VIRTUAL FOOD FEST
EGGLESS BAKES & SWEET
Now, who says baking is a tedious process, particularly eggless cakes, pastries & desserts?? That is NOT true indeed!! Anyone can bake a chocolate cake at home to birthdays or other festive occasions or simply as a weekend treat. Or bake a basic cake to simply satiate your cravings.
Before you proceed to embark on your journey into world of baking, do read these pointers to make the journey simple, easy and more merrier!
EGGLESS CAKES, COOKIES & PASTRIES
(Read the pointers below before you proceed onto the recipe)
KNOW YOUR OTG
OTG stands for OVEN-TOASTER-GRILLER
This kind of over is used for all of these 3 purposes. OTG contains filaments/ heaters at top and bottom on the inside. The mode of heating of these filaments varies between the 3 modes .
1. OVEN (BAKE) – In this mode all heaters work at moderate intensity and is recommended for baking cakes, cookies, biscuits, breads etc
2. TOASTER – In this mode all heaters work at full intensity and is recommended for toasting, barbecues like tikkas and kebabs etc.
3. GRILL – In this mode only the top heater functions. It is recommended to grill/ finish off a dish by cooking the top half-like- finish off a cheese toast till cheese melts on top. The same goes for pizzas where the base and toppings are cooked already or to finish of baked vegetables and other dishes where heat from only TOP heater in needed.
IMPORTANT POINTERS FOR BAKING
1. Always read the recipe thoroughly before you start.
2. Do your mis en place before you start the main process i.e make sure all the ingredients needed are measured and ready, ingredients are sieved where necessary.
3. Always preheat the oven for 10 mins at temperature you are going to cook your dish before you keep the dish in the oven. Then place your dish to be baked and bake as necessary.
4. Make sure you follow precise measurements as per the recipe for cakes, pastries and other bakery items. So follow recipe while baking such items.
5. Keep dish preferably in the center of oven for proper and even cooking.
6. When baking cakes, cookies, pastries, bread NEVER open the open door during the first 10-15 mins of baking. This will cause the cake/pastry to sink.
7. The time taken to bake will vary from the recipe depending on the oven being used and size of the baking tin. Trial and error will help you know your oven better.
IMPORTANT POINTERS FOR CAKE BAKING
1. Never over beat the batter as the end result will not be good.
2. Never fill the cake tin up to the rim but only up to 3/4th of the tin (a little more than half), leaving enough room for cake to expand.
3. The size of cake tin is very important. Use the right size of cake tin as per the quantity of the ingredients.
4. If you are baking cupcakes/muffins from a regular cake batter, remember that the time varies. Cupcakes & muffins bake faster than when baking a larger cake tin.
5. Keep replacing baking powder and baking soda every 6 months. Baking powder stays effective only for one year from manufacture. To check if its is effective, put 1/2 tsp baking powder in 1/2 cup hot water. If bubbles form it is usable, if no bubbles appear then discard.
6. To check if cake is done – follow this sequence-
(a) Firstly, lightly touch the top of the cake with a finger. It should spring back if done and NOT form a depression.
(b) See that the cake has shrunk away from the sides or in simpler words, has left sides.
(c) After above 2 sequences if you feel the cake is done, only then insert a knife or toothpick in the highest part of the cake (normally the center of the cake). If the knife/toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
7. Inserting knife into a very undone cake will cause the cake to collapse. Hence follow the above sequence.
8. Once cake is done, remove from the oven. Let cake cool in the tin for 10 mins. TheN unmould on to a wire rack and let cool completely before you slice then or apply any icing.
9. After poUring the batter into greased cake tin for baking, level it or make a dent in the center so that finished cake looks flat.
10. Greasing baking tray is not needed for silicone moulds.
11. To refrigerate a cake, always store in an air tight container to avoid drying of cake when refrigerated.
12. A cake batter should not be kept for long as it results in a not-so-spongy or hard cakes because of the action of baking powder/baking soda when it comes into contact with moisture in batter. So make sure you preheat the oven and is ready when the batter is poured to baking tray ready to be baked.
Click here to know about measurements and oven temperatures.
HAPPY BAKING!