TH2001

Cakes and Tortes

Cakes are sweet baked food made from a dough or thick batter usually containing flour and sugar, and often
shortening, eggs, and a raising agent such as baking powder (Merriam-Webster n.d.). These are popular
products produced by bakeshops because of its versatility as some cakes can be served as is, or elaborately
designed for special occasions.

Most cakes are made from liquid batters with high fat and sugar content. These require the same precision
as producing bread but for a different reason. It is the baker’s job to create a structure of the cakes that
can equally support the ingredients and keep it light and delicate.

Torte [tort] is a German term used in Central and Eastern Europe to refer to a rich cake in which all or part of
the flour is replaced with finely chopped nuts or breadcrumbs. Other cultures refer to any round sweet cake
as a torte.

The most common cake used for tortes is a joconde [joh-KOND]. It is a cake batter that bakes into a moist,
flexible cake. The cake may be tinted or marbleized for further decorative effect. The batter may also be
baked on a patterned silicone baking mat, retaining an imprint of the mat when unmolded. Tortes are
usually made with four (4) layers or more because the cake is often thin and does not produce much height
when baked.

Entremet [AHN-truh-meh] is a French term that describes a modern dessert torte. Modern tortes may be
filled with gelées and other fillings such as mousse and joconde. Gelée [JEH-Lee] is made from fruit
preserves, or fruit coulis firmed using gelatin. Cocoa gelées and chocolate glaze with gelatin may also be
used.

A gâteau [ga-TOW] is another French term which means cakes. It generally refers to cakes and other various
pastry items that are layered.

Distinct classification of European tortes from American cake is that tortes are multilayered and are filled
with creams, mousses, and other fillings.

Functions of Ingredients
To have a quality cake, the balance of ingredients is important even with the use of high-quality
ingredients. Each ingredient performs a specific function and effect on the end product. These ingredients
are best used at room temperature. A difference in temperature may affect the interaction of one another
and may inhibit the rise of the cakes.

 Tougheners or the ingredients that provide structure and strengthen the cake once baked are flour,
milk, and eggs that contain proteins. An insufficient amount of protein can cause the cake to
collapse while adding too much can produce a tough and coarse product.

 Tenderizers are sugar, fats, and eggs that inhibit gluten development when cakes are mixed,
making it tender and soft. These ingredients also improve the cake’s keeping qualities.

 Moisteners are liquids such as water, milk, juice, and eggs that bring moisture to the product. It is
necessary for gluten development.

 Driers give the cake products its body and structure. These are commonly identified as flour,
starches, and milk solids.
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  Leaveners can be in different forms. Aside from the chemical leaveners commonly used in baking
and pastry, cakes are also leavened by the air trapped in beaten eggs. During the baking process,
the steam and air create the proper texture and rise in baked goods.

 Flavorings such as extracts, cocoa, spices, salt, sugar, and butter provide cakes its desired flavors.
Some cakes may require an acidic ingredient that not only gives flavor but can also activate the
baking soda.

Mixing Methods
Good ingredients alone do not guarantee a fine cake. A thorough understanding of mixing procedures is
essential. The three (3) main goals of mixing cakes are:

 To combine all ingredients in a smooth, uniform batter.

 To form and incorporate air cells in the batter.
 To develop the proper texture in the finished product.

All mixing methods can be divided into two (2) categories: (1) high fat: those that create a structure that
relies primarily on creamed fat, and (2) egg foam: those that create a structure that relies primarily on
whipped eggs.

Creamed fat cakes include most of the popular American-style cakes that are high in fat: pound cakes, layer
cakes, coffee cakes, and even brownies. Creaming method is a mixing method used for butter-based cakes,
while the two-stage method is used for high-ratio cakes because the liquids are added in two (2) stages or
portions.

Whipped Eggs/Egg Foams cakes are based on whipped-egg foams or meringues, and contains little or no
fats. The basic mixing method is to beat either egg white (as for angel food cake), whole eggs (as for genoise)
or the eggs and whites separately (as in sponge cake), sift the dry ingredients, and fold all the components
together gently but thoroughly (Jones, 2015).

Different Kinds of Cakes

There are different kinds of cakes. Each kind may differ in mixing method, texture, and density. The
following are the common kinds of cakes in baking and pastry:

 Butter cakes, also known as creaming-method cakes, begin with softened butter or shortening
creamed to incorporate air cells. Then, sugar and cream are added and mixed until the mixture is
smooth and fluffy. Eggs are added slowly, beating well after each addition. Lastly, the dry and liquid
ingredients are added alternately. Butter cakes have a high percentage of fat and use chemical
leavener in its formula. The resulting cake has a fine grain texture, with air cells of uniform size. It
has a moist crumb and thin and tender crust. Pound cake, layer cakes, and coffee cakes are a few
examples of a butter cake.
 High-ratio cakes contain a high ratio of sugar and liquid to flour. The two-stage mixing method is
used for this type of cake. It is called a two-stage method because the liquids are added in two (2)
stages or portions. Cakes of this kind use emulsified shortening. These have very fine grain texture,
moist crumb, and rise relatively high.
 Genoise [JEHN-wahz] – This is the classic European-style cake. Often, genoise is baked in a thin
sheet and layered with buttercream, pureed fruit, jam, or chocolate filling to create multilayered
specialty desserts, sometimes known as torte. To make this cake, whole eggs are whipped with
sugar and dry
 ingredients are folded after. It uses no chemical leaveners, relying only on the air trapped in the
eggs to help it rise. Because genoise is rather dry and spongy, it is usually soaked with flavored sugar
syrup or liqueur for additional flavor and to increase shelf life.
 Sponge cakes – These are made with separated eggs. The egg yolks are mixed with other ingredients
before being folded in with the whipped egg whites. These cakes are extremely versatile; they can
be soaked with sugar syrup or a liqueur and assembled with buttercream. Or, they can be sliced
thinly and layered with jam, custard, chocolate, or cream filling. These are generally moister and
more tender than genoise.
 Angel food cakes – These contain no fat, use large quantities of egg whites, and a high percentage of
sugar. The classic angel food cake is pure white, using only white ingredients like flour, sugar, and
egg whites. The finished angel cakes are tall, light, and very spongy. Flavorings, ground nuts, or
cocoa powder may be added for variety. These are often served with fruits or whipped cream.
 Chiffon cakes – These are similar to angel food cake in appearance and texture, but with the
addition of egg yolks and vegetable oil. The egg yolks and vegetable oil are added with the other
ingredients before being folded in with the whipped egg whites. Baking powder may be added to
aid in leavening the cake. The resulting cake is tall, light, and fluffy, with a moister and richer texture
and flavor than angel food cakes. Chiffon cakes can be frosted with a light buttercream or whipped
cream or topped with a glaze.
 Joconde cakes – Joconde cakes are made mostly for tortes. It is a whipped egg cake wherein whole
eggs are whisked with the almond or any other nut flour instead of wheat flour. Then, the egg
whites are whipped separately and folded into the whole egg mixture. It is a type of cake that is
flexible and moist when baked.

Cupcakes
Cupcakes are small cakes that are baked in small paper cups using a special pan. It uses the same batter and
is baked at a shorter time. Icings are piped on top of the cupcakes to add flavor and decoration, the same as
to cakes.
There are three (3) main methods for icing cupcakes:
 Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the icing. Do not dip them too deeply; only the tops should touch
the icing. If the icing is reasonably stiff, not flowing, twist the cakes slightly and pull them out quickly
in one smooth motion. Do not let icing run down the sides.
 Spread the icing with a spatula. Take enough icing for one cake on the tip of a bowl knife and cover
the top of the cake in a single smooth, neat motion, twisting the cake in one hand. The practice is
necessary to develop speed and efficiency.
With a pastry bag fitted with a star or plain tube, apply a swirl of icing to each cake. This is perhaps
the most popular method for modern cupcakes. It makes it possible to apply a generous quantity of
icing to the cupcake—a style favored by consumers. Before the icing dries, cupcakes may be
decorated with glazed fruit, coconut, nuts, colored sugar, chocolate sprinkles, and so on.

References:
Gisslen, W. (2017) Professional baking (7th ed.). Wiley & Sons.
Jones, G. S. (2015, May 14) The Egg Foam Method in Baking. https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/the-egg-foam-method-in-baking/
Labensky, S., Martel, P. & Van Damme, E. (2020) On baking: Textbook of baking and pastry fundamentals (4th ed.). Pearson.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Cake. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 4, 2020, from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/cake
The Culinary Institute of America. (2016) Baking and pastry: Mastering the art and craft (3rd ed.). Wiley & Sons.