Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Cupcakes
BY CREAMING METHOD(makes 8 - 10 cupcakes)
Introduction
Cupcakes are popular food item which is loved by all ages due to the fascinating and interesting decorations with a large variety of flavours ranging from coffee to fruits and even floral flavours!
Variations
Ingredients
125g self-raising flour
125g castor sugar
125g unsalted butter
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
Equipment List
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric cake mixer / beater
- 1 large bowl
- 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon
- 1 sieve
- 1 patty tin
- Cupcakes cases
- 1 metal skewer
- 1 digital weighing scale
Pre-preparations
(A) Large Mixing Bowl (B) Large Bowl
[from left to right]
click image for clearer view
* rind of 1 lemon/orange
* juice of 1/2 lemon/orange
* optional
click image for clearer view
Method
1. Prepare the ingredients as shown above.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Cream the sugar and butter (A) till light and fluffy.
4. Add 1 egg and cream evenly till egg disappears.
5. Then add in the last egg and cream even;y till egg disappears.
6. Add in vanilla essence. (and lemon/orange rind and juice if you want to)
7. Cream and mix evenly.
8. Add and fold in sifter flour (B) in 2 batches. Do not over-fold.
9. Scoop the creamed mixture into cupcakes cases (fill to 3/4 full)
10. Bake at 180°C for about 25 - 30 minutes till cupcakes are golden brown and well risen. Skewer should also come out clean.
❤Here's a video taking you through the making of delicious cupcakes❤
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 eggs 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. Next, deep bowls with rounded bottom and sloping sides are best as the beater can pick up egg foams. Lastly, eggs are best beaten with electric mixer. A wire whisk can also be used but the key is to whip the whites into fine delicate bubbles.)
SUGAR - In baked goods, sugar contributes to the development of volume and texture by its ability to help in the aeration of batters. The browning of crust on the baked products is also due to the caramelization of sugars and Maillard reaction. In addition, sugars also 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. Apart from that, sugars also have decorative functions such as topping for cakes or cookies.
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. It also adds volume. As fat melts, the mixture becomes more fluid and prone to expansion. By adhering to their surfaces, fat stabilizes air bubbles which allows expansion without ruoturing. Creaming of fat with sugar also traps air which leaven the baked product.
FLOUR - Flour will undergone starch gelatinization. Gelatinization is the swelling of starch granules and migration of some amylose into the cooking water when starch is heated in a liquid.
References
(1) goodtoknow. (2010). Recipes - goodtoknow. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes
(2) Brown, A.C. (2008). Understanding Food: Principles & Preparation. 3rd ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning
(3) McWilliams, M. (2005). Food Experimental Perspectivesw. 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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