in response to onila's thread about brandy in nigerian cakes, i decided to open a thread on cakes.


Feel free to post your questions about cake making here, or share what you know.


personally, i have not baked cakes commercially but i did bake both within and outside nigeria, although i'm still at the amateur level.

question number 1:

what methods can be used to preserve cakes?



from what I've read, seems it is actually not advisable to preserve cakes, and if you must, then they should not be preserved too long- maybe not more than 4 to 5 days.

Storing cakes in freezer then thawing them out later is another method of preservation although you have to know how long it takes for them to thaw completely or you run the risk of serving cake with the inside frozen.

other preservatives include citric acid, vanilla extract, etc. More info is probably available on google.

these are alternatives to using alcohol as preservatives, just for those who want to know.

however, i have not tested any of these methods. I usually throw away any cake left over after three, four or so days, it has generally spoilt by that time, or is no longer fresh if it wasnt in the refrigerator.

Is baking mix available in nigeria?




i dont believe so, but i stand corrected if wrong.

baking mix is prepackaged cake mix, however, some schools of thought feel its better to mix your cake batter from scratch instead of using store bought ones.

these are examples of cake mixes:




you simply add eggs and water (some require oil as well), mix, then bake.

^ unhide that post, thanks.

cake forum where cakes are discussed:


http://cakecentral.com/

Should i use icing or fondant for my cake?


it's up to you.

However, fondant gives a wider variety for decorating i think, while icing is the more traditional method.

nice thread.it is going to be very helpful, to me atleast.I found out that my cake usually doesn't stick together.it usually has crumbs, like bread when I slice. do yiu know why this is?

How to cover a cake with fondant:


here is a youtube video describing that:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vecmy4nKT-A



for square cakes:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaRSbVCkxlU

monalicious: nice thread.it is going to be very helpful, to me atleast.I found out that my cake usually doesn't stick together.it usually has crumbs, like bread when I slice. do yiu know why this is?

i'm not a cake expert ( i rarely even eat it due to sugar concerns), but i think you can either brush away the crumbs, or check the recipe you used.


here are some tips:

How to make a cake less crumbly


http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg0413453113885.html

seems the trick is to reduce the amount of baking soda, maybe reduce the flour as well, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly,and adjust the oven temperature (maybe less).

Does Nigeria have a food regulatory board?

Not sure.

Metallic cakes- best way to get the shine?


not an expert on this either, but from what i found, seems applying an undercoat could help.

for instance, the gold luster would be improved by applying a yellow tint to the icing/fondant first, before the metallic shine.

i have not tried this though.

Should i mix colours into the fondant or spray them on?

not sure, actually.

it might depend on what effect you are looking for.


Fondant is also available in the various colours, so i guess the question might be for those making fondant from scratch.

What is an easy way to make ice cream cake?



Basically, you need a cake or crumb base, a thick ice cream layer, followed by either more layers of ice cream, or alternated with something else- cake, cookies, whatever you can comfortably add which goes well with the taste and appearance.


For a more professional look, you need a thick plastic mold/wrap to give it a round shape, or whatever shape you want.

A freezer is essential for storing the cake.

Can I bake without using an oven?

the actual way to bake without using an oven, the way i was taught in nigeria, is you get some clean sand (gravel), a big pot, and some smaller pots, tins or something which can withstand heat.

pour the sand in the large pot, place on stove , when heated, place the other metal tins or smaller pot, on the sand, and place your prepared cake batter in the cake pan, on top.

Cover the large pot firmly, then bake for a certain number of minutes, usually you may be able to tell when your cake is done when it starts giving out an aroma.


could not find much information on this method online, but I've seen it used in nigeria.

How to make a Polka Dot Cake


[img]http://1.bp..com/-zTy9d95Q42M/UPxHxpjgpdI/AAAAAAAAF3E/sHWnvuvalrI/s600/How+To+Make+A+Polka+Dot+Cake.jpg[/img]



examples of how to and how not to, here:


http://bekicookscakesblog..com/2013/01/how-not-to-make-polka-dot-cake.html

[img]http://1.bp..com/-eFDptb9nFac/UVu8A0ngGBI/AAAAAAAAIGM/bdwYNJJ_eyE/s400/image001-703050.jpg[/img]


[img]http://2.bp..com/-ff6_Nvki50s/UBSeCrEzrhI/AAAAAAAAAEU/Ju5Fm9I3FZ0/s400/SAM_2181.JPG[/img]

[img]http://2.bp..com/-k9oorGp-Cg8/TyXN61SLtpI/AAAAAAAAFNQ/fbKne-f0vvs/s400/IMG_0115.JPG[/img]

source: google.

Tpiah, honestly am wowed by your concern for cake lovers and bakers.

Nice thread.

monalicious: nice thread.it is going to be very helpful, to me atleast.I found out that my cake usually doesn't stick together.it usually has crumbs, like bread when I slice. do yiu know why this is?

What is your recipe? Lets start from there.

cynhamscakes:

What is your recipe? Lets start from there.

butter 1kg
sugar 1/4 kg.I dont like sugary cake
flour 1kg
eggs 13
b. soda 1 tbspn
flavoring
milk 1 tin(liquid milk)
preservative (alcohol)

most times I use stove to bake.

monalicious:
butter 1kg
sugar 1/4 kg.I dont like sugary cake
flour 1kg
eggs 13
b. soda 1 tbspn
flavoring
milk 1 tin(liquid milk)
preservative (alcohol)

most times I use stove to bake.

You don't add baking powder? Its better you mix equal portions of both baking powder and baking soda or baking powder alone cos baking powder actually contains the active ingredient in baking soda.

On why your cake crumbles after baking, these are the reasons (from experience) cakes ccrumble after baking.

- baking with the wrong temperature. If instead of baking with 180 degrees C, you bake with 100 or 120 degrees C, your cake will not stick together. They will scatter easily when trying to cut them.

- Secondly if you just started baking for like 10mins and the oven went off due to whatever cause and you didn't continue the baking immediately, if that cake stays up to 20minutes before you resume baking, you will end up with a delicious but crumbly cake.

tpia5: How to make a Polka Dot Cake


[img]http://1.bp..com/-zTy9d95Q42M/UPxHxpjgpdI/AAAAAAAAF3E/sHWnvuvalrI/s600/How+To+Make+A+Polka+Dot+Cake.jpg[/img]



examples of how to and how not to, here:


http://bekicookscakesblog..com/2013/01/how-not-to-make-polka-dot-cake.html

I will love to make this cake. Can't wait!

monalicious:
butter 1kg
sugar 1/4 kg.I dont like sugary cake
flour 1kg
eggs 13
b. soda 1 tbspn
flavoring
milk 1 tin(liquid milk)
preservative (alcohol)

most times I use stove to bake.

not having sugar in cake, is like cooking soip wighout salt. and since ur sugar is so low, u won't get a creamy mmix....at least make it half kilo.,then a pinch of salt to step it down. then increase your egg to 16 or 20 ....this will add moisture to your cake to reduce the crumbs.... ensure the heat is ok and please cream very wel. one rule of thumb for a well creamed sugar -marg mixture is to dip ur hand in water and then in d mixture. if it comes out clean then you are good, othetwise continue creaming.

Don't forget there are diff types and varieties of cakes, so Crumby Cake is not bad afterall...lllooolll

tpia1: Is baking mix available in nigeria?




i dont believe so, but i stand corrected if wrong.

baking mix is prepackaged cake mix, however, some schools of thought feel its better to mix your cake batter from scratch instead of using store bought ones.

welldone for this thread...I guess people will learn a lot.

yes there is cake mix in Nigeria....especialy in super stores..
yes Nigeria has a food regulatory board, though people have their way of being smarter than the law.

Shelf life of a cake is 7 days with preservative...if for any reason you want it to stay longer, freeze it.

finally, fondant is a type of icing, and of course there are other ways such as butter cream, whipped cream, royal etc. icing is just the art of decorating ur cake wit confectioners sugar....


keep it rolling tpia....good job

@mamachops and cynhamscakes, thanks alot.I would put d above into practice.this is really helpful.

mamachops:

welldone for this thread...I guess people will learn a lot.

yes there is cake mix in Nigeria....especialy in super stores..
yes Nigeria has a food regulatory board, though people have their way of being smarter than the law.

Shelf life of a cake is 7 days with preservative...if for any reason you want it to stay longer, freeze it.

finally, fondant is a type of icing, and of course there are other ways such as butter cream, whipped cream, royal etc. icing is just the art of decorating ur cake wit confectioners sugar....


keep it rolling tpia....good job

7

thanks for the contributions, @ all.

How can my cake look like the beautiful ones i see on google?

there are many reasons why a cake would look different from what's on google.

these include:

1. A lot of the professionally made cakes featured on the web, are made by trained professionals such as sculptors, master chefs, etc. Some are not, but it usually takes a lot of attempts before a cake will look picture perfect. In addition, some bakers do have formal training, meaning they took baking classes in a school environment.

2. Lighting matters. The right lighting will boost the image of a well decorated cake. It makes it look better. Many of the photos on the web, are done with special lighting that brings out the cake's high points. Display/setting is also important.

3. As noticed on another thread, the difference in baking styles include using multiple layers of cake with filling, while other cake styles are single sheet. When photographed, the multiple layer cakes will look bigger and more colourful inside.

4. More materials to work with.

5. The key to having nice looking cakes, as far as i know, is simply practice. The more experience you have with cake making, the more creative you get. So, experience is also important.

6. Lastly, dont forget the taste factor. A cake can be tasty as well as beautiful.

few pictures of these "astounding cakes" found on google, follow.

entremet cake ,design invented by a sculptor:






ruffle cake:








ombre cake:

[img]http://ind.ccio.co/08/vF/18/1c8b59ba6d643cd256ef775a9e2e0518.jpg?iw=300[/img]





painted cake: