Module 3.
Bakery and snack foods
Lesson 13
TECHNOLOGY OF CAKE MAKING
13.1 Introduction
Baking industry is the most stable sector in the food manufacturing industries. The principal basis for most products in this range is wheat flour. Addition of water and various other ingredients give us variety of products like cookies, crackers, cakes, pastries and biscuits. Biscuits are flat, crisp, baked good, whereas cookies are softer and thicker. Cookies and cakes are the some of the oldest snack foods known to the human. These types of flour confections are palatable, easy to carry and don’t require further preparation before consumption and thus they are considered as staple snacks.
13.2 Product Characteristics
Cake is made by the formation of batter from soft/weak wheat flour. Cake is a traditional centerpiece of festivities and joyous celebrations. Cakes are relatively higher both in sugar and shortenings. Cake is a complex emulsion and foam system with appreciable amount of incorporated air as a small bubble into the batter.
Cakes are products leavened mainly by baking powders, sometimes by air incorporation, and occasionally by yeast. Although difficult to define, cakes can be divided into two categories.
First, cakes that are higher in fat and whose structure depends on fat-liquid emulsion created during batter mixing (e.g. fruit slab, Dundee, ginger cake). These types of cakes are characterized by high level of sugar in the formula in which starch gelatinizes during baking. Cakes set when baked giving a light product.
Second, those with less fat (un-shortened cake), or even none at all, but rich in eggs that can aerate to a foam during mixing and gives a characteristic spongy crumb to product such as angel food cake, Victoria sponge.
13.3 Ingredients
The Flour, sugar, shortening and eggs or skim milk powder are essential ingredients. Whereas baking powder, milk, fruits and flavouring substances are optional ingredients.
· Flour: It builds the structure of cake and holds other ingredients together in an evenly distributed condition in the cake. Flour for cake making should have protein content of 7 to 9 per cent. Short patent flour with fine granule structure made from soft wheat is ideally suited for cake making. Cakes flours are bleached to a greater degree in order to brighten the colour. Bleaching also modifies the gluten forming properties (starch gelatinizes faster).
· Sugar: Sucrose is most widely used sweetening agent in cake making. Finely granulated sugar ensure even grain and soft texture in cakes. Sugar has tenderizing action on flour proteins and makes the cake tender. It helps to retain moisture in cakes and improve its shelf-life. The golden crust colour of cake is due to caramelization of sugar.
· Shortenings for cakes should have good creaming and emulsifying properties. Fats have a tenderizing action on flour proteins and thus make the cake tender by holding air cells incorporated during creaming process. It also acts as a moisture retainer and helps to keep the cake moist and thus improves the shelf-life of cakes. Fat used in cake making should be of plastic nature which could incorporate and hold minute air cells during creaming operation.
· Eggs and flour form the necessary framework to support the cake structure. Eggs provide moisture to the cakes. Lecithin of egg yolk acts as emulsifier and later adds to colour. Egg improves taste, flavour and nutritional value.
· Milk adds richness and structure to the cake. Milk proteins have binding action on flour protein which creates toughness in cakes. Milk sugar lactose improves the crust colour, moisture retention property and flavour. Milk solids also improve the nutritive value.
· Water: formation of gluten, release of CO2 gas from baking powder and formation of vapour pressure are made possible by presence of water. Water regulates the consistency of batter which affects the volume and texture of the cakes.
· Salt enhances the natural flavour of other ingredients used in cake making. It also controls development of crust colour by lowering the caramelization temperature of sugar. It may be used at the rate of 0.7 to 1.2% depending upon flavour.
· Baking powder of various types, when moistened with water and heated, evolve CO2 gas which expands during baking and impart volume to cakes.
· Flavourings: Cocoa, chocolate, vanilla etc are added as flavours.
13.4 Cake Making Methods
13.4.1 Sugar batter method
In this method fat is creamed and then sugar is added gradually. When adequate aeration is achieved, flour is added in the mixture along with raising agents. There should be minimum mixing action to avoid gluten formation. When all flour is mixed, remaining liquid is added to the batter to necessary consistency.
13.4.2 Flour batter method
In this method fat and quantity of flour not exceeding the weight of fat is creamed together. Eggs and an equal quantity of sugar are whipped to a stiff froth. Then remaining sugar is dissolved in water or milk and added to the mixture. Lastly remaining flour along with baking powder is added and mixed gently.
13.4.3 Blending method
This is used for formulations containing more sugar than quantity of flour. All ingredients except sugar and milk are mixed together. Sugar, milk, colour and flavours are mixed and added to previous mixture followed by eggs and mixed to form a smooth batter.
13.4.4 Boiled method
Flour (more than two third portions) is added to melted butter or margarine and mixed well. Eggs are whisked with sugar followed by addition of colour and flavor. This is added to flour- fat mixture in equal parts, mixing thoroughly at each stage. Remaining flour is also added at this stage.
13.4.5 Sugar water method
Initially sugar is dissolved in water followed by addition of all other ingredients except eggs. Finally eggs are added and whisked well.
13.4.6 All in process
In this method, all the ingredients are put into the mixing bowl together. Aeration of the mixture is achieved by controlling the speed of mixer as well as mixing time. The batter is then put in greased pan. Only 2/3rd height of mould should be filled. Load the batter containing pan into oven as soon as possible. Bake the cake at 375° - 400°F for 25-30 min.