Dried cakes are also often called cookies, which mean small cake. The ingredients and the way of making the cookies are not much different from how to make the cake. The dry cake is not the same as the biscuit. Biscuits are pastries that contain little fat and sugar, which are also mass-produced in factories that use special equipment and special ovens as well. The thing is, nowadays you can even make some cakes without even using oven. Check cake recipe ideas without oven here.
Making cookies seems very easy. All ingredients are mixed and then shaped and grounded. Though the process is not so easy, there are some things you need to know and do to make the cookies not just so, but tasty. Understanding the ingredients and character will help create delicious cookies. The cake-making technique will also help a lot when it comes to failing to make cookies.
FLOUR
Selected flour is usually low protein or versatile flour (multi-purpose flour). In addition to flour, sometimes we can use glutinous rice flour, starch flour, and cornstarch. Whatever flour is selected, the same functional flour is building a cake structure and as a binder of ingredients used in the cake.
SUGAR
Sugar used can be sugar, palm sugar, sugar flour and brown sugar (caramel sugar). Point to give a sweet taste and give color to the cake. The little sugar cake will be pale.
The use of refined and coarse sugar will produce different cakes. Refined sugar will facilitate us in making it because quickly destroyed. The resulting cake texture will be smoother otherwise the cake that uses sugar, the cake will be crunchy as results.
FAT
Both animal fat (butter) and plant fat (margarine) can be used, but white oil or butter is also be used to make pastries. Generally people mix butter and margarine, the goal is not just saving on fixed costs also make the cake is not easily destroyed. Better to use butter without salt (unsalted) because the aroma is more prominent and richer. The temperature of butter used should be room temperature, if the temperature of butter is too cold or too hot to be oily, the air cannot enter into it. Fat makes cake soft and durable.
EGG
Eggs can be egg yolks, egg whites or both. Cake that use egg yolk alone will be tender otherwise when using egg whites alone will become harder.
Egg addition aims to provide moisture, nutritional value as well as build a cake structure. Eggs are also often used to polish, to shine the cake.
OTHER MATERIALS
One of them is milk powder (although sometimes also used liquid milk, fresh milk or sweetened condensed milk). Milk aims to provide flavor, aroma and nutritional value.
Spices are also often added to add flavor.
There are also other additives such as dried fruit, cocoa powder and aroma (like chocolate paste, mocha, fruits essence).
MATERIALS
Baking soda
The baking soda makes the dumplings dark, but the baking soda can also control the void of sugar. Beware of the amount of usage. Too much soda makes the cake feel like soap.
Baking powder
Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar and flour. The comparison is about 1: 2: 1. The purpose of this addition makes the cake become crunchy and widen size.
FAILURE HAPPENS
- Cake Too Wide
The cause can be shaking sugar and margarine is too long. It could also be because the eggs are used too much.
- The Cake is Too Hard
Mistakes can be caused by erroneous recipe compositions. Please note the comparison of good ingredients is 3: 2: 1: ½, meaning that when using 300 grams of wheat flour then butter is required is 200 grams while sugar 100 grams and eggs 50 grams.
It can be happened because the cake is baked too long (too low temperature).
- Chocolate Cake at the Bottom, But Not Mature In The Middle
The oven flames are uneven or the oven is too hot. It could also be because the distance of the baking pan is too close. Too much margarine polishing on the pan can also cause this.
- The outside of the cake is already dry the inside is still wet
The oven heat is too high.
- The Cake’s Color is Too Pale
Although the cake is cooked but the color is pale, most likely because the sugar is used less.
There are some tips that may be useful for you when baking some cakes or cookies. I hope these tips can help you to be better as baker.