake cool in the pan for about fifteen minutes or so, to aid in removing it without tearing or breaking it. Cool it on a cooling rack, to prevent your cake from becoming damp and soggy. Do not frost it until it is completely cool, or your frosting will melt.

[Bowwowmeow]

Here is my recipe for a basic vanilla cake:

Bowwowmeow's Vanilla Bean Sponge

1/2 cup margarine or shortening (I use Earth Balance)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vanilla flavored oatmilk (I use Pacific Brand)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or scrape the seeds from one 2" section of vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pan.

Mix oat milk with lemon juice, set aside.

Cream the margarine and the sugar until fluffy, no more than 1-1/2 minutes at high speed with an electric mixer. It will take somewhat longer if beating by hand.Add vanilla bean paste, and blend.

Sift dry ingredients, and add in two parts, alternating with oatmilk mixture. Beat only until moistened.

Pour batter into pan, and bake. This recipe will yield one 8" diameter cake, which should bake for 35 to 40 minutes until done, or 12 cupcakes, which should bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until done.

I find that using this recipe, which is greatly modified from Isa's recipe for vanilla cake from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, makes the use of egg replacers and other unusual baking ingredients unnecessary. I really do recommend that book for anyone who loves cake. I have found that I have had to modify most of the recipes I have tried, but so far the results have been delicious. I did use oatmilk in this, since the necrotarians who have tried the vanilla cake can tell there is soymilk in it. Isa uses soymilk curdled with apple cider vinegar in lots of her recipes, and in all but the vanilla, no one can tell. But vanilla is too delicate a flavor to overcome the soymilk and vinegar, so I experimented with oatmilk and lemon juice, which yields a darker golden hue, and a light, delicious flavor, with no hint of anything a necrotarian might object to in a cake. It is light, fluffy, and tender, with no heaviness from all-purpose flour, or greasiness from using oil instead of margarine. I've had a few vegan cakes from local bakeries, and I have to say this recipe makes a cake that is light-years better!

If you are baking for vegans, it may not be worth changing Isa's recipes. But I really love fooling necrotarians with my baked goods, so I prefer my own variation!

[Oracl]

That almost makes me want to bake! :chef:

[paul]

Theres some very good tips there, i'll try to remeber them.

[thevegantwins]

Don't eat the whole thing. :eat:

[Bowwowmeow]

. . . in one sitting??? :o

[Phoenix]

Thanks Bowwowmeow. :nanakiss:

In my town there is one supermarket which basically sells plain or self-raising flour in white or wholemeal. I've never heard of or seen "cake flour". :confused: We do have vanilla flavoured soy milk that doesn't taste too "beany" though. :) And I'll try the coconut oil instead of the liquid oil, and see if that makes a difference. :updn:

[Gliondrach]

Some vegan baking tips - Baking without eggs

Baking with eggs is not essential at all; egg merely acts as a binding agent. Many supermarkets now stock egg replacer (a white powder with instructions on the packet), but you can also substitute any of the following for each egg:

Half a mushed banana.

OR:

1 tbsp flax seeds plus 3 tbsp water — Finely grind the flax seeds in a blender and beat in the water to create a gooey, gelatinous mixture. Flax seeds have a distinctly earthy, granola taste, so they work best in things like pancakes, bran muffins and oatmeal cookies.

OR:

2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp oil and 2 tsp baking powder — This works well in most recipes.

From the Durham University Animal Rights website.

[squirrel]

Instead of using expensive egg replacer just use soy or gram flour and water -80g flour and 50ml of water is equal to about 2 eggs

[Blueshark]

I used apple sauce as egg replacer - but have run out. I don't have any bananas either. Do you think jam could work?

[Gliondrach]

Give it a try and report back. If it works it can be called the Blue Shark Cake Binding Agent. :rock:

[Blueshark]

Ok....but I found some 'official' egg replacer in my cupboard...so used that instead!

[Gliondrach]

Eggs should be called binding agent replacer.