Types of Cakes
Being able to bake a cake from scratch is an essential skill for a baker when learning the science of baking. Being able to understand and master the fundamental types of cakes ensures a greater foundation of knowledge, making more complex and intricate recipes easier to master in the future.
There are hundreds of styles of cakes, however getting to know about the following types can give you a good start in building your recipe repertoire
POUND CAKE
As the name suggests, this traditional and classic cake got its name by originally being made by using one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. This cake is dense and delicious and lends itself to be a great base recipe for many variations.
BUTTER CAKE
Similar to pound cake, this cake calls for roughly equal parts butter, sugar, eggs and flour, however due to the inclusion of a leavening agent it means for a lighter texture. The content of butter in this cake allows for the cake to remain moist when baking and can also lend itself to be a great foundation for variations.
LAYER CAKE
This involves the layering of cake which is held together by icing/frosting, preserves or filling. The essential thing to remember when making a layer cake is to ensure that the filling/frosting being used is suitable for the cake. For example, a lighter and airy cake would not be suitable to use with a heavier frosting or filling as it can lead to compromising the structural integrity of the cake and also lead to the cake sinking. However, the combinations and variations when making a layer cake are endless, and when done right can make for amazing results!
SPONGE CAKE
Like its name, this cake is light and airy like a sponge and is great at absorbing syrups, drizzles and creams. This cake originated before leavening agents had been discovered, and it’s texture and height is achieved by whipping the eggs for up to 15 minutes. But be careful! This cake can be quite fiddly to master and has a great room for error, which means you need to ensure that you’re following the recipe very closely.
ANGEL FOOD CAKE
This cake is super light and fluffy, almost like it could float like an angel! The secret behind its height is omitting egg yolks and instead the whites are whipped into the batter. Once it has finished baking, it is cooled upside down in its mold, which helps prevent the cake from collapsing. This cake is ideal to serve with fresh berries and cream, making it a delicious and light dessert!
CHEESECAKE
This is a more rich and creamier cake, usually involving layers that includes a crust made from cookies or biscuits and the main filling commonly consists of cream cheese, eggs and sugar. The filling can be adapted to suit many different tastes and can range from dense and decadent to more light and fluffy like mousse. The versatility of this cake also allows for baked and non-baked versions.
CHIFFON CAKE
This light and airy cake is different in that it calls for vegetable oil instead of butter or shortening. It has a spongy texture and unlike other cakes that use leavening agents it involves beating the egg whites into a meringue and then folding it into the mixture. This cake is similar to the Angel Food Cake, but instead includes egg yolks and oil. This cake also calls for it to be cooled upside down in its pan in order to prevent collapsing. This cake is also not overly sweet, allowing for any frosting or fillings to make up for the flavor and sweetness.
FLOURLESS CAKE
As the name would entail, this cake is made without flour and makes for a decadent and rich cake. This cake is normally ideal for those suffering with gluten allergies, and can be adapted to suit many tastes.
MUDCAKE
This type of cake is super rich and dense and involves a few more steps and more ingredients with a lower cooking temperature. This cake normally is covered in a rich frosting and is a favourite in cakes for celebrations like weddings and birthdays.
BATTER OR DOUGH
This is asked often. Doughs are a mixture mainly consisting of flour and are therefore malleable and can be kneaded with your bare hands on a work surface. Batters are usually thinner, more liquidy, and are mixed with an electric mixer or hand mixer in a bowl
What is the difference between a batter and dough? The difference between batter and dough is batters are thin and contain eggs, and doughs are thick and don't have to contain eggs. Because of their different consistencies and ingredients, you will mix and prepare batters and doughs differently.
Now when it comes to cakes unlike pastries cakes are made from batter:
With batters, it’s also good to remember the are difference mixing methods. For cakes, usually a period of mixing at high speed is common in order to create volume. You’ll see this in cakes like sponges or meringue-based cakes. For quick breads (i.e. banana bread) those batters are mixed only until ingredients are combined to limit the development of gluten
CAKE OR ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Baked goods that have a softer and more tender texture need weaker flours, which will prevent the gluten network from developing too much strength and elasticity (chewy, firmer texture like breads, bagels, and pizza dough). Cakes, cookies, and biscuits are tender products that often use weaker flours like cake flour.
But all-purpose flour still works, because its protein content is in the middle of the spectrum between strong and weak flours, it is purposefully milled for use in all common baking products.
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Cake- Troubleshooting
Is butter or oil better for cakes? The texture of cakes made with oil is—in general—superior to the texture of cakes made with butter. Oil cakes tend to bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender far longer than cakes made with butter.
Why do my cakes get hard after baking? Toughness in cakes is caused by over-mixing, or the wrong type of flour. Solution: Mix your cake according to the recipe. There is a function to the order in which ingredients are added to create the right texture. As soon as you begin mixing flour with a liquid and a fat, gluten is developed.
Is milk or water better for cakes? Should I use milk or water in a cake? First, it's always best to use what the recipe calls for, otherwise, milk is usually a better choice over water. Milk contains things that water doesn't, like sugar and fat, which can also help with the taste and texture of the cake.
Which ingredient makes cake soft? Creaming Butter & Sugar. Whisking butter and sugar together is one essential tip to make the cake spongy, fluffy and moist. Whisk butter and sugar for long until the mixture becomes pale yellow and fluffy because of incorporation of
Why do cupcakes peak in the middle? If cakes are peaking during baking, it is usually because the oven temperature is a bit too high. The outside edges of the cakes bake quickly, forcing the center upwards and into a peak. As ovens vary you may find that you need to turn your oven down a little more, especially if it is a fan oven with a strong fan.