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All Great Bakers, what's your theory! - Page 3

post #31 of 44
4/12/11 at 9:02am
To add on to my last post...We baked with a industrial strength convection oven at work and if the temp stated for a recipe was 350 for a conventional oven, I would bake the cake at 275 and watch the cake like a hawk in the final stages. I'd also set the fan to low. I never had a dry cake.

HTH
Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
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Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
Your only competition should be yourself.
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post #32 of 44
4/14/11 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry it took so long to post this. I hope LindaF144a can still help me. icon_redface.gif

3 3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon + 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

all ingredients are room temperature.
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post #33 of 44
4/15/11 at 8:15pm
I wrap my cakes in plastic wrap after it cools and place in the refrigerator. I find that sometimes if I wrap them before cooling, they turn out gummy. Also I always spray all layers of my cakes with a simple syrup mixture when filling and frosting.
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post #34 of 44
4/16/11 at 8:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetlayers

Sorry it took so long to post this. I hope LindaF144a can still help me. icon_redface.gif

3 3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon + 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

all ingredients are room temperature.



The first thing is I notice in the recipe is the ratio of flour to sugar in weight. You have 16.875 ounces of flour (assuming AP flour) to 8.75 ounces of sugar. Having these two this way off and having half the sugar as flour means you will get a very dry cake.

Where did you get the recipe? And how did you mix it? Not all scratch recipes published are balanced recipes. Possibly there is a typo in the recipe you found or there is a typo here, but that ratio is waaaay off and in the wrong direction too. Possibly someone was trying to get a less sweet cake, or lighten the sugar for health purposes. As you found out, it works to get something baked that probably looked good, but the taste is terrible.

I would strongly suggest you up that sugar to the same amount as the flour at least. So at least 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Reversely you could reduce the flour, but with that much butter, milk and eggs, I would not suggest that right now.

How you mixed it might make a difference too. But if I find a recipe where the sugar does not at least match the flour in weight or more, I don't use it. I have tried making cakes and cupcakes like that and you are basically eating sand paper.

Sorry I didn't answer sooner, for some reason I am not getting notified of any new posts to this topic.
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post #35 of 44
4/16/11 at 9:41am
Hi LindaF144a, your response reminded me when I was in school long time ago, my professor in cooking class used to teach us every baking recipe in ratio that way we can always increase the volume of every ingredient for catering. I can still remember 534421 for maybe puff pastry but don't remember what each number represent icon_razz.gif
Anyway, I was wondering if you have a ratio for a basic sponge cake and/or sturdy pound cake?

Thank you so much. icon_biggrin.gif
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post #36 of 44
4/16/11 at 9:55am
I've always loved this one kind of velvety sponge cake but never been able to figure out how to bake one myself (uploading a photo of it). Can anyone help? I usually get this kind of cake sold in a box, wrapped in air tight wrap in Asian market and it's usually a honey flavored (pound) cake. The cake is velvety with the "pores" so small and consistent in size but very moist. I had it once at Hilton hotel near BWI airport.

Does anybody know how to achieve the texture of this kind of cake?
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post #37 of 44
4/16/11 at 10:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by peachspider

I've always loved this one kind of velvety sponge cake but never been able to figure out how to bake one myself (uploading a photo of it). Can anyone help? I usually get this kind of cake sold in a box, wrapped in air tight wrap in Asian market and it's usually a honey flavored (pound) cake. The cake is velvety with the "pores" so small and consistent in size but very moist. I had it once at Hilton hotel near BWI airport.

Does anybody know how to achieve the texture of this kind of cake?



Ooops... picture didn't come up.... I uploaded one to the gallery. Here's the link...
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2005672

Thanks!
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post #38 of 44
4/16/11 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 
[/quote]

The first thing is I notice in the recipe is the ratio of flour to sugar in weight. You have 16.875 ounces of flour (assuming AP flour) to 8.75 ounces of sugar. Having these two this way off and having half the sugar as flour means you will get a very dry cake.

quote]

The recipe came from Wedding Cakes you Can Make by Dede Nelson. She provides a moistening syrup recipe, however, I still think the cake I made is dryer than it is supposed to be.
Despite difficult economic times, I'm determined to be rich!
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Despite difficult economic times, I'm determined to be rich!
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post #39 of 44
4/16/11 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetlayers



The first thing is I notice in the recipe is the ratio of flour to sugar in weight. You have 16.875 ounces of flour (assuming AP flour) to 8.75 ounces of sugar. Having these two this way off and having half the sugar as flour means you will get a very dry cake.

The recipe came from Wedding Cakes you Can Make by Dede Nelson. She provides a moistening syrup recipe, however, I still think the cake I made is dryer than it is supposed to be.



Ah that explains the low sugar.

Omit the syrup and up the sugar to about 2 1/4 - 2/13 cups that about the same as the flour. You should get a different result. Something much sweeter and a softer, more tender and therefore moister mouthfeel.
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post #40 of 44
4/16/11 at 3:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by peachspider

Hi LindaF144a, your response reminded me when I was in school long time ago, my professor in cooking class used to teach us every baking recipe in ratio that way we can always increase the volume of every ingredient for catering. I can still remember 534421 for maybe puff pastry but don't remember what each number represent icon_razz.gif
Anyway, I was wondering if you have a ratio for a basic sponge cake and/or sturdy pound cake?

Thank you so much. icon_biggrin.gif



Sorry, you made me laugh.
A ratio for a pound cake would be 1 pound each, that is what makes it pound cake. icon_biggrin.gif

As far as sponge cake, I don't like them so I have not researched them as much as I have a butter cake.
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post #41 of 44
4/16/11 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LindaF144a


Sorry, you made me laugh.
A ratio for a pound cake would be 1 pound each, that is what makes it pound cake. icon_biggrin.gif




Duhhh!! hahaha!! so obvious!! I made myself laugh, too! icon_biggrin.gif
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post #42 of 44
5/5/11 at 6:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by LindaF144a

Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetlayers



The first thing is I notice in the recipe is the ratio of flour to sugar in weight. You have 16.875 ounces of flour (assuming AP flour) to 8.75 ounces of sugar. Having these two this way off and having half the sugar as flour means you will get a very dry cake.

The recipe came from Wedding Cakes you Can Make by Dede Nelson. She provides a moistening syrup recipe, however, I still think the cake I made is dryer than it is supposed to be.



Ah that explains the low sugar.

Omit the syrup and up the sugar to about 2 1/4 - 2/13 cups that about the same as the flour. You should get a different result. Something much sweeter and a softer, more tender and therefore moister mouthfeel.



This is a REALLY late thank you but I do truly appreciate your expertise in this matter! Have a super evening.
Despite difficult economic times, I'm determined to be rich!
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Despite difficult economic times, I'm determined to be rich!
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post #43 of 44
5/5/11 at 6:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by peachspider


Ooops... picture didn't come up.... I uploaded one to the gallery. Here's the link...
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2005672



You can't post a cake photo to the galleries that you didn't make.

You can add a link to your post or use photobucket to post an attachment:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-715420-.html
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post #44 of 44
5/6/11 at 8:32pm
Referring you back to a previous topic:
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=682552&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

Two things emerge:
1. the flour is measured after sifting, so it is lighter than you have been discussing

3. DW says that it does not have the "moist" mouthfeel of a typical american cake ..

Search: there are probably other discussions about her cakes...
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