Have you ever gone to the baking aisle at the grocery store and wondered how you use all of those products? When I started baking years ago, I would think that nobody was ever going to buy all of that "stuff" and it's taken me a long time to figure out what all of it does. Of course, now there are way more obscure products than when I was a kid.
I want to give you an easy guide to some principle ingredients that you will need for baking cakes. I won't go to the lengths of explaining what invert sugar is or how to properly use hazelnut flour...that's a different course. But, simply knowing the distinction between all-purpose flour and cake flour is important and will most definitely effect the outcome of a cake.
Flours
All-purpose flour is the most commonly used flour for baking. That's why it's called all-purpose. A recipe should always state the type that will need to be used. Why is this important? Because, flours have different protein contents from one to the next. The amount of protein that is left after the flour is milled will determine the strength of the gluten structure in a cake. There's a whole lot of detail to get into about protein and flours, but what you need to know when getting started is this... don't substitute flours in a recipe. Some other ingredients you could get away with, but not this one.
Cake flour is the next most used flour for cake baking. It has the lowest protein content of all the flours and will give cakes a much finer crumb and lighter texture. In most grocery stores, cake flour either comes in a small box or a large bulk bag.
Whole wheat flour is not typically used in cakes because of it's higher protein content. In this course, you will learn how to make a carrot cake with whole wheat flour. Recipes that call for it will have a higher liquid content to help break down some of the gluten or will have a lot of heavy additions to the batter that need a strong structure to keep them dispersed through the batter. Basically, if you put heavy nuts or dried fruit in a weakly structured cake, they will all sink to the bottom.
Self-rising flour contains baking powder and salt. It's rare to see a cake recipe outfitted for the use of self-rising flour, but they are out there. Basically, for every cup of flour in the bag there is 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If your were to substitute this type flour in a recipe that called for cake flour, your cake would rise so fast that it would ultimately collapse and be a salty mess.
Sugars
Granulated sugar is the most common. It's easy to find in almost any store you walk into and almost every cake recipe I've come across is built for this type. The size of the crystals are specific to the ability to add air in the creaming process, but still be small enough to dissolve in the baking process. It's universal and good to have on hand.
Caster sugar or Baker's sugar are the same thing, just two names for different parts of the world. This type of sugar is the middle ground between a very fine confectioner's sugar and a slightly more coarse granulated sugar. It's basically granulated sugar that's taken a few spins in the food processor. You may never have to use this type in your recipes, but it's good to know that it has multiple names.
Confectioner's sugar has a little bit of cornstarch in it, so it should never be substituted for the types above. It is almost always used in glazes and frostings and occasionally non-cake baked goods.
Brown sugar has molasses in it. As sugar is being processed, a lot of stuff is removed from it. Molasses is a by-product of sugar refining, but in the case of brown sugar it isn't completely removed. Brown sugar has a higher moisture content and that's why it's able to be "packed" into a cup. If you see this in a recipe, you have found a rare unicorn my friend.
Butter
Salted versus unsalted is really what you need to know here. A recipe should tell you, but if it doesn't, unsalted is a safe bet. A cake recipe will almost always call for unsalted butter and also call for salt to be added to the batter.
Shortening or butter substitutes are for specialty diet recipes typically. Unless the ingredient list specifically calls for something else, these are not suitable substitutes. The fat, or lack thereof, will create a series of reactions in a cake batter that were not planned for.
Eggs
Size is what's important. Ok and the grade of eggs. Always go for grade A or AA. Lower grades are a roll of the dice and I never use them in baking. If the recipe doesn't have an egg size, the general rule of thumb is large. While I'm sure there is research into the area of cage free versus non cage free, grocery store eggs work just the same as organic expensive eggs.
Leaveners
Baking powder is a chemical leavener that reacts with moisture and hot air to create lift in a cake. It is typically used in batters that don't contain a high amount of acidic ingredients, such as vanilla cakes. Precise measurement is important, because it is very sensitive to it's environment. It's also double acting, meaning that it begins to work it's magic as soon as it comes into contact with the liquid and again when it gets into a hot situation. That's why cake batters with baking powder in them should be baked right away to get the optimal use from it.
Baking soda is also a chemical leavener that reacts with moisture. It is more commonly used in acidic recipes, such as chocolate cake. It is also sensitive to precise measurement. Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable, so care must be taken to ensure the proper one is being used.
Liquids
Milk is the most commonly used liquid in cake batters. A recipe should tell you what kind of milk you need. If it just says milk, chances are it's calling for whole milk. 2%, skim, and other milk substitutes do not have the appropriate fat content to use as an alternative to whole milk. If you end up using them, your cake will probably still rise and taste good, however it will not have the ideal characteristics of a properly made cake.
Water is typically used in batters that need a liquid to bind and create steam, but don't need extra fat content. Water is most often seen in certain chocolate cakes or specialty cakes that have other liquids in them.
Oils create an incredibly moist cake. I love oil based cakes, because they have more complex flavor profiles and keep longer in the fridge, perfect for cakes that you just want to eat yourself over the period of a week. Choosing the right oil is the most important thing to look out for. If a recipe has a specific type, then use that because it's been formatted around those specific characteristics. In general, I've substituted oils freely with one another over the years and haven't found a whole lot of evidence suggesting I shouldn't. Flavor will be affected, as always, but texture has never been an issue. Just, don't sub coconut oil, because it has a specific viscosity. Olive, canola, and vegetable oils are mostly universal in cake baking.
Flavorings
Extracts are the most common. If a recipe calls for them, they are interchangeable based on your preferences. If they are not in a recipe, most likely they can't just be added, because they are liquid. We're dealing with a delicate balance of ingredients and adding extra liquid will definitely have an effect.
Herbs and spices can be added to just about anything in small amounts. Typically 1 teaspoon or less won't ruin a cake batter and they will add some really amazing quality to the finished products. Just be aware of the intensity of the flavor and how much your are adding.
Extras
Nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips can be added to some cake batters. It all depends on the weight of the item versus the strength of the gluten structure in the cake. This is an area where just trying it out is the best way to find amounts that work. In a lot of cases, you may add things and they just sink to the bottom...try chopping them into smaller pieces or be ok with a nice layer of goodies on the bottom of your cake. Some other things to keep in mind are how big of a chunk of something do you want to bite into, how evenly dispersed do you want the products, and smaller chunks will make the cake easier to cut and serve in the end.
Cakes are a delicate dance of molecules, temperature, and air pressure. Luckily, time and lots of dedicated bakers have done all of the work to figure out that perfect combination.
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