Untitled Quiz

Cake Making

• Cake is a form of bread made by baking a mixture including fat, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, and sometimes milk.
• Gateaux (French cakes) are a light sponge cake, layered with icing and fillings. The structure, not the cake base or fruit, is the key element. Eaten the same day.
• Tortes (German/Austrian cakes) use little or no flour, with eggs, nuts, or bread crumbs. Made with 6-8 layers of cream or fruit fillings, covered in chocolate and fondant. Can last many days.
• Occupational safety and hygiene practices are important for food workers. Personal hygiene (bathing, brushing teeth, trimming nails) and occupational hygiene (cleaning, washing practices, protective equipment) are essential.
• Color-coding of safety signs: Red = immediate danger/hazard, Orange = potential hazard, Yellow = minor hazard/unsafe practices, Green = emergency, Blue = safety information.

Measuring Tools

• Measuring tools are crucial in baking for precise ingredient measurements. Accurate measurements are vital in baking.
• Tools include: Graduated liquid measuring cups; Individualized dry measuring cups; Measuring spoons; Weighing scales; Kitchen scales; Timers; Oven thermometers; Candy thermometers--baking requires precise measurements.

Measuring Cups

• Two types of measuring cups: Graduated or liquid measuring cups, and Individualized or dry measuring cups (that have fractional parts)
• Measuring spoons: used for small quantities of dry and liquid ingredients (like baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, etc).
• Weighing scales/Kitchen scales: used to measure larger quantities of ingredients. Types include spring type, and digital scales.

Kitchen Scales

• Kitchen scales are used to measure dry, liquid or chopped ingredients. More accurate than measuring cups for precise measurements used for small ingredient quantities.

Mixing Tools

• Tools used for mixing ingredients: Mixing bowls (made from various materials, stainless steel best for preventing discoloration); Wooden spoons (preferred by bakers—won't transfer heat, easy to use); Whisks (for whipping creams/meringues); Rubber scrapers (used to scrape remaining ingredients from mixing bowl sides); Electric mixers (hand and stand mixers, used to mix, fold, beat and whip); Rotary egg beaters (for beating eggs or whipping cream); Flour sifters (used to sift flour and add air).

Mixing Bowls

• Mixing bowls: Made from pottery, glass, metal, or plastic.
• Stainless steel is ideal for baking to prevent discoloration. Can also be used as a container for sifting ingredients..
• Wooden spoons are preferred by bakers since they don't transfer heat, and are used for stirring without scratching the saucepan bottom.

Whisks

• Whisks are used for whipping cream or making meringues; long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops joined at the end.

Rubber Scrapers/Spatulas

• Rubber scrapers, bendable rubber used to scrape remaining ingredients from the mixing bowl sides. Often called a rubber spatula.

Electric Mixers

• Electric mixers are used to mix, fold, beat and whip food ingredients. Available as hand mixers and stand mixers.

Rotary Egg Beaters

• These can be used to beat eggs or whip cream.

Flour Sifters

• These are used for sifting flour or other dry ingredients; add air to the ingredients.

Baking Pans

• Baking pans are used to hold the batter or dough before placing in the oven/baking.
• Recommend using the suggested pan in the given recipe, if not available—check for substitutes with similar volume. Be aware that a round pan cannot be reliably substituted for a pan of the same size but different shape.
• Common types: Tube center pan (for chiffon cake); Muffin pan (for muffins, cup cakes, mini quiches); Cake pan (for cakes); Jelly roll pan (for cake rolls); Bundt pan (for individual custards/other items); Baking sheet (for bread rolls, cookies, sheet cakes, Swiss rolls); Sheet pan; Loaf pan; Slice tray.

Tin Preparation

• Lightly grease the baking pan; line with greaseproof paper.
• Use the correct type of paper, adjusting size to the pan to prevent the cake from losing form/shape.

Cutting Tools

• Pastry blender, pastry wheel, kitchen shears, chopping board, paring knife, bread knife, peeler, grater, shredder.

Miscellaneous Tools

• Flour sifter, pastry brush, spatula, rolling pin, pastry tips, piping or pastry bag, coupler, utility tray, parchment paper, wire cooling racks, double broiler, Dutch oven.

Ovens

• Different types of ovens: Deck or cabinet oven; Convection oven; Rotary oven; Microwave oven.

Ingredients In Baking

• Flour and starches (bread flour, all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, cake flour)
• Fats (butter, margarine, oil, shortening)
• Sugars (granulated sugar, brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, raw sugar)
• Liquids (water, milk, cream)
• Eggs
• Leavening agents (baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar)
• Salt
• Flavorings and spices (cocoa powder, glycerine, milk powder, fruits, nuts, chocolate)

Production Processes of Cakes

• Sugar batter method (fat, such as egg, and sugar are mixed until the batter is light and fluffy.)
• Flour batter method (fat is mixed with a third of the sifted flour until it is creamed. Eggs and sugar are whisked separately in different bowls. Both ingredients must be at the same temperature before combined).
• Blending method: fat and egg white are mixed and a small amount of gluten involved to hold air, but not a very powerful structure compared with other methods.
• All-in method: eggs and liquid are replaced with baking powder; faster-usually with high speed mixers; this method is for cheaper types of cakes.
• Boiled method: used to make Genoese sponges and Madeira cakes; heating the fat, then combining with the eggs and sugar.

Sponge Production Methods

• Traditional method: involves a ratio of two eggs to one part sugar-to one part flour.
• Enriched Method: same as traditional but will contain fat as much as 80% of the weight of the sugar.
• Emulsified or Stabilized Sponges: uses stabilisers such as lecithin and lacto to form an emulsion and can be stored longer.

Delayed Soda Method:

• Dry ingredients (including creamer of tartar) or sifted in a separate bowl,
• Followed by adding the liquids in a mixing bowl and the dry ingredients, thoroughly mix the batter until it is aerated and ready to be baked.
• Cream of tartar is added to the batter to increase the stability of eggs proteins: bicarbonate of soda is added slowly to the batter while mixed first with water.

Separated Sponges:

• Egg yolks and whites are mixed separately before combining with flour.

Correct Baking Techniques

• Sifting: dry ingredients pass through a strainer to aerate them.
• Beating: vigorous back-and-forth or up-and-down motion to combine ingredients until correct consistency.
• Whisking or Whipping: ingredients mixed until they adhere. Also done for whipping cream/egg whites to create an airy texture.
• Folding: gently adding one ingredient into another, using a large spoon.
• Creaming: blending several ingredients together until smooth, lighter, and fluffy.

Oven Settings

• Cake ovens, set to 150-180°C for solid heat, and must stabilize at this temperature 15-20 min prior to baking.
• Sponge cakes/ Genoise cakes cook quicker at 180-200°C.
• Internal temperature testing essential for good results. Use an oven thermometer to gauge internal temperature (should reach 87/90°C), inserting a skewer into the cake.

Enterprise Requirements and Standards

• Color: critical; stimulates customer senses, and can increase sales.
• Appearance: refers to form and consistency/shape of cakes.
• Mouth feel and eating properties: crucial quality factors
• Moisture Content: more moisture=less staling chances, higher shelf life, and better mouth feel.
• Consistency: refers to how the cake feels in the mouth (should be consistent).

Preparing Fillings and Coatings

• Fillings: icing mixtures placed between layers of cake; enhance taste.
• Coatings: used to cover the entire cake.
• Fillings, coatings, and icing should complement, enhance, and add flavour/appeal to cake base.

Decorating the Cake

• Decorated cakes involve the personal style of the pastry chef.
• Spreading cream: even thickness required.
• Piping: single/dual layers should be the same size, balancing with the cake size.
• Curling chocolate: tempered chocolate for decorating; can be shaved or curled for a smooth finished product.
• Enrobing: Applying glaze such as icing or ganache.
• Consistency of design: factors to consider/take account— symmetry, consistency in decoration size and balance across the cakes.

Types of Fillings and Coatings

• Buttercream: traditional spreadable filling, softer.
• Crème Patisserie: classic creamy custard, used for various fillings.
• Ganache: for chocolate coatings; mixture of chopped chocolate and cream.

Preparing Icing and Decoration

• Boiled Icing: light, fluffy icing for cakes/cupcakes.
• Royal Icing: hard, white icing; for icing leaves/flowers, using confectioners' sugar, and/or lemon or kalamansi extract.
• Fondant Icing: for decorating/sculpting cakes; complex and more advanced skill set required.

Storing Cakes, Gateaux, Tortes

• Away from strong odors (e.g., onions, garlic).
• In a cool room with a controlled temperature below 4°C.
• Use appropriate containers that will protect and maintain the condition of the cakes. Prevent edges/decorations from damage.
• Correct labeling is essential for storage; helpful for both customer and manufacturer.
• Cakes may have a varying length of time in storage; depends on the freshness of materials used for production (some may not be consumed by humans).
• Long-term freezer storage, is best at 18°C or lower.