Yihao Classroom
Basic Introduction to Cake Making
The development of cakes can be traced back to times of scarcity in ancient Western societies. Eggs were difficult to obtain, and only the royal aristocracy could enjoy their delicacy. Cakes were a courtly treat, exclusively served at royal banquets. These royal delicacies, enjoyed solely by the aristocracy, took a long time to spread to the common people, only becoming widespread with the development of livestock farming and increased egg production. From there, cakes gradually spread to the general populace and across various regions.
Basic Applications of Cake Ingredients:
[1] The Role and Impact of Eggs on Cakes:
(1) Nutritional Value of Eggs
Since humans began to choose their food, 'eggs' have been a nutritional staple. Before the development of modern nutrition and medicine, eggs were the most readily available supplement. The elderly have always known to use eggs to replenish nutrition and restore health after illness or childbirth, a practice now supported by scientific research and widely accepted. Eggs have thus become an indispensable part of modern diets.
(2) Basic Function of Eggs in Cakes:
Eggs are an indispensable ingredient in cakes, possessing unique advantages unmatched by other foods. Their most notable characteristic is their ability to whip and retain air. After whisking, they absorb and hold air, increasing their volume significantly. During baking, they expand several times without the need for yeast or chemical leavening agents, creating a light and airy texture. They are an essential component for cake volume.
(3) Relative Role of Eggs in Baked Goods:
Besides increasing cake volume, eggs offer many other benefits: 1. Enhancing flavor and color; 2. Eggs are 75% water, and using eggs instead of water improves quality; 3. Promoting a light and airy texture; 4. Promoting emulsification in batter and dough; 5. Improving texture and creating a pleasant mouthfeel; 6. Providing a binding effect.
(4) Main Components of Eggs:
Whole egg components: eggshell, yolk, white, water. Eggshell accounts for 10.3% of the egg, yolk 30.3%, white 59.4%, and water 75%. Yolk components: water, fat, protein, glucose, ash. Water accounts for 49.6%, fat 33.4%, protein 15.75%, glucose 0.15%, and ash 1.1%. White components: water, protein, ash, glucose. Water accounts for 88%, protein 10.7%, ash 0.9%, and glucose 0.4%. Storage methods: 1. At room temperature (28-30°C), eggs remain fresh for 10 days. 2. Under refrigeration (5-10°C), eggs remain fresh for three weeks. 3. In the freezer (0-5°C), eggs remain fresh for four weeks (still usable after thawing).
(5) The Role of Egg Yolks:
1. Function of Egg Yolks in Baked Goods
Egg yolks are widely used in Western desserts. However, due to their higher cost, they are less frequently used in cakes. To meet the current market demand for high-quality, high-priced products, the use of egg yolks is expanding. Egg yolks offer several advantages in baked goods: ①They create a light and airy texture in dry products; ②They bind and set wet products; ③They add color during baking; ④They emulsify; ⑤They add a golden color; ⑥They promote expansion during baking.
2. The Role of Egg Yolks in Cakes
Egg yolks are a pliable ingredient with strong emulsifying properties and can be whipped to multiple times their volume, although this takes longer than with egg whites or whole eggs. Egg yolks that are not fresh or whipped too quickly are difficult to whip to a large volume. Due to their lower water content, whole egg yolks do not contribute to expansion in cakes. However, they have strong binding and setting properties, making them ideal for custards, jellies, and mousses. In cakes, egg yolks are usually used partially to achieve a dense texture.
(6) The Role of Egg Whites in Cakes
1. Characteristics of Egg Whites
Egg whites are highly resilient. Compared to whole eggs or yolks, they whip the best, faster and to a greater volume than yolks or whole eggs. They have excellent elasticity and moldability. The rapid whipping ability of egg whites in whole-egg cakes contributes to the expansion of the batter. Therefore, egg whites are the best ingredient for creating volume in cakes.
2. Controlling the Whipping State of Egg Whites
Egg whites have superior whipping properties compared to whole eggs and yolks. However, special attention should be paid to the whipping state of egg whites, as they whip up quickly to several times their volume. Due to their high resilience, it is difficult to control their air-holding capacity. Continuous whipping can easily lead to over-whipping and separation. This speed is difficult to monitor and control manually. Experienced bakers may slow down the whipping speed, but it is still difficult to achieve consistent results, especially for beginners.
Steps for Whipping Egg Whites
Whipping Conditions: The only condition for whipping egg whites is to ensure the mixing bowl is clean and free of any grease.
⑴Even a small amount of residual grease in the bowl or whisk, or a trace of yolk, will significantly affect the whipping of egg whites, potentially preventing them from whipping at all or resulting in unsatisfactory results. Therefore, pay attention to this point.
⑵Whipping Speed:
⑵搅拌的速度：
Because egg whites whip up quickly, a medium speed is best. However, bakeries usually use high speed to save time. High-speed whisking results in large, coarse bubbles with poor elasticity and stability. Slow-speed whisking produces small, fine bubbles with good elasticity and stability. High-quality egg whites, when mixed with other ingredients, retain their bubbles, allowing the batter to expand and providing plasticity for optimal cake quality.
⑶The effect of egg white whisking on the cake:
The state of whipped egg whites can be divided into three stages: ① Foamy stage ② Wet stage ③ Neutral stage (cocktail-like). Except for stage ①, the other two stages can be used, with the neutral stage being the best in terms of quality and binding power.
Egg whites affect the volume of the cake. Insufficient whisking results in a poor batter consistency when mixed with other ingredients.
Over-whisking leads to loss of air bubbles when mixed with other ingredients, resulting in a poor outcome. Therefore, understanding the state of the egg whites is crucial for achieving optimal cake volume.
(4) Other uses of egg whites:
Egg whites have many uses in other baked goods. For example: ① They are used extensively in small pastries to promote crispness; ② They increase the appropriate viscosity of dough or batter; ③ They have a binding effect; ④ They can be used as a surface coating to enhance the gloss of baked goods; ⑤ They are used as a surface decoration material, such as meringue; ⑥ They promote cake volume expansion.
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