cakes, pies & candies

Cakes, Pies & CandiesChapter 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 Cakes Unshortened 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

Chiff

on

Cake

s

•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.