The purpose of this lab was to learn how to bake a cake, understand the process of making a meringue, and use techniques like the crumb coat to ice a cake properly.
Safety and Sanitation
This recipe followed normal procedures. I used a hairnet and apron, washed my hands, and cleaned the work surface afterwards. I made sure to use the guard on the stand mixer when using it. All work surfaces were washed and sanitized afterwards.
Tools and Equipment
I used two 8x3 inch cake pans, a nice cake wheel, a few metal bowls, a scoop for the icing, some measuring spoons, a pallet knife, a rubber spatula, a piping bag, a stand mixer, a sieve, and a bench scraper.
Vanilla Sponge Cake
Ingredients
This recipe consisted of 40g of All-Purpose flour, 60g of corn starch, ¼ tsp of baking powder, ¼ tsp of salt, 4 eggs, ⅛ tsp of white vinegar, 132g of white sugar, 1 ½ tbsp of warm water, 2 tsp of vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp of vegetable oil.
Procedure
First, the convection oven was preheated to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on. Next, I lined the bottom of two 8x3 inch baking tins with baking paper without greasing the bottom. I left the sides of the cake tins ungreased and bare (do not line with baking paper).
In a bowl I combined the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. I mixed these ingredients until well combined, and then set them aside.
In a medium sized mixer bowl, I added in the egg whites and white vinegar, and whipped them on a medium high speed for 30 seconds until foamy. Next, I gradually added in half of the sugar and then continued mixing for a further 2 minutes. Then, I turned the mixer down to low and mixed for a further minute (about 4 minutes of mixing altogether). I ended up with nice stiff peaks. Finally, I set the bowl aside.
In a large bowl I added in the remaining white sugar and warm water. I mixed them so that the sugar was coated in the water. After adding in the egg yolks and vanilla, I used a stand mixer to whip on a medium high speed for 4 minutes, and then I turned the mixer down to low and mixed for a further minute (5 minutes of mixing altogether). My mixture was thick and was able to create ribbons when lifted up with a spoon.
Next, I streamed the vegetable oil into the egg yolk mixture while mixing on a medium speed. I mixed until well combined.
I added half of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, and using a spatula, gently folded the mixture together until just combined.
Then, I sifted in the dry ingredients, and gently folded through until just combined.
I finished off by adding in the remaining egg whites and gently folded until just combined.
Finally, I distributed the batter into the baking tins and then tapped each one lightly on the counter. I made sure to remove any large air bubbles by running a sharp object through the batter. Then, the cakes were baked for 25 minutes.
Once the sponge cakes were done, I immediately tapped them on the counter lightly, and laid them upside down (while still in their baking tins) on a wire rack to completely cool.
Once the cakes were cooled (which took about an hour), a thin knife was used around the edges of the pan to release the cakes from the cake tins, and then they were tuned out onto a wire rack.
Final Evaluation
I would rate the vanilla sponge cake that I used as an 8/10. It wasn’t too sweet, just sweet enough, and it was very light and fluffy on the inside. As far as the appearance, an un-iced cake isn’t really ready to be displayed. It’s sort of beige-yellow. The consistency was pretty good however. The cake wasn’t too hard to make, but the recipe is complicated and does take some time. If I liked cakes more, I would say it was worth the effort.
Swiss Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
The swiss buttercream recipe we used consisted of 1lb of butter, well softened, 15g of egg whites, 300g of sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla, and ½ tsp of lemon juice.
Procedure
Make the Swiss meringue by dissolving the sugar in the egg whites over a double boiler. Once sugar is all dissolved, whip it using a mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue is cool. Little by little add the soft butter and continue to whip. Add each piece
after the previous one has been incorporated. When all the fat has been incorporated, whip in the lemon juice and the vanilla.
To ice the cake, first, I made a crumb coat. To do this, icing has to be added to the top of the cake. This icing is spread around the top and down the sides using a pallet knife. Next, the sides can be smoothed with a pallet knife or a bench scraper. All excess icing goes in a separate container from the clean icing. Then, the cake is refrigerated for about 15 minutes to harden the crumb layer. Next, the outermost icing layer was made in mostly the same way, except it was smoother and cleaner. Lastly, I topped my cake with a chocolate glaze, using a piping bag without the tip. The chocolate was dripped down the edges, and then coated across the top. Finally, I made some white icing swirls with another piping bag and tip, and then rimmed the cake on the cakeboard with swirls as well.
Final Evaluation
I would rate my swiss buttercream icing as a 9/10. It was quite sweet, but far less sweet than American buttercream, which is why I liked it. The texture felt both light and velvety, and it was not chalky or crunchy at all, unlike some American buttercreams. It appeared smooth and white on the outside, with an appearance almost identical to a normal meringue (which is what it is made with). Swiss buttercream icing is hard to make and involves making a proper meringue, but it is very worth it if you want a better cake icing.
Challenges
At first, I was really unsure about what kind of cake I was going to make. I also struggled with icing the cake at first. It just took longer than I would have preferred to make the outside even and consistent.
Successes and Growth
My final cake turned out beautifully. I ended up doing a good job at making the cake smooth and even.
Advice for Beginners
First of all, the crumb coat is essential to having a clean outer layer. Don't forget it. As long as you know when to stop, most icing mistakes on a cake can be fixed and adjusted. Just remember, whenever your cake is cooled, it's like a checkpoint. You set your current icing in place, but you also can't go back and undo it.