For many of us it is easy to create a melt in the mouth, moist high sided, golden crumb cake! After all it is only butter, sugar, eggs and flour.
But several techniques are essential for that sensational result.Last week during a food demonstration I was doing for KitchenAid, I was asked several questions about cakes and methods of mixing. I had a couple of wonderful cakes on display and these were creating lots of interest – and everyone wanted a slice.
There are several methods for mixing cakes. The most often used is the creaming method. This method is used as a base for hundreds of cakes and variations on favour from the basic butter cake to a heavy dense rich chocolate cake or Christmas cake. The tips:
Choose the best ingredients you can afford – the flavour of the end result will come from the quality of the original ingredients.
- Weigh and measure all ingredients accurately
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan
- Use a good quality electric mixer – The KitchenAid Standmixer is the ultimate and a mixer you can really on for many many years
- Have the butter at room temperature
- Cream the butter lightly before adding the sugar
- Beat the eggs in one and a time
- Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and liquids. Beat until well combined
- Fill the pan no more than 2/3rds and bake on the centre shelf
A cake is cooked when it springs back lightly when touched or a small metal skewer gently inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.
And finally, always leave the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to completely cool before icing, filling cutting or eating!
For delicious cakes visit the KitchenAid recipe database.
Excited bought a Kitchenaid Artisan and book but had disaster with first recipe Double Chocolate Brownies. Did it to the book looked sensational coming out of oven only to find top very hard and crunchy and middle nowhere near cooked. Double checked everything and even the actual oven temperature. HELP!
Hi Jenny,
I am Jo the Australian home economist for KitchenAid (Peter Mcinnes Australia).
Marvellous you have purchased your mixer. Regrding recipes I encouarge you to look at the Australian KitchenAid site. http://www.kitchenaid .com.au
There are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful recipes written and tested for Australian Tastes, using Australian ingredients on their. I have written and tripple tested them before they are published.
My chocolate brownies are simply devine and adored my thousands. Please visit the officialAustralian site. Theu happen to be a g;uten free recipe, but you can use normal palin flour if you wish. The texture is like silk.
Please let me know if I can help you with other queries or recipes.
Jo
Hi Jo. I am having trouble with my much loved vanilla cupcake recipe that I have used successfully in my business for two years. I have two of the heavy duty kitchenaids and when I use my recipe in them it comes our quite runny and bakes very dry. I wish to continue using this recipe, but My kitchenaids are gathering dust and I am back to using my antique Sunbeam mixmaster. Any ideas would be much appreciated.
Oh goodness kerrie – this is awful! No there will be an explanation and i think it is simply over mixing – as the Ka goes to 67 points in the bowl, whil others hit 11 points.
I am going to email you and would love to chat with you.
Could i please have your recipe and i would love to make too.
i am available tomorrow and then will be interstate for 1 week
lets see what we can do tomorrow?
speak soon
Jo
Thank you very much for that great blog post.
Hi,
For the best ‘fluffy’ creamed butter and sugar always use the flat beater attachment. The whisk is ideal for whipping cream and meringue style mixtures as it’s job is to whisk. The flat beater is creaming and because the butter and sugar need to combine the flat beaters design will do this easily.
The flat beater is like the wooden spoon to the standmixer and is used for creaming butter and sugar, eggs and sugar and general beating, creamin,folding and mixing.
You can cream butter and sugar on all speeds but I usually start on speed 1 and move up to speed 6, 8 or 10 depending on what I am beating.
Another tip is to cream the room temperature butter first, once light and fluffy and half the sugar and then add the remaining. Butter can ‘choke’ on the sugar…… so many professionals like to add it in two lots. This is not a hard and fast rule, but since learning this technique from a advanced pastry chef, i have started to do it too.
For some great recipes have a look at the cakes on the peter mcinnes web site. I have several types and styles and they describe which attachemnt, what speed and how long to beat for. Also my recipes and tripple tested so you know the they really work.
Good luck with the baking
jo
I have been making cakes in my new kitchenaid mixer but they are not that successful. When I cream the butter and sugar (with whisk attachment) it does not seem as fluffy as when I use a hand mixer and some seems to stay on the bottom of the bowl.
Hi Jo.
I’m just about to buy another microwave after my 30-year old microwave has had it. It’s very timely to read about your advice re ‘Whirlpool’ microwave oven, as I have had trouble with softening butter for cakes, etc in this cold Melbourne weather. Thanks. I’ll definitely get one – hopefully it’s easily available to buy.
Cheers
Vangie
Yes, you will find Whirlpool appliances at stores such as Harvey Norman / The Good Guys.
You can also look on the Whirlpool Australia website for stockists. They have a few microwave models available.
Jo
Hi Jo.
I could never make good scones and I’ve tried so many different recipes – by hand. Would it help if I used my Kitchen Aid food processor or mixer? Can you please give me some fool-proof recipes & tips for plain and fruit (eg berries, apple) scones, including setting number/s if using gadgets & timing. I like my scones to be fluffy, creamy, cakey & high – not flat, hard ones. Thank you.
I enjoy watching you demonstrate cooking.
Cheers
Vangie
Hello,
I love a good scone too and the processor is excellent and so easy to master with scones. Generally the rules for a standard scone recipe are:1. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt etc into the large bowl with the all purpose balade and pulse 5 seconds.2. With the motor running add the cold diced butter pieces quickly through the small food chute. Pulse until the mixture looks like course bread crumbs (this only takes a few seconds). Add the dried fruit if using and do not over work the mixture. Add the milk / cream / lemonade! or water and process lightly. 3. Do NOT over mix or process as this will make your scones very tough. Remove the dough and lightly patt out with floured hands. Cut into rounds and place onto a prepared tray. 4. Bake about 12 minutes in a hot 200 C oven.
As yet I do not have a general scone recipe on the Peter McInnes recipe website. But will add one as soon as is possible. There is a fabulous gluten free recipe for scones – so try this? I think they are some of the best gluten free scones I have eaten! (but of course i would tell you my recipe is the best)!The KitchenAid food processor is super powerful and fabulous to use. She turns at 1700 RPM so ‘QUICK” is the key. Hope these tips help. Jo
Hi there
could you tell me what I am doing wrong? I baked a chocolate cake using the ingredients they have asked – cabury cocoa powder etc but my cake does not look dark enough?? Am I using the wrong cocoa powder and how do I make my cake light in texture. I dont want it to be like a mud cake or do you have a recipe that I can follow. Many thanks for your help.
Annette
Hi Annette,
I have many suggestions for you. As i do not know the recipe you are using i will simply answer with a a few tips.
1. I always like to use a ‘dutch’ cocoa. This process reduces the acidity in the cocoa, producing a rich, full flavoured result. (sold at all good deli’s and not overly expensive)
2. When mixing with your KitchenAid standmixer, remember the mixer is super super quick and do not over beat the batter. (this knocks the air out)
3. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks only and use speed 1 to combine into the batter.
My favouite chcolate cook book is CRAVE, A passion for chocolate by Maureen McKeon (Murdoch Books). I have been privallged to know and work with Maureen for many years – her knowledge of baking and choclate is truely amazing.
For some other recipes please have a look at the Peter Mc Inness recipewebsite. The recipes are written and tested by myself – I guarantee they work!
Many more recipes are coming soon – especially for chocolate and baking. I LOVE to bake!
I hope I have helped.
Jo
hi annette,
i would love to see your recipe.
i always use a good quality ‘dutched’ cocoa – readily availble from good deli’s and some better supermarkets. dutch cocoa has been through a process that reduces the acidity, thus producing a full flavoured darker end result. also i prefer to use best possible quality chocolate i can and another tip is to use ‘eating ‘chocolate. regarding lightness there are many reasons the cake may not be light. if using a kitchenaid be sure not to over mix the cake, as the mixer is very quick. have you looked at the recipes on the peter mcinnes web site? there are a few choclate recipes and many many more are coming soon!
again until i see your recipe it is hard to answer more questions for you. ….. please send it and i would be happy to look over it.
i have a personal favourite book CRAVE, a passion for chocolate by maureen mckeon – you will find complete sucess with maureen’s recipes.
Jo
Is it ok to partially melt the butter in the microwave before creaming it with the sugar? I do this and it makes the process much faster.
This can be risky as often the butter melts just a wee bit too much! The butter needs to actually coat the grains of sugar to becomes light and fluffy: which produces a fine light textured crumb in the cooked cake…. melting it makes the cake more heavy and doughy.
The ‘Whirlpool’ microwave oven has a special low setting of 90 watts which is specially for softening butter without melting! This is so handy for times when I need that butter in a hurry….
Those are great tips. I can’t bake at all, lol. So this is pretty helpful.
Marina
http://marinasrecipebox.wordpress.com
thank you. check out the recipes on http://www.petermcinnes.com.au. if you don’t have a great standmixer as yet. pop a kitchenaid onto your shopping list. Jo