3
Overview of the Baking Process
Exercises and Experiments
Exercise 1: Tunneling in Cake Batter
Imagine that you are baking cakes or cupcakes using a high-ratio cake formula, and you notice that unsightly tunnels develop during baking. This can be caused by batter that thins too much or stays thin for too long. Explain the reason that each of the following techniques works to increase batter thickness and reduce tunnelling. As an example, number 1 is completed for you.
1Use cake flour rather than bread or pastry flour.
Reason: Unlike bread flour and pastry flour, the starch in cake flour absorbs more liquids, so cake flour thickens batter more (see Chapter 5 for more information).
2Increase the amount of flour.
Reason:
3Use a fat that is firmer and has a higher melting point.
Reason:
4Decrease the amount of sugar.
Reason:
5Increase the oven temperature.
Reason:
6Decrease the amount of batter placed in a pan.
Reason:
Experiment 2: How the Mixing Method Affects the Overall Quality of Muffins
Objectives
Demonstrate how the muffin method of mixing ingredients compares with the creaming method in
•Ease in preparation
•Appearance and texture of the muffins
•Overall acceptability of the muffins
Products Prepared
Muffins made by using
•Muffin (one-stage) method of mixing
•Creaming or conventional method of mixing
•Other, if desired (for example, biscuit method or different amounts of creaming)
Materials and Equipment
•Scale
•Muffin pans (2 1/2" or 3 1/2"/65 or 90 mm size)
•Paper liners, pan spray, or pan coating
•Sieve
•Mixer with 5-quart mixing bowl
•Flat beater attachment
•Bowl scraper
•Muffin batter (see Formula), enough to make 24 or more muffins of each variation
•Size #16 (2 fl. oz./60 ml) portion-control scoop or equivalent
•Scale
•Half sheet pans (optional)
•Serrated knife
•Ruler
Formula
Basic Muffin Batter
Yield: 24 muffins (you will have some excess batter)
Ingredient / Pounds / Ounces / Grams / Baker’s PercentageShortening / 7 / 200 / 35
Flour, pastry / 1 / 4 / 570 / 100
Sugar, regular granulated / 8 / 225 / 40
Salt (1 tsp) / 0.2 / 6 / 1
Baking powder / 1.2 / 35 / 6
Eggs, whole / 6 / 170 / 30
Milk / 1 / 455 / 80
Vanilla extract (1 1/2 tsp) / 0.2 / 7 / 1
Total / 3 / 10.6 / 1,668 / 293
Method of Preparation
1Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature (temperature of ingredients is important for consistent results).
3Follow instructions for mixing, using either muffin method or creaming method.
For muffin method, mix ingredients as follows:
1Melt shortening. Cool slightly.
2Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together three times into mixing bowl.
3Beat eggs slightly. Blend in milk, vanilla, and melted shortening.
4Pour liquids onto dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
5Using flat beater, blend ingredients together on low speed for 15 seconds or just until moistened. Batter will look lumpy.
For creaming method, mix ingredients as follows:
1Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together three times.
2Using flat beater, blend shortening and sugar together on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl, then blend for another 30 seconds and scrape bowl again.
3Cream on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl.
4Continue creaming for an additional 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
5Beat eggs slightly and add vanilla extract.
6Add the slightly beaten egg mixture in two portions. Stir on low speed for a total of 40 seconds or just until blended.
7Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk in three parts, while stirring on low for 1 minute or just until blended. Stop and scrape bowl as needed.
Procedure
1Prepare muffin batter using the given formula or using any basic muffin formula. Prepare one batch using each mixing method.
2Line muffin pans with paper liners, lightly spray with pan spray, or grease with pan coating. Label pan with mixing method used.
3Weigh 2 ounces (60 grams) batter into prepared muffin pans. Use #16 scoop as a guide, but volumes will likely be different for the different variations.
4If desired, place muffin pans on half sheet pans.
5Use an oven thermometer placed in center of oven for an initial reading of oven temperature. Record results here:
6When oven is properly preheated, place filled muffin pans in oven and set timer for 20–22 minutes, or according to formula.
7Bake muffins until they are lightly browned and spring back when center top is pressed lightly. Remove all muffins from oven after same length of time. If necessary, however, adjust bake times for oven variances.
8Check final oven temperature. Record results here:
9Remove muffins from hot pans and cool to room temperature.
Results
1When completely cooled, evaluate average height of muffins from each batch, as follows:
•Slice three cooled muffins from each batch in half, being careful not to compress.
•Measure height of each muffin at its maximum height by placing ruler along the flat edge. Record results for each muffin in 1/16" (1 mm) increments and record results in Results Table 1, which follows.
•Calculate the average muffin height for each batch by adding the heights of the muffins and dividing by 3. Record results in Results Table 1.
2Evaluate the shape of muffins (even rounded top, peaked top, dips in center, etc.) and record results in Results Table 1.
Results Table 1 Height and Shape of Muffins Mixed Using Different Methods
Mixing Method / Heights of Each of Three Muffins / Average Height of One Muffin / Muffin Shapes / Additional CommentsMuffin
Creaming
3Evaluate the sensory characteristics of completely cooled products and record evaluations in Results Table 2. Consider the following:
•Crust color, from very light to very dark on a scale of 1 to 5
•Crust texture (moist/dry, soft/crisp, etc.)
•Crumb appearance (small uniform air cells, large irregular air cells, tunnels, etc.); also, evaluate color
•Crumb texture (moist/dry, tough/tender, gummy, crumbly, etc.)
•Overall flavor (egg flavor, floury taste, saltiness, sweetness, etc.)
•Overall acceptability, from highly unacceptable to highly acceptable, on a scale of 1 to 5
•Any additional comments, as necessary
Results Table 2 Sensory Characteristics of Muffins Mixed Using Different Methods
Mixing Method / Crust Color and Texture / Crumb Appearance and Texture / Overall Flavor / Overall Acceptability / Additional CommentsMuffin
Creaming
Sources of Error
List any sources of error that might make it difficult to draw the proper conclusions from your experiment. In particular, consider any problems with the ovens and with properly mixing ingredients.
Answer:
State what you could do differently next time to minimize or eliminate each source of error.
Answer:
Conclusions
Select one from the choices in bold or fill in the blank.
1Compared with the muffin method, the creaming method for mixing was easierharderthe same and took morelessthe same amount of time to complete.
2Muffins made using the creaming method had air cells that were smaller and more uniform thanlarger and less uniform thanthe same as those in muffins made using the muffin method. Overall, the muffins that had more of a cake-like appearance were made using the creamingmuffin method.
3Muffins made using the creaming method were toughermore tenderneither tougher nor more tender than those made using the muffin method.
4Other noticeable differences between the muffins and the methods of preparation were as follows:
Answer:
5The muffins I found more acceptable were made with the creamingmuffin method because:
Answer:
Experiment 3: How the Method of Preparation Affects the Quality of Pound Cake
Objectives
Demonstrate how the extent of creaming fat and sifting dry ingredients in pound cake batter affects
•Density of the creamed shortening
•Thickness of cake batter
•Volume of pound cake
•Crumb appearance: coarseness and color of pound cake
•Overall acceptability of pound cake
Products Prepared
Pound cake that has undergone:
•No creaming and no sifting
•4 minutes of creaming, three siftings (control product)
•Other, if desired (4 minutes creaming, no sifting; no creaming, three siftings; 8 minutes creaming, etc.)
Materials and Equipment
•Scale
•Sieve
•Mixing spoon
•Mixer with 5-quart mixing bowl
•Flat beater attachment
•Bowl scraper
•Pound cake batter (see Formula), enough to make one or more 9-inch cakes of each variation
•Cake pans, 9-inch, one per variation
•Pan coating or pan spray
•Spatula
•Oven thermometer
•Two identical clear 1-cup measuring cups (or similar size clear containers), for measuring density of creamed shortening
•Straight-edge
•Serrated knife
•Ruler
Formula
Shortening Mixture
Ingredient / Pounds / Ounces / GramsShortening, all-purpose / 10 / 280
Sugar, regular granulated / 20 / 560
Dried milk solids / 1 / 30
Total / 1 / 15 / 870
Method of Preparation (for Control Product)
1Place shortening in mixing bowl and stir with flat beater to soften, low, 15 seconds. Stop and scrape bowl.
2Slowly add sugar while creaming on medium for 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl.
3Continue creaming on medium for 1 additional minute. Stop and scrape bowl.
4Slowly add dried milk solids (DMS) while creaming on medium, and continue creaming for 2 additional minutes. Stop and scrape bowl halfway through.
Pound Cake Batter
Yield: one 9-inch layer
Ingredient / Pounds / Ounces / Grams / Baker’s PercentageFlour, cake / 8 / 225 / 100
Baking powder / 0.25 / 7.5 / 3
Salt / 0.1 / 2.5 / 1
Shortening Mixture / 15.5 / 435 / 193
Egg / 7 / 190 / 84
Water / 4.5 / 125 / 56
Total / 2 / 3.35 / 985 / 437
Method of Preparation (for Control Product)
1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2Allow ingredients to come to room temperature (temperature of ingredients is important for consistent results).
3Blend flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly by sifting together three times onto parchment paper.
4Place 15.5 ounces (435 grams) of shortening mixture into mixing bowl. Set aside the rest for later use.
5Stir on low with flat beater for 45 seconds, slowly adding slightly beaten eggs. Stop and scrape. Note: Creamed mixture might take on a somewhat curdled look, but it will still be holding a good amount of air. However, do not overmix; if eggs and shortening mixture are well blended before 45 seconds, begin next step immediately.
6Add dry ingredients alternately with water in three parts, while stirring on low for 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl.
Method of Preparation (for Cake with No Creaming or Sifting)
Follow the Method of Preparation for Control Product except:
1For Shortening Mixture, add sugar and DMS all at once. Stir on low until blended but not creamed, about 1 minute.
2Do not sift ingredients in step 3; instead, stir gently yet thoroughly with a spoon.
3Continue with step 4.
Procedure
1Prepare pound cake batter using the formula given or using any basic pound cake formula. Prepare one batch using the control preparation, and one following the method with no creaming or sifting. To minimize experimental error, use shortening instead of butter or margarine. Note that the Shortening Mixture formula makes double the amount needed for one pound cake layer.
2Grease cake pans with pan coating or use pan spray. Label each pan with method of preparation used.
3Weigh batter into prepared cake pans, the same weight for each variation (32 ounces/900 grams per 9-inch pan). Spread batter smooth with a spatula.
4Evaluate consistency of each batter, from very thin and runny to very thick, on a scale of 1 to 5. Record results in Results Table 1.
5Use an oven thermometer placed in center of oven for an initial reading of oven temperature. Record result here:
6When oven is properly preheated, place filled cake pans in oven and set timer for 30–35 minutes, or according to formula. Bake cakes until control product (4-minute creaming and sifted) is light brown and cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove all cakes from oven after same length of time. If necessary, however, adjust bake times for oven variances.
7Check final oven temperature. Record result here:
8Let cakes stand 1 or more minutes, then remove from hot pans and cool to room temperature.
Results
1Using the extra shortening mixture from each version of the formula, measure density (weight per volume) of mixture from each batch. To measure density:
•Carefully spoon sample of shortening mixture into tared measuring cup.
•Visually check cup to confirm that no large air gaps are present.
•Level the top of the cup with a straight-edge.
•Weigh the amount of creamed mixture in each cup and record results in Results Table 1.
2When the cakes are completely cooled, evaluate height and shape as follows:
•Slice cake from each batch in half, being careful not to compress.
•Measure height of cake by placing a ruler along the flat edge at the cake’s maximum height. Record results in 1/16" (1 mm) increments in Results Table 1.
•Indicate in Cake Shape column of Results Table 1 whether cake has an even rounded top, or if it peaks or dips in center.
•Also indicate whether cake is lopsided; that is, if one side is higher than the other.
Results Table 1 Cakes Made with Different Methods of Preparation
Method of Preparation / Consistency of Batter / Density of Shortening Mixture / Cake Height / Cake Shape / Additional CommentsNo sifting, no creaming
Sifted 3 times, creamed 4 minutes (control product)
3Evaluate the sensory characteristics of completely cooled products and record evaluations in Results Table 2. Be sure to compare each in turn to the control product and consider the following:
•Crumb color
•Crumb appearance (small uniform air cells, large irregular air cells, tunnels, etc.)
•Overall acceptability, from highly unacceptable to highly acceptable, on a scale of 1 to 5.
•Add any additional comments, as necessary.
Results Table 2 Appearance and Other Characteristics of Pound Cakes Made with Different Methods of Preparation
Method of Preparation / Crumb Color and Appearance / Overall Acceptability / Additional CommentsNo sifting, no creaming
Sifted 3 times, creamed 4 minutes (control product)
Sources of Error
List any sources of error that might make it difficult to draw the proper conclusions from your experiment. In particular, consider any difficulties in measuring densities of shortening; differences in how batter was mixed and handled; and any problems with ovens.
Answer:
State what you could do differently next time to minimize or eliminate each of the sources of error.
Answer:
Conclusions
Select one from the choices in bold or fill in the blanks.
1The density of the shortening mixture used for the control product was higher thanlower thanthe same as the density of the noncreamed mixture. This is because the amount of air in the shortening mixture increaseddecreasedstayed the same as creaming time increased. The difference in density was smallmoderatelarge.
2The batter for the control product was thicker thanthinner thanthe same as the batter for the noncreamed, nonsifted version. The difference in thickness was smallmoderatelarge.
3The air cells in the crumb for the control product were smaller and more uniform thanlarger and less uniform thanthe same as the air cells in the noncreamed, nonsifted version, and the crumb color of the control product was lighter thandarker thanthe same as the crumb color of the noncreamed, nonsifted version. This is because the amount of air in the creamed mixture increaseddecreased as creaming time increased.
4Other noticeable differences between the products were as follows:
Answer:
5The pound cake I found most acceptable was because:
Answer:
6How do you explain the difference in crumb color between the two cakes, given that both were made from the same amount of the same ingredients?
Answer:
7Look through cookbooks and the Internet. List two formulas for baked goods that you would expect to be just as affected by improper sifting and creaming as this cake. Explain why you believe so.
Answer: