BISTRO COMFORT, DELICIOUS AND TASTEFUL THE BEST IN HIS WAY
How do I make cake that tastes like a cake from a good bakery?
Is there somewhere I can buy the batter to make a cake that tastes as good as the ones that you get from a good bakery? Is it in the way you mix it or bake it? I’m tired of spending so much time and money on cakes that taste like cornbread or is just really dry or hard. I just end up buying cake mix in a box. I would like to actually make a good cake one day, though. Any advice would help. Thanks!
Making a good cake takes practice, and a nice batter will be as dry and hard as the boxed stuff if it’s overcooked (which sounds like your primary problem is).
Firstly, there’s no way you’re going to get the same flavor of a nice bakery cake with a box mix. You can’t buy pre-made batter because batter needs to be put into the cake pan very quickly after it’s mixed to preserve as much air as possible.
As far as I’m concerned, the best basic cake type out there is genoise.
Here’s a good recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/classic-genoise-recipe/index.html
The key to making a nice genoise though is the soaking liquid after it’s made. While it’s still warm, before you let it cool to frost it, add a liquid. It could be as simple as simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil and cooled), or your favorite booze (grand marnier is great).
The other key to making a great bakery level cake is what you frost it with. A good bakery wouldn’t touch that canned crappy "sugar and shortening" frosting with a 10′ pole. Classic butter creams don’t use trans-fat filled shortenings, aren’t all that difficult to make, are WAY easier to frost with, and are so much more delicious than canned frosting that you’ll never ever ever go back.
http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/20448,classic_egg_yolk_butter_cream_and_meringue_butter_cream.phtml
6 Responses to “How do I make cake that tastes like a cake from a good bakery?”
Leave a Reply
September 30th, 2009
Posted by admin in bakery | 6 Comments »
I can offer this advice: Buy the very best ingredients you can. Use fresh flour and a high end brand like King Arthur. They make flour just for cakes. Use butter, not margerine if it calls for that. Don’t cut any corners with your ingredients. Use the freshest eggs and so forth.
References :
a good bakery uses a good recipe and follows the recipe faithfully.
You cannot take shortcuts or make random substitutions as baking is a chemical reaction and many bakeries call thier recipes formulas. I bet you can get some great ones on epicurious.com, along with some good advice on how to make the batter. Different cakes have different instructions and methods.
References :
Making a good cake takes practice, and a nice batter will be as dry and hard as the boxed stuff if it’s overcooked (which sounds like your primary problem is).
Firstly, there’s no way you’re going to get the same flavor of a nice bakery cake with a box mix. You can’t buy pre-made batter because batter needs to be put into the cake pan very quickly after it’s mixed to preserve as much air as possible.
As far as I’m concerned, the best basic cake type out there is genoise.
Here’s a good recipe
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jacques-torres/classic-genoise-recipe/index.html
The key to making a nice genoise though is the soaking liquid after it’s made. While it’s still warm, before you let it cool to frost it, add a liquid. It could be as simple as simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil and cooled), or your favorite booze (grand marnier is great).
The other key to making a great bakery level cake is what you frost it with. A good bakery wouldn’t touch that canned crappy "sugar and shortening" frosting with a 10′ pole. Classic butter creams don’t use trans-fat filled shortenings, aren’t all that difficult to make, are WAY easier to frost with, and are so much more delicious than canned frosting that you’ll never ever ever go back.
http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/20448,classic_egg_yolk_butter_cream_and_meringue_butter_cream.phtml
References :
Culinary School and working the pastry station at a high end restaurant.
It sounds like you’re overbeating your batter. If you have a good stand mixer it doesn’t take as long to mix as the box directions say.
There’s a popular cake mix extender recipe called White Almond Sour Cream Cake. You can find different variations of it online. I use it as my base recipe, and just change the extracts or use a different flavor of mix to fit what I’m doing. It comes out very moist and dense, and no one ever thinks that it started with a box mix (I don’t tell them either). Most people get a cake from me the first time because they like the way I can make the cake look, but it’s the taste that keeps them coming back.
The other important thing is to sift your dry ingredients. Get a metal strainer, pour your cake mix in, and then stir with a spoon until it all goes through, and you’ll notice a difference.
Also, try baking your cakes at 325 instead of 350. Cupcakes need to cook at 350 but cakes do better at a slightly lower temp. If you think your oven might be a bit off, buy an oven thermometer.
References :
Have you tried the "Cake Mix Doctor" by Anne Byrn cook book? It uses cake mix that you buy at the super market and the cakes do taste good. These recipes are jazzed up and they’re easy and foolproof. I agree with the poster above (chef Andy) who said make a simple syrup and drizzle some of it on the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Then proceed with your instructions.
My feet are swollen and I can’t be on my feet too long preparing food, so I have to use some short cuts. And yes, a genoise cake is the best IF you know what you’re doing. But a cake mix will give very good results if you ‘doctor’ it up real good. Get the cookbook I mentioned above… ‘n follow the instructions to the letter. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
References :
both baking and mixing are very important aspects of baking i may be just 13 but i can help it is also very important to follow recipes and if you have done it correctly you can now reinvent that certain recipe and claim it as your own. you can start chiffon cakes as a good start or even cupcakes to help boost your skills. but buying a cake mix is just no other than buying the whole cake. i would rather make my own cake than to have it complete and not knowing the recipe but that still would do but i have learned that mixing the batter in ONE direction really orders the flow of air inside the batter and that will help your batter to grow. and remember doing things your way does it even better.
References :
_JuRiK_