There is nothing like the taste of a homemade cake in your kitchen. Cooking a cake is as simple as measuring the ingredients, mixing them in the correct order, and remembering to take the cake out of the oven before it burns. Read on to learn how to make these three classic cakes: chocolate, apple, and vanilla. Do not miss the advice section to find out how to follow a recipe in the most appropriate way.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Make a Vanilla Margherita Cake
Step 1. Get all the ingredients
The dough for the margherita cake is one of the simplest to bake. Here's what you'll need:
- 225 g of unsalted and soft butter
- 225 g of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
- 5 Eggs
- 200 g of Flour for cakes
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 160 ° C
Step 3. Butter a cake pan
Ideally, the margherita cake should be made in a deep pan, such as a donut mold or loaf pan.
Step 4. Beat the butter with the sugar
Pour the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk the two ingredients until you get a light, soft and creamy mixture.
Step 5. Add the eggs and vanilla
Continue beating the mixture until the eggs are completely incorporated.
Step 6. Incorporate the flour
Set the electric whisk on low speed, or use a wooden spoon, and gradually incorporate the flour, a little at a time, until it is evenly blended with the other ingredients. Be careful not to whip the dough excessively.
Step 7. Pour the dough into the pan
With a spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl to take advantage of all the dough at your disposal.
Step 8. Bake the cake in the oven for 75 minutes
The cake will be cooked when it appears golden on the surface, and when a toothpick stuck in the center it will then be removed clean, rather than covered with dough.
Method 2 of 4: Make a Chocolate Cake
Step 1. Get all the ingredients
- 170 g of unsalted butter at room temperature
- 75 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 75 g of flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon of yeast
- 225 g of sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- 120 ml of Buttermilk or Sour Cream
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Step 3. Butter or grease your cake pan
You can use a classic circular cake pan, a square baking dish, a donut mold, etc. Butter or grease the container chosen carefully, so that the cake does not stick in cooking.
Step 4. Blend the wet ingredients in a large bowl
Pour the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, and buttermilk into a bowl. Use a hand or electric whisk to evenly mix the ingredients.
- Normally, in a recipe, "wet ingredients" are those that contain some moisture. Sugar is also often listed as a wet ingredient, although in fact it is not.
- Wet ingredients are generally mixed initially in a large bowl. While dry ones are mixed separately and add later.
- In pastry recipes it is important to follow the instructions regarding the consistency of the butter. Using melted butter in a recipe that calls for it softened could mean ruining a cake. In this case, the recipe requires the butter to be at room temperature. Prepare it in time by removing it from the refrigerator before preparing the other ingredients, so that it has time to reach the correct temperature.
Step 5. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
Pour the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder into a small bowl. Mix and blend the ingredients evenly.
Step 6. Mix the dry mix into the wet one
Stir with a whisk on low speed, until the batter is completely amalgamated and all traces of lump of flour are removed.
Step 7. Pour the dough into the pan
With a spoon or spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl to take advantage of all the dough at your disposal.
Step 8. Place the pan in the oven and bake the cake for 30 minutes
From time to time, observe the cake to make sure it doesn't burn. The cake will be ready when a toothpick stuck in the center is then extracted clean, rather than covered with dough.
Step 9. Remove the cake and let it cool
Place it on your kitchen worktop and let it cool for 5 minutes before handling.
Step 10. Turn the cake over onto a plate
Use the dish in which you intend to serve the cake on the table.
Step 11. Before frosting, let the cake cool completely
Trying to glaze a cake while it is still hot, you could irreparably melt the glaze by letting it run on the sides. When the cake is cold and ready to be coated, make the icing according to the recipe and use a knife to spread it evenly over the surface of the cake.
Step 12. Finished
Method 3 of 4: Make an Apple Pie
Step 1. Get all the ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make an apple pie:
- 75 g of flour
- 3/4 tablespoon of yeast
- 4 Apples
- 2 eggs
- 170 g of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- 110 g of unsalted butter at room temperature
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Step 3. Butter your cake pan
For this recipe, you can use a standard cake pan or a mold with removable sides, ideal if you want to serve the cake at a party.
Step 4. Melt the butter and let it cool
It will need to reach room temperature before you can incorporate it with the other ingredients.
Step 5. Blend the dry ingredients in a small bowl
Pour the flour, salt and yeast into a bowl and mix the ingredients with a whisk.
Step 6. Prepare the apples
Use a knife or vegetable peeler and peel the apples, then remove the cores. Slice the apples into bite-sized pieces.
Step 7. Blend the wet ingredients
Combine the sugar, butter, and vanilla.
Step 8. Incorporate dry mix into wet mix
Mix until smooth and creamy.
Step 9. Add the apples
Use a spatula to gently blend the apples into the dough. Do not whip the dough excessively, otherwise you will get a thick and hard cake.
Step 10. Pour the batter into the pan
With the spatula, level the surface making it uniform.
Step 11. Bake the cake in the oven for about 50 minutes
The cake will be cooked when it appears golden on the surface, and when a toothpick stuck in the center it will then be removed clean, rather than covered with dough.
Step 12. Serve the cake accompanying it with the whipped cream
Method 4 of 4: Follow a Cake Recipe
Step 1. Before you begin, start by reading the ingredients list and directions provided by your recipe
It is important that you have every ingredient you will need ready to use. You certainly don't want to find yourself rushing to the supermarket while preparing. The end result can be bad if you omit a key ingredient.
Step 2. Prepare the pan
Make sure you have a bowl of the right size and shape. Donuts need a special container, while other cakes can be baked in containers of various sizes. Butter the bowl to prevent the cake from sticking to the edges. Put about half a tablespoon of butter or vegetable margarine on a piece of paper towel and spread it inside the bowl. Sprinkle about a tablespoon or two of flour on top of the butter. Sprinkle the flour all over to help the cake stick to the sides of the bowl as it cooks. This will allow for a flatter base, which is important in the case of cakes with multiple layers. Move the bowl, then remove the excess flour, then set it aside.
Step 3. Preheat the oven to the temperature required by the recipe
Step 4. Measure the quantity of each ingredient with the utmost accuracy and add it in the order specified
Many recipes start by combining first the dry ingredients (flour, yeast, cocoa, etc.) and then the liquid ones (eggs, oil, milk). Make sure you have the appropriate tools, such as a flour sieve or egg whisk, and use them before adding the ingredient to the main bowl.
Step 5. Mix the cake mixture following the method specified by the recipe
Some ingredients can be mixed with an electric or hand mixer. Be careful, as the instructions may direct you to add flour or other ingredients with a rubber spatula. While stirring, stop every now and then to remove, with a spatula or spoon, the mixture attached to the edges and mix it with the rest of the mixture so that everything is mixed properly.
Step 6. Pour the mixture into the greased bowl
Fill the bowl up to 2/3 of its height, as the cake will grow as it cooks. Gently tap the sides of the container to eliminate any air bubbles present in the mixture.
Step 7. Place the pan on the center of the preheated oven
If you are baking more than one cake, do not allow the containers to touch each other or to touch the walls of the oven.
Step 8. Close the oven door and immediately set the timer to the time specified by the recipe
If the recipe indicates a time slot, set the timer on an intermediate time (cook for 35 minutes if the time slot goes from 34 to 36 minutes or 53 minutes for a time ranging from 50 to 55 minutes). Baking for an intermediate time will prevent the cake from being overcooked or undercooked. Resist the urge to open the oven door while baking, as the heat will escape and the cake may cook unevenly. If possible, turn on the oven light and look at the cake through the glass.
Step 9. Check if the cake is ready
Gently insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of the cake. If it remains clean or with little residue when it is removed, the cake is ready. Otherwise, put it back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes. Keep trying at 3-4 minute intervals until you get the right result.
Step 10. Put the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 15-30 minutes
With a buttered knife, remove the edge of the cake from the container, sliding it between the edge and the cake. Place the wire rack on top of the bowl, turn everything upside down and lightly tap the bowl so the cake pops out.
Let it cool completely before decorating, or the heat will cause the icing or icing sugar to melt. Cover the cake with the icing and decorate it as you like
Advice
- Double-check the quantities of ingredients before using them. A few more or less tablespoons of flour can have dramatic and unwanted effects on the cake.
- Always wash your hands before you start cooking.
- Do not frost the cake before it has cooled down. Otherwise the glaze will slide and run along the edges.
- If salt is among the ingredients in the recipe, be very careful. 1/4 teaspoon more salt can make the cake saltier than it should be.
- When a recipe calls for cold ingredients, such as butter or cream cheese, to be used at room temperature, remove them from the packaging and place them in a container outside the refrigerator for a couple of hours to soften. You can test its softness by piercing it with a fork.
- If you try to remove a hot cake from the bowl, it could break.
- If you use a different recipe, follow the instructions given to you.
- For best results, use strong, good quality aluminum baking pans.
- If you like soft cakes, replace the oil with yogurt.
Warnings
- Be sure to keep small children and pets away when you open the hot oven door.
- Oven temperatures can vary, so take a look at your cake to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Always wear oven mitts or pot holders when you take the cake out of the oven, so you don't burn yourself.
- Be moderate to avoid wasting ingredients and money.
