Experimental cookery

Alexander reports that dough quality, biscuit volume, crumb, texture, and color are improved by treating soft-wheat flour with 0.5 per cent calcium acid phosphate. Logue and Ranker have reported results similar to those of Alexander. Smith and Bailey have reported **The Effect of Chemical Leavening Agents on the Properties of Bread." Their conclusions, in part, for the biscuits and their experimental work follow. "Gluten properties, including elasticity and hydration capacity, are affected by baking powder, and by the residual salts resulting from the chemical reaction of baking powder ingredients. ''Disodium phosphate, the residual salt resulting from the reaction of monosodium phosphate baking powder, afifects gluten more than the resi- dues from other types of baking powders." Cakes Cake recipes are legion in number, but the underlying principles for making cakes containing a fat are similar, though some variation must be made for different recipes, depending upon the particular ingredients and their proportion. Cakes containing fat may be divided into two classes. First, the pound cake type, based on the old recipe, which is one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, and in which no baking powder or soda is used, the light- ness of the cake depending upon the expansion of moisture from the eggs and butter and the air incorporated in creaming and in the beaten eggs. Second, the cup or layer cake types that contain rather small percentages of fat and sugar, in which the lightness depends largely upon added baking powder. Between these rich and lean type formulas are many transitions. One desirable quality in cake is a certain texture, often called velveti- ness. Velvetiness implies softness to the touch, but to obtain this softness it is necessary to have a definite amount of moisture, else the texture is too dry or too soggy. However, the proportion of liquid is not the only factor in developing velvetiness ; the proportion of other ingredients and how they are handled are also important. A good cake should have a fine, even grain, with thin cell walls, and should not be powdery or crumbly. It should have a good flavor. Pans and preparation for baking. The cake tends to expand to a better volume if the sides of the cake pans are not greased. But a piece of wax or other suitable paper, cut to fit the bottom of the pan and greased on the side next to the batter, facilitates removal of the cake from the pan. The depth of batter in the pan also influences the texture of the cake, 474 BATTERS AND DOUGHS so that if a finer, more velvety texture is desired, the size of the pan should be such that the batter is at least 1 inch or lyi inches in depth. Another factor affecting the texture of the cake, and more than might be expected, is the slope of the sides of the pans, straighter sides resulting in better textures. Baking cakes. Temperatures for bakings. Cakes containing fat are baked over a wide range of temperature, from below 100° to over 210° 155 165° 175° 185° 195° Oven Temperature - °C. Fig. 51. — The effect of baking temperature on the vohime of plain cake, when three types of baking powder were used, sulfate-phosphate (combination), tartrate, and phosphate. (Stone) being used. For instance, fruit cake may be steamed at 100' baked in the oven from below 100°C. to over 175°C.