Creaming Margarine and Sugar for Perfect Cake Texture

[Linus]

people might not know what light and fluffy is if its their first time round.
Same as "room temp" ,
sure ... but which room ?

Bottom line, its a trade, same as welding is a trade.
I have a tig welder machine, I have books and I watch videos but theres no way I can weld like a welder.
I know everything about tig welding...I "think" I can weld but thats just my fantasy.

Then those who don't should take a refresher course on the term.

 

[Linus]

Light & Fluffy is on Google, BTW.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Light & Fluffy is on Google, BTW.

Google is not culinary school.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

This brings up an interesting point: how would someone who's just learning be able to differentiate between proper and improper technique? I can assume that baking & pastry textbooks will all have good information, but they only have so many recipes available, and besides the recipes often aren't convenient for home baking. The techniques and theory covered in textbooks do carry over quite a bit to general use, but can't cover everything needed for every single recipe possible. When looking for recipes online or in cookbooks, I generally try to find those written by professional pastry chefs, but many recipes aren't actually written by professionals, and as you mentioned even if they are, they can still use incorrect methods.

There are a few things that I've picked up here and there such as proper creaming temperature and technique, but there's still a plethora of things I don't know and may learn incorrectly. Obviously I'm not a professional and don't need perfect knowledge of everything, but I'm still trying to learn as much as I can and it's much easier to learn it correctly the first time!

There’s a professional pastry school in Chicago, The French Pastry School. that is one of the top schools in the nation. One of the founders, Sebastien Cannone has been awarded an Meilleurs Ouriers de France, which is one of the highest honors for craftsman the French government bestows it’s citizens. And it’s normally not give into pastry chefs. I think the only other pastry chef that has one is Pierre Herme. And to
award one to a pastry chef that isn’t even living in France anymore is even more unusual.

So the school has an online program for home bakers. It’s better than most online videos IMO. I’ve done some crafty or whatever it’s called now. And it’s definitely better than that Right now you can register for 60 days free access. You don’t have to even provide a credit card for the access. It doesn’t go real deep into the science because it is a home program geared towards the home baker.

I only looked at one recipe to get an idea of what it’s about. It is a little cumbersome in that you do have to toggle between a couple of videos per recipe or so it seems. But they address things like finish dough temperature and how to calculate it. They actually bake properly. And since they’re French they put a good hard bake on things.

Although I looked at one recipe I think it was for cinnamon rolls, they referred back to the general video on enriched dough. When they discussed ingredients they did things like show several King Arthur flours and state unbleached unbromated flour should be used and even plopped down a 50 pound sack of Sir Galahad flour. What they didn’t do was explain the differences between flours (i.e., AP vs bread vs pastry vs cake). So it still comes up short.

Online Baking Lessons at Home | The Butter Book

The Butter Book is an online video learning platform, designed by world-renowned pastry chefs, helping you become a better baker.

www.thebutterbook.com

 

[Linus]

Watch this vid & see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZf4gwD7z7k&fbclid=IwAR0IvhIrxomfF6i7uUr5kly7-1fot_FmgBOI_X5RwkdzCr4g7zULCyYG0ps

 

[retired baker]

I used to do the same pound(ish) cake for a chocolate fountain station, its very good.
in a 40 qt mixer, paddle.

cream 3 lb uns butter with
5lb 10oz sugar
3 oz vanilla. 1/2 oz salt, we never bothered weighing salt or the vanilla.

scrape down and add,
32 oz liquid egg (1qt carton)

scrape down bowl add,
32oz light cream

scrape bowl add,
3lb 5 oz AP flour, scrape and mix.

Bake in sprayed hotel pans.

As it contains no baking powder its slightly denser and gives more of a direct butter hit,
think scottish shortbread but poundcake texture.
We found regular cake texture clogged the choc fountain with cake crumbs.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Watch this vid & see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZf4gwD7z7k&fbclid=IwAR0IvhIrxomfF6i7uUr5kly7-1fot_FmgBOI_X5RwkdzCr4g7zULCyYG0ps

That cake is dense. And it’s dense because it wasn’t properly leavened.



And proper leavening is the creaming of butter and sugar at the correct temperature.



And that is not a moist cake. That cake is dry. And you know how you can tell it’s dry.



Because they had to cut off all that brown dried out crust to throw in the trash.







This is a light airy cake.



See how high this cake has risen?



These are light airy cakes



This cakes are not dry.



This cakes does not have dry brown crusts that have to be cut off and tossed in the trash

Every one of these is a test cake.

Baked in 2” deep cake pan. You can see the perfect rise. And it’s level.

The cake after I torte. I was developing a flavor profile. Then playing with Italian meringue buttercream decorating techniques.

Chocolate cake still get full rise and level. I was developing a chocolate cake recipe.

These layers I baked in a 2/3 sheet pan and cut out cake circles with cake rings. I was testing food color for an event cake.

 

[retired baker]

That cake is dense. And it’s dense because it wasn’t properly leavened.

And proper leavening is the creaming of butter and sugar at the correct temperature.
And that is not a moist cake. That cake is dry. And you know how you can tell it’s dry.
Because they had to cut off all that brown dried out crust to throw in the trash.

They're different types altogether, just because they have similar ingredient lists , thats an incomplete picture.
I wouldn't want to make a layered type cake with something thats closer to pouncake in texture.
Each type is more suitable for selective end purposes.
You could say they are superior to each other in their own particular way.

 

[Linus]

All pound cakes that I've made called for that to be done.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

They're different types altogether, just because they have similar ingredient lists , thats an incomplete picture.
I wouldn't want to make a layered type cake with something thats closer to pouncake in texture.
Each type is more suitable for selective end purposes.
You could say they are superior to each other in their own particular way.

Regardless of the type of cake, creaming butter and sugar has but one purpose, and that is leavening.
My MacBook battery unfortunately is dead dead. So I can’t get into any of my photos in my computer. I wish I could show you photos of my poundcakes. Please take my word they are not flat dense cakes.

The whole point of creaming butter and sugar is to create air pockets in the butter.

As the chemical leavener activated and creates CO2, the air bubbles are trapped in the butter air pockets and expand.

But if the butter is too soft, few air pockets are created in the creaming process. Soft butter simply cannot hold the air pocket shape. So it cannot fill with CO2. So you end up with a dense cake

 

[retired baker]

Regardless of the type of cake, creaming butter and sugar has but one purpose, and that is leavening.
My MacBook battery unfortunately is dead dead. So I can’t get into any of my photos in my computer. I wish I could show you photos of my poundcakes. Please take my word they are not flat dense cakes.

The whole point of creaming butter and sugar is to create air pockets in the butter.

As the chemical leavener activated and creates CO2, the air bubbles are trapped in the butter air pockets and expand.

But if the butter is too soft, few air pockets are created in the creaming process. Soft butter simply cannot hold the air pocket shape. So it cannot fill with CO2. So you end up with a dense cake

ok.

 

[Linus]

Jesus! Y'all just won't quit!!!

 

[retired baker]

Jesus! Y'all just won't quit!!!

hahaha, just say 'ok.'

 

[Linus]

Ok.

 

[Linus]

Here's another cake recipe where the butter & sugar is creamed & the words Light & Fluffy are mentioned.

Lemon Cake Recipe

Our lemon layer cake features the star ingredient in every element, from the cake batter to the filling to the decorative candied lemon slice topping.

www.marthastewart.com

 

[retired baker]

Here's another cake recipe where the butter & sugar is creamed & the words Light & Fluffy are mentioned.

Lemon Cake Recipe

Our lemon layer cake features the star ingredient in every element, from the cake batter to the filling to the decorative candied lemon slice topping.

www.marthastewart.com

that was before she went to jail for using a kitchenaid.

 

[Linus]

She did not go to jail for that. It was for inside trading.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

that was before she went to jail for using a kitchenaid.

you gotta fan for life!!!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

She did not go to jail for that. It was for inside trading.

have you no sense of humor? I’m still laughing that was so funny.

 

[retired baker]

have you no sense of humor? I’m still laughing that was so funny.

linus, you're asleep at the wheel. !