FoodNet

Experimental cookery

1932

Page 396

Presented as published in 1932. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Fig. 65. — Photomicrograph of cake made with oil. Left, conventional ; right, con- ventional-sponge method. Temperature for combining 25°C. There is more tendency for the oil to be distributed at the crumb/air interface by the latter method. Magnification approximately x 350, except center, which is x 70. Center is same as right. Because of the thickness of the section and the consequent diffraction, the crumb appears fluid at 350 magnification but shows better at 70 magnification. Fig. 66. — Cake batter. The temperature of all the ingredients was 40°C. when mixed. At this temperature the butter was melted. When stirred a partial or complete oil-in-water emulsion was formed. The small dark spheres are butter. Because of the high magnification necessary to show the fat spheres, the layer of batter appears very thick. Magnification approximately x 400. Fig. 67. — Showing the distribution of fat (butter) in cake as influenced by method of mixing and temperature of ingredients when combined. At the lower tempera- ture the fat (black in the photomicrographs) is at the surface of the cake crumb, but the layer is more uneven in the conventional than for the conventional-sponge method. At the higher temperature the fat is softer and is distributed within the cake crumb, which results in a cake of poorer texture. Magnification approximately X 350. Upper left: Conventional method, ingredients mixed at 25°C. Upper right: Conventional-sponge at 25°C. Lower left: Conventional at 30°C. Lower right: Conventional-sponge at 30°C. (Myers) 492 BATTERS AND DOUGHS volume is not obtained with these proportions because the ratio of sugar to fat is too large. Hence when Martin creamed the fat with one-half the sugar the volume of the creamed mixture increased. A very small amount of flour w^as folded into this creamed mixture, then the remainder of the flour and the milk were added in any manner desired. The other half of the sugar was beaten with the whole egg until the mixture was thick, fluffy, and spongy, resembling a sponge cake batter in texture. This was then quickly folded into the cake batter. The conventional-sponge method is the only method used in the author's laboratory that gives an excellent textured cake when oil is used. Although developed to use with soft lard it has been found equally good to use with butter and hydrogenated fats. The chief advantage of this method is the increased velvetiness of the crumb, which may be related to the fat dis- tribution. That the method and order of mixing and combining ingredients has an effect on the fat distribution is shown in Fig. 67. Temperature of the ingredients when the cake batter is mixed. At higher temperatures the fat becomes softer, more mobile, and is easier to emulsify. When a temperature at which the major portion of the fat is emulsified is reached, i.e., when very soft or entirely melted, the cakes are poorer in texture and resemble those made from oil by the conventional method. See Figs. 65 and 67.