Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sponge Cake
BY WHISKING METHODIntroduction
Sponge cake is one of the commonly seen cakes ranging from blackforest cake to common fruitcakes. The unique point is that it is a layered cake with refreshing fillings in between the layers. One of the simplest cake to bake. One can enjoy the spongecake baked with a variety of nuts, or for sweet lovers, one can add on icings or a hearty serving of cream.
Variations
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 1/2tbsp oil
1 1/2tbsp water
1/2tsp vanilla essence
75g castor sugar
75g self-raising flour
Equipment List
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric cake mixer / beater
- 1 medium bowl
- 2 small bowls
- 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon
- 1 sieve
- 1 metal skewer
- 1 cake tin
- Small parchment paper
- 1 digital weighing scale
Pre-preparation
(A) Large Mixing Bowl (B) Small Bowl (C) Small Bowl (D) Medium Bowl
[clockwise direction]
click image for clearer view
*lemon/orange rind is optional
click image for clearer view
Method
1. Prepare the necessary ingredients as shown above.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Whisk the egg whites (A) to soft peak stage. (explanation of soft peak - very small bubbles, dropping consistency, egg white foam increases 2 times its original volume)
4. Add sugar (C) slowly in 2 batches, beating well (do not over-beat) each time the sugar is added.
5. Beat till thick and glossy and it nearly reaches stiff peak. (Egg white foam retains its shape.)
6. Add ingredients (B) all at once and beat to mix evenly. Do not over-beat.
7. Add the flour (D) in 2 batches. Sift again before adding to incorporate more air. (This is desired of sponge cake.)
8. Fold in the flour gently after each addition.
9. Pour (at a height no higher than 20cm - to prevent any incorporated air from escaping) into a well-greased cake tin lined with parchment paper/greaseproof paper.
10. Bake at 180°C for about 25 - 30 minutes or till sponge cake is well-risen, golden brown, springy to touch and the cake leaves the sides of the cake tin.
❤Here's a video taking you through the making of a delicious Sponge Cake❤
Roles of Ingredients
EGG - Eggs acts as foaming or leavening agents. The capacity of egg whites to be beaten into a foam increases to 6 - 8 times its original volume. Egg white foams are used to aerate and leaven a number of food products such as souffles, sponge cake or meringue.
(Factors affecting foaming - Firstly, fresh whites have thick whites, which give stable foams while older eggs have thin whites, which gives unstable foams. Secondly, eggs foam well and quickly to a larger volume when at room temperature. Thirdly, eggs are best beaten with electric mixer. A wire whisk can also be used. The key is to whip the whites into fine delicate bubbles. Next, deep bowls with rounded bottom and sloping sides are best as the beater can pick up egg foams. Lastly, sugar increase the beating time but creates a stable smooth foam. Hence, it is important not to add sugar to egg whites before beating is started, but to add it very gradually after foaming first occur. In fact, it is best to beat the egg whites to soft peaks before sugar is added with intertmittent beating between the additions of sugar. Otherwise, beating will be prolonged.)
SUGAR - The browning of crust on the baked product is due to caramelization os sugars and Maillard reaction. In baked goods, sugar contributes to the development of volume and texture by its ability to help in the aeration of batters. In addition, sugars serve as tenderizing agent which competes with starch for available water. Less water will be available to hydrate the gluten-forming proteins which stop the excess development gluten formation. Besides that, sugars also have decorative functions, such as icing sugar as toppings on cakes.
FAT- Fats provide tenderness particularly to baked products due to the shortening power of fats in which gluten strands are shorten. Thus, producing tender baked products. Is also acts as a lubricant to prevent the sticking of food onto the baking pan/tin.
FLOUR - Flour undergo starch gelatinization. When starch granules are heated in a liquid, the heat energy causes hydrogen bonds in the starch granules to break. This facilates the entry of water into the granules while some of the amylose molecules shifts into the water surrounding the granules. Water continues to migrate into the granules, forming hydrogen bonds with amylose and amylopectin. Amylopectin molecules will branch out in the starch granules. Tight organization of the granules is disrupted as granules absorb water and sweel because water is not compressible. Bound water increases the viscosity of the starch mixture which reduces the amouint of free water external to the granule.
References
(1) goodtoknow. (2010). Recipes - goodtoknow. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes(2) Brown, Amy C. (2000). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation. 3rd ed. Belmont, Calif.:Wadsworth/Thomson Learning
(3) McWilliams, M. (2005). Food Experimental Perspectives. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice-Hall
About Flower Flour Baking Recipes
The site is dedicated to providing various recipes for baking.
Baking is the heating of food by hot air in an oven using convection currents. Heat can be transferred by the movement of air or liquid. This process is known as convection. As air or liquid is heated, the hotter portions rise above the cold. This creates a convection current.
Baking temperature ranges from 149 to 219°C.
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