There are a few basic things you should know before you try baking on your own. Like owning certain pans or pots, having some basic ingredients that make baking possible, and above all the spirit to keep on trying because baking is a scientific process that has to be precise and perfect for the right results to come out. Even a slight mistake can cause disastrous results.
A Peek into the Past
When I started baking on my own, I had only the youtube videos to rely on as it was the lockdown period and I had no one else to teach me. When I googled for the videos, to be honest, I was given some to watch and those were highly misleading, to say the least, and not only did I waste the ingredients but I lost money and time too. The only takeaway was the experience that benefitted me later on.
My search for the perfect teacher ended with the channel 'Bake Like a Pro' where the presenter was very good at not only explaining but also with the right measurements. I still follow his recipe for the basic chocolate cake.
I thought about writing down some basic stuff that you must note when trying to bake on your own.
Stuff you must have - the hardware
- baking pan or dish - 6" pan - aluminum or paper
- baking paper or butter paper
- OTG (oven toaster grill) or a convection microwave or you can try baking in a pressure cooker without the gasket and whistle
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour or wheat flour
- Sugar/brown sugar/jaggery - please do not use honey because honey should not be cooked
- Leavening agent - lemon juice - vinegar or baking soda-vinegar or baking powder
- Vanilla essence or any other fruit essence or extract
- food color - optional
- butter or oil
- milk, milk powder - optional
- eggs - optional
- chocolate powder for chocolate cakes(adding coffee powder enhances the taste a bit)
The above are basic ingredients that you must have before trying to bake a cake. Otherwise, it could be a flop and you may have to throw out the cake.
Measurements
Adding one spoonful of baking powder or salt is too much. Please do not make this mistake. Some YouTubers just casually mention that they add a spoon or more but this will not only make the cake go bitter, it will also cause stomach problems. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda or 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to one cup of flour.
Remember to sieve the flour two or three times to aerate it. This will make the cake rise well and you will have a softer cake.
You do not need to whip a cream to decorate the cake. Using melted chocolate or sweets to cover it is also just as good.
Try to bake the simple sponge cake at first and always write down how much of ingredients you used, in case the cake was a success. You will then be able to repeat it without any tension later on.
Do not transfer the cake from the hot pan just after baking as the cake will fall or crumble. Please let it cool and then transfer to an airtight container. You can use butter paper to absorb the excess fat.
The shelf life of a homemade cake is only a few days. So, be prepared to finish it soon or gift it to others.
All the best for baking a cake.
image - own
Post with the recipe - @sayee/chocolate-cake-that-can-be