Questions tagged [cake]

Questions about preparing or baking cakes, defined as chemically or mechanically (using eggs) leavened flour batter.

Cakes are made from batter and contain either chemical or mechanical leavening to cause them to rise and be light and airy. (A very few cakes, such as coffee cakes, are yeast raised.)

Cakes are typically baked in an oven and most often are sweet.

Note that while items like muffins and banana breads are similar to cakes, the tag is more appropriate.

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How do you make a cake lift equally and minimize doming?

Some time ago, I baked a cake (Sachertorte to be exact). The taste and texture was fine, so my recipe is okay. My biggest issue was the shape. In the middle it was really a lot higher than on the sides. I would like to redo it in the near future,…
Mien
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Does the "German" in "German chocolate cake" refer to the chocolate or the cake?

A friend insists that the "chocolate" is the German part of German chocolate cake, the evidence being that there are no palm trees in Germany (for the coconut frosting). Is this correct?
Matt Sherman
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What role do eggs play in baking?

Why do we use eggs in cake baking?
oneat
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When baking a cake that calls for butter, should you use salted or unsalted?

I'm baking a cake using a cake mix and extra ingredients. It calls for 5 tbsp of butter, but I'm not sure which to use, salted or unsalted. What difference would it make??
user4053
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Why did my rum cake turn black?

A friend baked a rum cake for me. She baked it in an aluminum pan. The cake was soaking in rum. Overnight the cake turned BLACK. I suspect this is a chemical reaction, but cannot find information to back my theory. Surely, this may not be safe…
Anne E Delozier
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Is cheesecake a cake or a pie?

Is cheesecake technically a pie or a cake? I'm curious as to why. Are there solid definitions of what makes a dessert a cake or a pie?
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How do I keep fruit from sinking to the bottom of my cake?

I recently had the opportunity to cook a series of yoghurt cakes. The first batch were tasty yet somewhat dense. For the second batch, I (successfully) attempted to lighten the cake by first beating the egg whites until foamy before folding in the…
Kaz Dragon
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What is the difference between quick bread and cake?

Quick breads, like banana or zucchini breads, seem to be assembled in an identical method and with similar ingredients as cake. Many recipes have comparable quantities of fat and sugar. So what is the difference and how can you tell whether a baked…
Sobachatina
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What is the science behind Magic Cake?

Magic Cake has a seemingly simple batter, that is mixed and baked as a single entity. (See link for the full recipe and method). When it is baked, it separates into three distinct layers: A dense bottom layer A custard middle layer A cakey top…
SAJ14SAJ
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Is it possible to bake a cake without an oven?

I don't have an oven; is there any way to simulate what an oven does with any other tools available at my home? In particular I would like to be able to bake cakes.
Santosh Kumar
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What is the physical effect of sifting dry ingredients for a cake?

I notice that for recipes that call to sift the dry ingredients, most usually cakes or cupcakes, there is a noticeable difference in the batter after the wets have been incorporated. What are the physics for sifting dry ingredients? How does this…
Jason P Sallinger
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Is there a non-penetrative method for checking cake doneness?

Is there some way to check a cake is done without using a toothpick or other penetrative device? I like the thermometer idea, but no one seems to know how the heck to use them.
dassouki
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Making cake icing look professionally smooth

So you've got a nice, flat-topped cake after learning on Seasoned Advice how to eliminate doming and now you wish to ice it as perfectly smooth as you see it sometimes done commercially: no ridges with a even sheen. Any secrets beyond patience and…
jontyc
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What makes cake a Sponge Cake? And what doesn't?

I've been watching the Great British baking show and they refer to basically every cake as a sponge. I live in the USA and grew up in Australia. We just called cake, cake. I know how to make a victoria sponge, and a genoise and neither of these…
Rose
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Why is it called coffee cake?

There is no coffee in any of the recipes I've seen for coffee cake, so why is it called that?
John
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