Finally, we look at the most delightful baked product, which is the cake. There are so many variations of cakes which can be made out of just a few types of cake bases. You have cakes that are moist and sturdy, and then you have cakes that are soft and fluffy.

But what is it that goes into a cake that makes it so perfect for every special moment and every celebration?

The ingredients used are similar to other baked products which are flour, sugar, eggs, fats and salt, with the addition of baking powder as the key leavening agents.

Cakes are known for their soft and fluffy texture. This is made possible due to the low gluten content, but with just enough gluten to hold the structure and shape of the cake.

To achieve this, you will need a low protein flour, which is high ratio flour, also known as cake flour. It is made from soft wheat with a low protein content of 7.5% to 8.5%.

For batter type cakes that have a heavier body, a medium protein flour, all purpose flour, containing 9% to 10% protein can be used. This is to support the weight of the high sugar and fat content.

Sugar. Sugar contributes to the tenderness, gives crust colour, improves shelf life, and also adds flavour to the cakes.

The tender cake texture comes from the softening effect on flour proteins, by weakening the gluten structure.

The crust colour forms as sugar lowers the caramelisation point of the batter, allowing it to brown at lower temperature.

The shelf life is improved as sugar retains moisture which keeps cake fresh for longer.

Similar to flour, eggs contribute to the structure of the cakes due to its protein content. The protein coagulates during the baking process, which acts as a glue to hold its shape and form.

Eggs also creates good volume and texture to the cakes. It is an emulsifying agent that holds the batter together by keeping the fat and liquids combined.

Fats minimise gluten formation in the batter.

As fat coats the protein and starch particles, they are unable to mix with water and form gluten.

Baking Powder is what aerates the batter during the mixing process and provides the volume to the cake.

This can be enhanced with Double Acting Powder which releases gas twice – during mixing with liquids and again when heated in the oven.

As with all baked products, liquid is needed as a solvent to combine the dry ingredients. Liquid such as water or milk can be used. Milk is a great option as it provides additional flavour and nutritional value.

In cakes, water helps to regulate the consistency of the batter.

Sufficient moisture in the batter is important for the consistency.

Water also help to regulate the volume of the end product, as it helps to develop the protein in the flour to form gluten which retains the gas produced by the baking powder.

Salt is added to bring out the flavours from all the other ingredients in the cake.

To have better control of the salt content in the batter, we recommend using unsalted butter.

To elevate your cakes, you could use filling or frosting made by whipping cream. Whipping cream is made from the concentrated fat component within milk.

It adds flavour, richness and creaminess to the base that fuses flavours together.

It could be used alone or folded into mousses, custards and chocolate ganache to add lightness and volume.

Anchor Whipping cream can be used to create a melt-in-the-mouth experience as dairy fat melts at 36°C. It also delivers a nutritious and wonderful natural sweetness that is derived from grass-fed cows.

The key to making mille crepe is just Anchor Whipping Cream, you whip it to a very hard peak. Then you fold it into your custard and start to spread. Then, your crepe cake will be very firm. So, that’s how we use it. Secondly, we use it for our mousse cake also.

Rotee.kl: Whipping cream, we use for hazelnut filling. We cook the whipping cream with the chocolate coin. After that, we will add in the hazelnuts. So it’s delicious, very delicious.

With cheesecake being the staple in most bakers’ cake menu, cream cheese is also another useful ingredient to have. Also perfect as frostings on carrot cake and red velvet cake.

Anchor Cream Cheese does not only have excellent stability for whipping and baking, but with a generous fat content of 34%, it creates a smooth and creamy mouthfeel when consumed.

Alia: I use Anchor Cream cheese for Biscoff Cheesecake because I think the taste is very rich and the texture is good. It is very stable for baking and the taste is not too sour and I like the taste.

Let’s take a look at how Anchor Cream Cheese is made.

In conclusion, it is important to understand the functions and usage of ingredients in cake making to produce good quality cakes and cake related products.

Just like tools, once you understand the fundamentals of using the right ingredients in your baked products, you will have added knowledge to apply innovation in your baked goods.

Let’s move on to choosing the right Equipments, which is equally important in the next module.

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