This document provides information on various techniques, ingredients and methods used in baking cakes and cookies. It discusses the use of dry heat in the oven without a lid to allow moisture to evaporate. It describes the roles of ingredients like flour, eggs, liquid, fat and leavening agents and methods like creaming, foaming and straight dough. Common baking techniques like sifting, mixing wet and dry ingredients and folding in eggs are also outlined. Different types of flours, sugars and flavorings used in baking are defined.

1. CAKES & COOKIES

2. …to cook in dry heat in an oven.
The oven heats the air, and the
hot air cooks the food.
Science principle: No lid is used during
baking. A lid would trap the moisture as it
was trying to evaporate. The evaporating
moisture would then collect on the inside
of the lid during condensation, and fall
back into the food. That is moist heat…and
is NOT baking.
Do not overcrowd an oven when baking, as
it interferes with the circulation of hot air.

3. +
The flour and liquid form the shape of the product.
The flour and the eggs are known as the
‘strengtheners’.

4. The liquid used in baking
provides moisture and
allows the gluten to
develop.
Milk or water are the
most common liquids.
Others are buttermilk,
cream, molasses, honey,
melted fats or oils, and
juices.
Adding too much liquid creates a soggy product. Adding
too little liquid creates a dry product.

5. Flour is usually purchased
pre-sifted, bleached or
unbleached. Bleaching
whitens the flour.

6. Gluten is the protein found in flour
mixed with liquid. The more a dough is
mixed, worked, or kneaded, the longer
the strands of gluten become, and the
more ‘elastic’ the dough becomes.
When baked, elasticity provides a firm
structure and light texture.
Cake flour: very low gluten content;
pure white color
Pastry flour: very low gluten content;
creamy white color; slightly less
delicate than cake flour
Lower gluten flours have just enough gluten
to keep products from crumbling, but not
enough to create chewiness.

7. Bread flour: highest gluten
content; creamy white color
All purpose flour: medium
gluten content; medium
white color; good for
general production work
Gluten-free flour: People who have a gluten sensitivity or
Celiac Disease cannot tolerate certain levels of gluten. If you
simply take gluten out of your baking, you're likely to have
disappointing results. Gluten is sticky stuff which helps
prevent your baked goodies from crumbling. It also traps
pockets of air, improving the texture of your bread, cakes or
biscuits. Gluten-free flour may need to be mixed with guar or
xantham gums or cornstarch, etc. to restore stickiness.

8. 1. Baking soda is a quick-acting leavening
agent. It is only used when acids are
present…the most common of which is
“cream of tartar”. (chemical)
2. Baking powder is the most common of
the quick-acting leavening agents. It is
a combination of soda and acid.
(chemical)
3. Yeast is a living organism, most often
used as a leavening agent in breads;
yeast is slow-acting. (organic)
They do this by providing air, steam, or
gas. They are chemical, organic, or
physical in nature.
Quick-acting leavening agents are used in cakes and cookies.

10. Air is a physical method of causing food to ‘rise’. It can be used
in two different methods:
The ‘creaming method’ adds air as fat
and sugar are creamed together.
The ‘foaming method’ adds air as beaten
egg whites are folded into a batter.

11. Butter or margarine;
do NOT use soft
margarines for
baking, as they
contain added water
Cooking oils; do not
substitute oils for solid fats
Solid shortening
Adding too much fat creates a crumbly product; adding
too little creates a tough or chewy product. ‘Just
enough’ creates a ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ product.

12. 2 eggs whites can be substituted for 1 whole egg to reduce fat and calories.
4. THICKENER

13. Granulated
sugar is the
most common
sweetener in
baking. It is
either cane or
beet sugar.
Molasses (a by-
product of beet
or cane sugar
production.)
Honey
Powdered
sugar is also
called
confectioners
sugar.
Brown sugar must
be packed into the
measuring cup. It is
an unrefined sugar
with a high moisture
content OR white
sugar with molasses
added. The amount
of molasses
determines whether it
is dark or light brown
sugar. Either can be
used in most recipes.

14. Flavorings!
Ummm....Yum!
Extracts & flavorings
Fruits & vegetables
Flavored
chips
Nuts
Candies

15. Most of the time, you wouldn’t even need a recipe
to follow. For most cakes and cookies, just
follow standard baking procedure using the 5
step ‘creaming method”:
Use an electric mixer to save time!
Use medium speed on your mixer.
Air + egg whites = volume

16. Sifting eliminates
lumps, helps in the
even distribution of
ingredients, and
adds air
Add 1/3 dry, then 1/3 wet…repeat ‘til all
ingredients are used
An electric mixer at this point would break
up the chips, raisins, nuts, etc.

17. Mix other ingredients
together, and carefully
fold in the eggs using a
rubber spatula. Use care
to preserve the pockets
of air in the whites.
Cakes using the foaming
method may contain
little or no fat.
For cakes with a lighter texture, such as angel food cakes
or chiffon cakes, the baking procedure you would follow
is called the ‘foaming method’.

18. Some cakes and breads are made by the ‘straight dough
method’. It requires no creaming; no foam preparation.
All ingredients are simply combined together and
blended.
Cakes and breads made
by this method may
have a moist or sticky
texture.

19. Some cakes and breads are made by the ‘two-stage
method’. Combine the melted or liquid fat with the dry
ingredients first. Blend in ½ of the liquid(s)s first. Then
gradually add the remaining liquid(s).
Doughs and batters made
by the two-stage method
have more sugar than
flour. They are called
high-ratio cakes. They
have a very fine, moister
crumb. Devil’s food cake
is an example.