Posted on Thursday, 16th July 2009 by admin
”Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake”
Cakes as a form of food are usually sweet and baked. They are a combination of some kind of flour, a sweetening agent (commonly sugar, honey), a binding agent (egg in case of non-vegetarians & gluten or starch in case of vegetarians and vegans), fats (mostly butter, shortening reagent, or margarine; a fruit purée like an applesauce is sometimes substituted to avoid using fat), a liquid (milk, water or fruit juice), flavors and some form of leavening agent (such as yeast or baking powder). Many cakes often lack these essential ingredients and instead use air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise.
Cake is often the most preferred dessert for meals at festivals & occasions like weddings, anniversaries and birthdays. Many people also gift cakes for these occasions. There are innumerable cake recipes; some are bread-like, some rich and elaborate and some are very old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure and many families in India make cake preparation as a family affair during special occasions while many others prefer to buy cakes from specific shops.
Cakes can be small and intended for individual consumption (eg. brownies or cupcakes). Larger cakes are made with the intention of being sliced and served as part of a meal or social function. The cutting of a cake constitutes a social ceremony in some cultures and has been adapted to India for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, new year celebrations and Valentines Day. One can send cakes to india for these special occasions mentioned above.
Varieties of Cake :
Black Forest Cake : A typical Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream and cherries in each layer. Further more the cake is decorated with whipped cream on top, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some varieties sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.
Chocolate cake : It is made from a combination of eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, butter or oil, salt, and baking soda. Water or milk is also used. Other additions and variations may include melted chocolate, sour cream, buttermilk, fruit juices, or syrups. Bakers use vanilla extracts, liqueurs, or flavored liquids like coffee to bring out different properties in the chocolate flavor. A variety of toppings, icings and glazes can also be used, as well as spices.
Chocolate truffle Cake : Chocolate truffle cakes are layers of cakes, usually with at least four to six thin layers of a chocolate genoise (probably sometimes using sponge, instead), with ganache used to fill between the layers. Sometimes the entire pastry has been topped with ganache, and other times the whole cake has been covered with either a chocolate glaze or chocolate fondant.
Beyond these classifications, cakes can be classified based on their appropriate accompaniment (such as butterscotch cake, vanilla cake, freshcream cake, strawberry cake, pineapple cake), contents (e.g. fruitcake) or special ingredients in the case of eggless cakes or size like a square or rectangle or a special heart shaped chocolate cake.
Decorating a Cake
Although a cake in itself is a delicacy, it has to be made further attractive with garnishings or finishings. A cake is often enhanced by covering it with icing, or frosting, and toppings such as sprinkles. Frosting is made from powdered (icing) sugar, sometimes a fat of some sort, milk or cream, and often flavorings such as vanilla extract or cocoa powder. Some decorators use a rolled fondant icing. Commercial bakeries tend to use lard for the fat, and often whip the lard to introduce air bubbles. This makes the icing light and spreadable. Homemade cakes either use lard, butter, margarine or some combination thereof.
One can also send a combo of gifts to India which consists of cakes, flowers and a teddy bear or a cake with roses as a birthday gift. Whoever said that one can’t bake their cake and not eat it too, you can…alongwith the icing!
