Cake making basically, it all comes down to science; a
combination of chemistry and physics and a little knowledge
or understanding of this will go a long way in successful
cake making.
When you cream the sugar with the butter - the mixture
turns pale and creamy, hence the verb to cream. Scientifically,
what is happening, is that the motion of the beating causes
air to be incorporated into the cake mixture and these minute
bubbles of air individually become trapped by a thin layer
of fat, from the butter, consequently causing the mixture
to change colour.
The air bubbles prevents your cake from resembling a lump
of concrete when it returns from the oven, however, one
more ingredient is required to ensure the air remains where
it is throughout the baking process. In adding a quantity
of beaten egg to the mixture, the egg white forms a protective
coating around each air bubble. As the cake bakes and it's
temperature rises, this coating hardens, which prevents
the fats collapsing and the air escaping.
A cake rises in the oven because the hot temperatures cause
the trapped air bubbles to expand. Meanwhile, the gluten
in the flour has created a stretchy mass around these air
bubbles contributing to the cakes growth. This expansion
process should not be interupted i.e. opening the oven door
in the early baking stage is a complete no-no! The sudden
drop in temperature will cause the air in the cake to contract,
rather than expand, and your cake will collapse. After about
three-quarters of the baking time has surpassed, it is safe
to take a peek (afterall, you don't want your masterpiece
to be overbaked or ruined by a burned top!)
The temperature of the cake will have reached that of the
oven and the gluten will have ceased to stretch. As a result
the shape of the cake is fully formed.
So that's what happens when your masterpiece turns from
ingredients to mix to cake! If you are anything like me
and patience is not your strong point, this small piece
of knowledge will give you something to think about, a distraction
from doing the terrible and interfering with your creation
in it's final stages of glory! I wish you all a future of
very happy baking!
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