What we should know about cakes
Cake is considered to be a type of baked goods typically sweet. Cakes normally consist of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil, some varieties may contain liquid ( milk or water) and yeast or baking powder. In cake producing such ingredients are often used: fruit preserves and pastry cream for filling, buttercream for icings, marzipan, piped borders, candied fruit for decoration.Cakes are often chosen for dessert at different kinds of ceremonial occasions, such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. For example, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and Passover plava (a type of Jewish sponge cake sometimes made with matzo meal) are all identified according to the celebration they are baked for. Each type of these occasions requires a special cake. A wedding cake is an important part of a wedding ceremony and its cutting is symbolic in many cultures. Special cakes are made for festivals, such as stollen (at Christmas), babka and simnel cake (at Easter), or mooncake.
There is a great number cake recipes. Some of them are very simple, some are very elaborate and trace their origin from the old times.
All these cake recipes are divided into some categories according to ingredients and cooking techniques. Yeast cakes are the oldest and have much in common with yeast breads. Cheesecakes aren't really cakes at all. They are a kind of custard pies with a cheese filling (often cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta or the like).Sponge cakes are considered to be the first of the non-yeast-based cakes. Butter cakes consist of butter, eggs, and sometimes baking powder to provide both lift and a moist texture.
The shape of cakes has a great number of variations. Small cakes are intended for individual consumption. Large cakes must be sliced and are the part of a meal. The most common shapes are layer cakes, sheet cakes (baked in sheet pans),cupcakes ( made for a single person), bundt cakes, swiss roll cakes.
Cake baking has turned from a complicated procedure to an easy task which can be completed even by an amateur cook. It is possible thanks to the new technologies in baking equipment and the simplified directions. All this makes the baking process simpler, quicker and more enjoyable.
