Every day I receive email from visitors with questions about a cooking technique or a recipe. I can’t get to them all but I try to get as many responses out as time permits and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll ask one of my chef friends.

Here are a couple I’ve received that deal with baking, a subject I am not that comfortable with, so I sent them to my friend Chef Jenni Field who is a great baker and pastry chef.

Cracks In Cake

This one comes from Debbie who says, “I tried the apple cake recipe, it is fantastic except for the part about the cracks in the middle of the cake. In fact, I had the same problem with other cakes as well, can u let me know what is the probable cause of this?”

Here’s how Chef Jenni replied, “My first thought is that, with fruit in the center, you’re bound to get some cracking as the fruit boils and then settles down upon cooling.  I’m not sure how much cracking you’re getting, but with a “homey” dessert like an apple cake, I’d just hit it with some powdered sugar and eat up!

If you’re getting cracks in other cakes as well, it could be from over-mixing or from using the wrong flour.  Depending on where you live, flours can be very different from one another.  In the US, stick with a nationally available all purpose flour for the most consistent results.

In regard to over-mixing the apple cake, try folding in the dry ingredients rather than trying to beat them in.  (In cakes using the creaming method - adding dry and wet alternately after creaming the fat and sugar, mix until just combined after each addition).

Also, check your oven temperature–if the oven is too hot, it could cause things to rise and peak, creating cracks in the cake.  This is great for muffins, but not what you want with cake.  If you don’t have one, get an oven thermometer to check the temperature.”

All Purpose Flour
Here’s another baking related queston I asked Chef Jenni to help with:

Anna says, “I have tried using natural unbleached, all purpose flour to make a layer cake and have been unsatisfied with the texture.  I tried using 2 tablespoons less of the all purpose flour (which I read is the equivalent of cake flour).  I have tried replacing some of the all purpose flour with corn starch.  None of the things I’ve tried have given me the light, airy cake that I get when I use the package mix.  I do want the cake to be all natural.  Any suggestions?

Chef Jenni replies, “I bet it’s their mixing method and not their flour that’s messing them up. Mass-produced cake mixes contain emulsifiers and tenderizers that are not available to the home baker.  So, generally speaking, a home-baked cake will most likely not be as light as a cake mix cake.  Notice I said “not be as light,” not “not be better.”  I stay away from cake mixes because of all the additives.

If you’ve tried using different flours and even using less all purpose to stand in for cake flour, I would consider buying some cake flour.  It is more finely milled than all purpose flour, and so your results tend to be a lighter, finer texture.  If you’ve tried cake flour already and still aren’t satisfied with your results, I would look to your mixing method.

If you are using the creaming method, make sure that all of your ingredients are at cool room temperature (about 68-70 degrees F) and that you thoroughly cream the fat and sugar until it is very light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat each one in thoroughly before adding the next.  Then, thoroughly whisk together all the dry ingredients and add about half to the batter.

Mix until incorporated on medium-low speed.  Add half of the liquid and just mix in.  Follow that with half of what’s left of the flour, the rest of the liquid and then the rest of the dry.  Mix just until incorporated after each addition and scrape the bowl frequently.

Following this procedure should result in a well-aerated cake that is fairly tender.  If you want a more tender cake, try the Two-Stage mixing method on my web site.

More About All Purpose Flour

Cher asks, “What does all purpose flour have in it? Any baking powder or baking soda?

Chef Jenni says, “You are not alone in your confusion over flours.  There are a wide variety of flours on the market, and it seems like more are introduced every day.

All purpose flour is a blend of high and low protein flours.  The manufacturers blend the flour so that there is enough gluten in it to make a reasonable (often excellent) loaf of bread but not so much that you will end up with a chewy birthday cake.  This is why they call it “all purpose:” it is good to use in a variety of baked goods.

When you ask about baking powder and soda, I assume you mean self-rising flour.  All purpose flour and self-rising flour are not interchangeable, because self rising flour does contain leaveners and salt.  Self rising (or self raising) flour is one of the first “baking mixes.”  Rather than having to measure out all purpose flour, baking powder and salt separately, a cook can just measure the self rising flour–everything else is already in there.”

Related Topics:

How To Bake Bread

Basic Bread Recipe - step-by-step instructions for making great homemade bread

Bread Ingredients & How They Effect the Final Product - learn how you can alter bread by substituting ingredients

Making a Bakery Style Buttercream Frosting

I received the following email from home cook Rhonda requesting a recipe for a buttercream frosting that would taste more like she has experienced at a bakery. Here is what she said,

"I am a stay at home mom that has looked everywhere for the
real sweet buttercream frosting that the bakery uses.  I have looked
on-line, cook books and none of the recipe’s are right.  The kids love helping me make cakes but they only like to decorate them.  They do not like the frosting.  If you have a recipe I would love
it.  I will keep trying until I get the right one.  I hope you can help. Thank you, Hi Rhonda!"

I immediately sent her request to my friend Chef Jenni Field, a professional pastery chef who graduated from Orlando Culinary Academy with her own blog called Pastry Methods and Techniques. Jenni asked for her original recipe that you can see below and offer her the following comments and recipe. (The photo above is from a birthday party my daughter attended. I was blown away at how this caked looked with its rich buttercream frosting that even include the ribbon. It’s not a great photo but I couldn’t ask the hostess to take the cake out of the box just so I could take a photo.)

Hi Rhonda,

I’m sure it must be frustrating to have fun decorating a cake with your kids only to have them refuse to eat it because they don’t like the frosting! I, personally, like almost all kinds of frosting, but I will do my best to give you some recipes that your kids will enjoy.

You said that you are looking for a recipe that tastes like bakery frosting. Unfortunately, there are many bakeries, and most of them use their own “special recipes.” It might be difficult to pinpoint the style of frosting you’re looking for, but I’ll give it a shot. Thank you for sending in the recipe you used. This gives us a place to start.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 almond extract
5 cups powdered sugar
4-6 teaspoons half and half

This recipe is your basic Wilton-style American buttercream. The texture can be kind of fluffy but a little bit gritty since it is based on powdered sugar. Powdered sugar contains some corn starch to keep it from clumping, and sensitive palates can pick the raw starch flavor up. Even if you don’t taste the raw starch, the texture is unmistakable—barely gritty if you rub a little between (clean) fingers.

Many icings are based on this basic American fat + powdered sugar + flavoring formula, including one of my favorites, cream cheese frosting. So, I won’t even linger at the standard American counter. Let’s wander over to another counter.

I found a modification of the standard American buttercream in The Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen. I’ve made this before, and it is pretty tasty. The use of boiling water cooks out some of that raw starch flavor, and the resulting texture is much smoother.

House Buttercream

3 cups confectioners’’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water
1 1/3 cup shortening
3 ½ ounces (7 tablespoons) cool butter, cut into pieces

(more…)

HOW TO GLAZE A CAKE

I received an email from Nan asking, "I am making a lemon cake. Most of them call for a glaze. What type of frosting would you suggest for a lemon cake? Thanks, Nan.

I immediately forwarded this email to my friend Chef Jenni Field, a graduate of Orlando Culinary Academy - Le Cordon Bleu and a professional pastry chef with her own web site called Pastry Chef Online. She is a wealth of culinary knowledge especially when it comes to baking and pastry. Here is how she asked Nan’s question:

Simple Glaze

Depending upon the texture of your lemon cake, a glaze or a frosting could be called for. If you are making a dense lemon cake, like a lemon pound cake, I recommend a lemon glaze. A simple way of making a lemon glaze is to mix fresh lemon juice with powdered sugar until it has a "drizzling" consistency. Then, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

If you’d like the glaze to soak into the cake, glaze the cake while it is still very warm. The glaze will thin and run, so you will have to "baste" the cake several times with the drippings. The end result will be a lovely, moist cake with a deep lemon flavor and a shiny, slightly sticky outside. Sift some powdered sugar over the cake right before cutting and serving for a pretty look.

Simple Lemon Glaze

Another option for a lemon glaze would be to make a simple lemon syrup. Bring the zest of two lemons, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Cool to room temperature, and strain out the lemon zest. Taste the syrup. You can add a touch of fresh lemon juice or a bit of lemon extract if you’d like it more lemony. Thoroughly brush the cake with this syrup while it is still very warm, but after you have taken it out of the pan.

Lemon Frosting

If you are making a lemon cake with a lighter crumb, more like a standard yellow or white cake, you can use a lemon frosting. Lemon cream cheese frosting might be nice–the slight tang of the cream cheese would marry nicely with the fresh lemon flavor of the cake. Cream 4 oz. each of softened unsalted butter and softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Slowly add 1 pound of sifted confectioner’s sugar and cream very well. Beat in a pinch of salt, the zest of 1 lemon and a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (enough to give it a good spreading consistency).

Whatever option you choose, and whatever kind of lemon cake you made, I’m sure it will be very tasty.