Is it right or wrong to eat a cake, that is the big question. For some, it is a no-brainer question while for some it is a difficult question when they see a cake. Too much sugar taken on a daily level is definitely bad for our health and sucrose is the main villain here. To be more precise, it is not inherently sucrose’s fault as much as it is the big corporations adding it in copious amounts. It is the corporations that feed us poison while they put all the blame on the individuals.
However, eating homemade cakes from time to time is a completely different story. Homemade cakes are much better than cakes bought at the store and they can be even better. If you are conscious about what you eat and there is a cake at the party, you should not be afraid of it. One slice of cake from time to time will not ruin your body. Now that you know that cakes in moderation are all good, it is time to utilize the following 6 tips when making a cake.
1. Cake ingredient
There is a difference in ingredients that are meant for cakes and other pastries. Flour for cakes and cooking chocolate have different amounts of their ingredients so they can be used for baking. If you were to use regular chocolate without any pretreatment, the flavor will be lost due to different concentrations. Flour for pastries and for cakes is also different due to a different percentage of starch, glutenins, and gliadins which yields different cake textures.
2. Simple cakes
If you are just starting out, it is better that you start by preparing simple cakes. You can’t make multilevel cakes for weddings if you don’t even know how to set up the base layer of a cake. You should start with some simple apple, chocolate, or strawberry cakes. By making these cakes, you will learn what is the right consistency for different cake textures and times of cooking. With this information, you will no longer rely on recipes to dictate your every step.
3. Complex cakes
Complex cakes require you to think about every step of preparing a cake. From simple cakes, you will get a feeling of what every step should be and how you can manipulate these steps. In these cakes, you should be able to multiplex flavors and different layers. Besides that, you can also experiment with healthier cake options in this step. You will know which things you can substitute to make an equally delicious cake with a lower glycemic index.
4. The looks
Cake presentation is very important, more important than you might think at first. If you are presented with two cakes, which one would you choose? One that looks like a cylinder with nothing on it, or the one that has beautiful colors and shapes on it worthy of being in a museum? You do not need to be an expert sculptor to make a beautiful-looking cake, you should just aim at the small details that show the cake has a unique soul.
5. The theme of the cake
A cake is more delicious if its theme matches the theme of the occasion. For example, carrot cakes really do not give off party vibes. A simple apple pie is also not the correct choice if you are celebrating someone’s graduation. You should know which flavor matches the occasion and for whom is cake meant. Just imagine making a delicious gin and tonic cake for a wild party. Or rum and vanilla cake for a fancy get-together.
6. Practice
Grasping basic concepts of preparing cakes is easy, but mastering cakes is something you learn for the rest of your life. You will not be able to make world-class cakes after a few tries, which should not discourage you. This is the beauty of this process, the practice, and the cakes you make for the sake of them being delicious. This neverending story of practice is the beauty that you should savor while thinking about your next cake.
These 6 tips were selected because rarely do people talk about them when discussing cakes. It is easy to find a lot of recipes online, but it is different than learning what preparing cakes is all about. Preparing cakes is more than just following a recipe down to its last letter, it is about enjoying the entire process and the aftermath.
Recipes are something that should be challenged and viewed with a critical perspective. Why should you not try to tweak a recipe a bit with your own personal touch and taste? It is important to think about the process and ask questions when making a cake and enjoy it afterward.
