Baking Terminology

Cake Types and Ingredients

• High-Ratio Cakes have a high proportion of sugar and liquid ingredients to flour, resulting in a moist and tender crumb due to increased moisture content.

Frostings and Icings

• Buttercream is a type of frosting or icing made from butter, powdered sugar, and flavorings, commonly used to decorate cakes and pastries.
• Fondant is a smooth, pliable sugar dough used to cover cakes and create decorative elements.
• Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream used as a glaze, frosting, or filling in pastries and desserts.
• Glaze is a thin, shiny coating applied to baked goods to add flavor, moisture, and decoration.
• Royal Icing is a hard, white icing made from egg whites and powdered sugar, often used for decorating cookies and cakes.

Mixing Methods

• Cutting Method is a mixing method in which fat is cut into dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture, commonly used in making pie crusts or biscuits.

Cake Ingredients and Mixtures

• A levener needs acidic ingredients to activate

Baking Methods

• Cutting Method: fat is cut into dry ingredients to create a crumbly texture
• Creaming Method: butter and sugar are beaten together to incorporate air and create a light, fluffy texture
• Foaming Method: eggs and sugar are whipped together to create a light and airy texture
• Folding: gently combining ingredients by hand to retain air in a batter or dough
• Folding and Turns: techniques used to incorporate air and create layers in dough or batter

Pastry and Dough

• Puff Pastry: a flaky pastry made by creating alternating layers of butter and dough
• Pate a Choux: a light pastry dough used to make cream puffs, éclairs, and other filled pastries
• Phyllo Dough: a thin, unleavened dough used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine
• Laminated Dough: a dough that has been repeatedly folded and rolled with layers of butter to create a flaky texture

Techniques and Terms

• Docking: pricking the surface of pastry dough with a fork before baking to prevent puffing
• Baking Blind: pre-baking a pie crust before adding the filling to ensure it is fully cooked
• Gluten: a protein found in wheat flour that provides structure and elasticity to baked goods
• Tare: the weight of the container or packaging that is deducted from the total weight of the ingredients
• Staling: the process by which baked goods lose moisture and become stale over time
• Coagulate: the process by which proteins in eggs or dairy products thicken and solidify when exposed to heat
• Caramelize: the browning of sugars through heat, creating a rich flavor and color
• Tunneling: a baking issue where air tunnels form in a cake or bread during baking
• Punch Down: the process of deflating risen dough by pressing down on it to redistribute the yeast and release excess gas
• Conditioning: any baking ingredient that improves the consistency of a dough
• Lock In: the initial incasing of butter and fats

Cookies

• Drop Cookies: cookies made by dropping spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet
• Ice Box Cookies: cookies made from dough that is chilled or frozen before slicing and baking
• Bar Cookies: cookies baked in a single large pan and then cut into bars or squares after baking