Melting Method Cakes

Cake making by the melting method really is a piece of cake because it requires the minimum of effort. This method is specially designed to cope with the extra sweeteners needed to make soft and sticky traditional cakes such as gingerbread.

Melting-method cakes have a characteristic tacky, sticky texture throughout the cake, and it is this that has made cake like gingerbread so very popular and has given them such a high place in traditional baking. This stickiness is achieved by increasing the proportion of sweetening agents to ether ingredients in the cake.

To handle the extra volume of sweetener, a special method is used. With this method the fat is melted with the sweetener before the flour is added. Before cooking the cake mixture has a good texture and a consistency similar to a thick batter, rather than the soft topping consistency of cake mixtures made by the all-in-one or creaming methods. Continue reading “Melting Method Cakes”

Benefits of Splenda Over Natural Sugar

Splenda has become a popular choice when it comes to artificial sweeteners. Many foods use sugar, and too much can lead to health problems. Changing your diet to include less sugar can be difficult at first but it eventually becomes much easier. Several benefits to using Splenda over natural sugar include prevention of tooth decay, a safe product for diabetics, not much Splenda is required, and there are zero calories. These benefits provide many important factors to living a healthy life style.

Ease of Use

Before considering the use of Splenda in terms of health, think about how easy this product is to use in recipes. Sugar is easy to use too, but if you are looking for an alternative, a natural sugar source like honey or fruit juice is a lot more difficult to use than Splenda. Recipes using Splenda may not have exactly the same textures as recipes using table sugar, but this is a lot less challenging than trying to use a liquid or gooey substance. Continue reading “Benefits of Splenda Over Natural Sugar”

Attributes Of The Perfect Cupcake

Its midnight and you’ve got the munchies. What do you do? There is a box of cold pizza from two nights ago and a few pieces of leftover sushi, but your taste buds are craving something different, something sweeter, a delectable morsel that will perfectly melt in the mouth. A commercial flashes on the television; it’s that faithful Pillsbury dough boy busy mixing up a batter of rich creamy cupcake batter! Eureka!

Essentially you know you could easily drive to the nearest supermarket and pick up a carton full of factory made cupcakes, but you’re no rookie. When you decide to indulge, there is no way you are going about it halfway. And you have the perfect cupcake in mind; now no second rated attempt will satisfy your new craving.

The perfect cupcake…in your mind you visualize it. It is moist, it is straight out of the oven and it fills the air with heavenly scents that one cannot help but submit too. It is your favorite flavor, whether it is a vanilla, white, chocolate, or other tantalizing cake base. It is decorated with your favorite toppings: flavored icing, sprinkles; the works. Continue reading “Attributes Of The Perfect Cupcake”

Salad, Entree and Dessert: Aged Balsamic Vinegar Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party

The quality of your salad, entrée, or dessert is only as good as the ingredients that go into it. From farm to table restaurants, all natural chefs, to farms that focus all their energy on creating flavor, one thing is certain- an ingredient can make the difference. With all the options out there, chefs and regular home cooks alike are still learning about the versatility of various ingredients. Here are some ideas for your next dinner party that use aged balsamic vinegar.

Salads

Balsamic vinegar can be used to make some great salad dressings or marinades. For example: Continue reading “Salad, Entree and Dessert: Aged Balsamic Vinegar Ideas for Your Next Dinner Party”

What Are The Different Uses of Chocolate in Baking?

Some of the uses of chocolate in baking are as follows:

1) Making chocolate curls for decorating on cake:

Melt 3 squares of chocolate and pour the melted chocolate onto wax paper and spread to a 3″ wide stripe. Let stand until cool but not firm. Peel across the top of the chocolate curls with a sharp instrument and transfer to a plate. Store chocolate curls in freezer. You can decorate puddings, custards, cream pies, ice cream or parfait with curls or grated chocolate.

2) Looking for a quick way to drizzle fudge topping on a cake? Put the fudge in a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the topping over the cake.

Continue reading “What Are The Different Uses of Chocolate in Baking?”

How to Bake Foam Cakes

Feeling like baking and indulge yourself with your own creation but held back by your diet restrictions? Foam cakes are just right for the people who are concern with their food intake because it contains very little fat compared to shortened butter cakes. Foam cakes can be divided into 3 categories, angel food cakes, chiffon cakes and sponge cakes. The recipes require more eggs than butter cakes and in different cakes; eggs are used in different ways. The cakes are very airy because they are leaven by the air that is beaten into the eggs.

The batter is baked in tube pans and the hollow centre allows the heat to circulate in the middle and shorten the baking time. The pans are made by aluminized steel or stainless non-stick steel. Recently, they found out that silicon moulds and paper tube pans make better pans compared to the traditional ones. The paper tube pans come in various sizes and with a matching lid – convenient for those who intent to bake and give out as gifts. Silicon pans are heat resistant and durable, but people do get turned off by the price tag. Continue reading “How to Bake Foam Cakes”

Soul Food Seasonings Dictionary

What gives food it’s soul? Many opinions have been noted over the years. Some say it’s the food, others say it’s the cooking techniques, still others say it’s the history behind the food. But everyone agrees, what really gives soul food its soul is the seasonings.

Learning how and what to season your food with is a major key to preparing tasty soul food that will make you want to kiss yourself.

Allspice – Used to flavor desserts such as pies and cobblers, cookies and cakes.

Anise – Sweet and fruity to the taste. Can be used to flavor cookies, cakes, and sweet rolls. Can also be used to add interest to soup, chicken or duck when used in moderation.

Annatto – Can be used to add flavor to beans, rice, fish or poultry. Continue reading “Soul Food Seasonings Dictionary”

Super Yummy Dutch Oven Campfire Desserts To Try

Do you remember the saying that goes “There’s always room for dessert..”. It’s true, whether you’re at a restaurant, at home or camping outdoors. Campfire desserts are what most people look forward to when they’re camping because who doesn’t want to enjoy a delicious sweet treat while enjoying the fresh air and a night under the stars?

So light up your fire, get your dutch oven out and try these super yummy dutch oven campfire desserts!

Easy Campfire Fruity Cobbler

What you need: Continue reading “Super Yummy Dutch Oven Campfire Desserts To Try”

5 Tips for Summer Wedding Cakes

The cake is the showpiece of the wedding reception. Every bride wants her cake to be beautiful, delicious, and memorable. In the summer, there are a few special considerations that will help make sure your wedding cake is as perfect as you dream it will be. These are 5 tips for summer wedding cakes that every bride should know.

One: Choose Your Frosting Wisely. For an outdoor wedding, it pays to be sensible in your frosting selection. Fondant is the best choice for a cake on a hot summer day, because buttercream and whipped cream will melt and ruin the appearance of your wedding cake. To improve the flavor of fondant icing, ask your baker to apply a layer of buttercream frosting underneath. If you simply can’t see yourself with a fondant wedding cake, have the caterer keep your cake refrigerated until about 30 minutes before the cake cutting ceremony. It can be rolled out on a decorated table for a grand presentation, and your frosting will be intact.

Two: Protect Your Cake From Heat and Sun. Even a fondant wedding cake should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Always place the cake table in a sheltered location under a tent. Many people do not think about protecting the cake from sun for an indoor wedding, but the summer sun can come blazing in through big picture windows. Request that your cake be displayed away from direct sunlight for any summer wedding, indoors or out. Continue reading “5 Tips for Summer Wedding Cakes”

Different Types of Cake Pans and Their Uses

There are many types of pans that can be used in cake recipes and it is important to use pans appropriate to the recipe, baking time and occasion. There are different basic types of pans with specific uses.

Springform is a type of pan without a non-stick coating and has a side and bottom parts that can be detached. This pan is ideal for cake recipes like cheesecakes and frequently used in molding mousse cakes and layered cakes. The pan is commonly made of shiny tin. However, new products in the market also feature assorted color of exteriors.

Angel food is a type of tube pan with detachable side and cone, and has no bottom part. These are made specifically for angel food cakes. The pan requires no grease in baking angel food cake. One of the characteristics of these cakes is that they need to stick or have close contact to the sides of the pan. After baking, they need to be cooled in reversed position. A knife then is used to run between the cake and the sides of the pan to let loose the cake without damaging the form. Continue reading “Different Types of Cake Pans and Their Uses”