Cakes, Pies & Candies Chapter 24

Bell Work Have you ever made cakes, pies or candies? What was your favorite? What was the easiest part of making these desserts? The hardest?

Objectives Students will… –Classify types of cakes, pies and candies. –Evaluate methods of making cakes, pies and candies. –Experiment with methods of making cakes, pies and candies.

What is your favorite cake, pie or candy? Cake, Pie, Candy Poll

Cakes

Cake Ingredients Flour –Gives structure Sugar –Gives sweetness –Improves texture Eggs –Add structure –Whites: Leavening agent in angel food & sponge cakes

Cake Ingredients Liquid –Provides moisture –Helps blend other ingredients Salt –Gives flavor Fat –Tenderizes gluten in flour Leavening Agents –Makes cakes rise and become porous and light

Cake Ingredients Cream of Tartar –Angel food and sponge cakes only –Acid Makes egg whites whiter Increases volume

Measuring Ingredients Must be measured exactly –Why? Flour –Too much = Compact & dry –Too little = Course & may fall Fat & Sugar –Too much = Tough –Too little = Heavy & course, may fall

Measuring Ingredients Liquid –Too much = Soggy & heavy –Too little = Dry & heavy Eggs –Too many = Rubbery & tough

Mixing Cakes Ingredients MUST be mixed according to the method stated in your recipe. Overmixing = tough cakes Overmixing angel food & sponge cakes = smaller cakes

Baking Cakes Bake in a correctly-sized pan. Grease and lightly flour pans for shortened cakes. Do not grease pans for unshortened cakes. Bake just until they test done at the correct temperature. –Too high temperature = burnt cakes –Too long = dry cakes

Types of Cakes Shortened CakesUnshortened Cakes “ Butter cakes Contain fat Contain leavening agents Tender, moist, velvety “ Foam cakes” Do not contain fat Leavened by air or steam Angel food = egg whites Sponge = whole eggs Chiffon Cakes Shortened = fat Unshortened = egg whites

Shortened Cakes: Characteristics Velvety & light Interior –Small, fine cells with thin walls Exterior –Crusts are thin and evenly brown –Top crust is smooth or slightly pebbly and gently rounded. Flavor is mild & pleasing.

Shortened Cakes: Preparation Mixing methods –Conventional Cream fat & sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat eggs into mixture. Add dry ingredients alternately with liquid. –Quick-mix (One-bowl) Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl. Beat fat & part of liquid with dry ingredients. All remaining liquid & unbeaten eggs.

Shortened Cakes: Preparation Pour batter into prepared pan. Place in center of oven to allow for even baking. Test for doneness –Lightly touch center –Insert toothpick Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan onto cooling rack.

Unshortened Cakes: Characteristics Angel food –Large volume –Interior Spongy & porous and has thin cell walls –Tender & moist, but not gummy Sponge cakes –Contain whole eggs

Unshortened Cakes: Preparation Ingredients should be at room temperature Beat eggs white to stiff peaks with small amount of sugar. Fold flour and remaining sugar into egg whites. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Run a spatula through batter to release air bubbles. Bake for recommended time in correct temp.

Unshortened Cakes: Preparation Test for doneness –Gently touch cracks Should feel dry & no imprint should be left Immediately suspend pan upside down over the next of a bottle. Cool completely before removing from pan.

Filling & Frosting Cakes Types of filling & frosting –Fillings: Fluffy whipped cream, creamy puddings, sweet fruits –Frostings: Buttercream, cream cheese, canned Cake decorating tools –Decorators’ tube: Cloth, plastic or paper bag you fill with frosting –Coupler: Holds plastic or metal decorating tips onto the tube

Pies

Types of Pies Fruit –2 pie crusts –Commercially prepared filling, or homemade filling Cream –1 pie crust –Filling = Cornstarch-thickened pudding mixture –Meringue topping

Types of Pies Custard –1 pie crust –Filling = Milk, egg, sugar mixture with other flavoring ingredients. Chiffon –1 pie crust –Filling = Mixture of gelatin & cooked beaten egg whites + flavoring –Chilled

Pastry Dough used to make pie crusts Ingredients –Flour = Gives structure –Fat = Makes tender and flaky –Water = Provides moisture –Salt = Adds flavor

Pastry: Characteristics Tender & flaky “Melt in your mouth” Lightly & evenly browned

Pastry: Measuring Ingredients Flour, fat & liquid contribute to tenderness and flakiness, therefore incorrectly measured ingredients will result in a crumbly, dry or gummy pastry.

Pastry: Handling Too much handling can make pastry dough tough. Handle gently & as little as possible: –Do not overmix when adding the liquid. –Do not use the rolling pin to vigorously when rolling the pastry. –Do not stretch the pastry when fitting it into the pie plate.

Candy

Types of Candy Crystalline –Fine sugar crystals –Taste smooth and creamy –Fudge, fondant Noncrystalline –Do not contain sugar crystals –Can be chewy or brittle –Caramels, peanut brittle, suckers

Making Candy All candies start with a sugar syrup. –Sugar & liquid cooking to thick consistency. Crystalline –Fine crystal formation = Heat to certain temperature, cool to certain temperature, beat vigorously Noncrystalline –No sugar crystals = Heat to HIGH temperature, or add substances to interfere, or both

Making Candy Temperature is EXTREMELY important –Each type of candy requires a SPECIFIC temperature –Use candy thermometer Use a heavy saucepan to prevent sugar scorching.

Chocolate Made from bean of cacao tree –Beans are roasted –Roasted beans are shelled, pressed and heated –Liquid called chocolate liquor forms –Fat, or cocoa butter, may be removed from liquid Higher the cocoa butter content = better chocolate

Chocolate Baking and eating chocolate is made chocolate liquor and comes in various degrees of sweetness. –Unsweetened = No sugar –Bittersweet, Semi-sweet, and milk chocolate contain progressively more chocolate Sweetened chocolates also contain vanilla Milk chocolates also contain milk solids

It’s Not Real… White chocolate –Made from cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, flavorings Imitation chocolate –Made using vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter –Less expensive, lacks tastiness and creaminess

To Melt Chocolate… Chop bars into small pieces, or use chocolate chips. Use double boiler, stir constantly, remove from heat immediately. In the microwave, use a glass bowl, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until chocolate is melted. Stir after each period.