Experimental cookery

Cake flour 3 cups 300 grams Salt ^2 teaspoon Milk 1 cup 244 grams Egg whites 6 180 grams 1. Conventional method. Prepare 1/6 of the recipe. The amount of mixing to give the best texture varies with the kind of flour used and may need to be determined. The butter is creamed, and the sugar added gradually to it. Add the salt and the flavoring. Sift the baking powder and the flour together several times. Add approximately ^ of the flour and 3^ of the milk. Stir 100 strokes. Add a second portion of flour and milk, stirring a total of 200 strokes. Add the remainder of the flour and milk, stirring a total of 350 strokes. The egg whites are beaten until they flow slowly when the bowl is partially inverted. They are then added to the cake mixture and folded in with 50 folds, using a spatula. Weigh 200 grams of batter into a pan of 2y2 cups' capacity. Bake at 185°C. (365°F.). 2. Repeat 1, but fold the egg whites 100 times. 3. Repeat 1, but stir instead of folding the egg whites into the batter. 4. Partially cream the butter. Then add the sugar and unbeaten egg white. Beat until light and creamy. It is not necessary to cream the butter by this method, but the creaming lightens the color of the butter and thus a whiter cake is obtained. If the butter is not creamed the only difference is in the color, provided the sugar, butter, and tgg white are thoroughly creamed. Add the salt, flavoring, flour, and milk according to directions given under 86,1, mixing a total of 400 strokes. 5. Thoroughly cream the butter, sugar, salt, and flavoring. Sift the flour and baking powder together several times. Add approximately ^ of the flour, Yz of the milk, and ^ of the beaten egg white. Stir 100 strokes. Add another Yi of the flour, milk, and the beaten egg white. Stir a total of 200 strokes. Add the remainder of the flour, milk, and egg white. Stir a total of 400 strokes. Compare the appearance of the crust, the volume, the texture, the tenderness, and the flavor of the cakes. Which method gives the greatest volume? The most tender cake? What is the effect of folding the egg white too long? Which method is the easiest to prepare? GINGERBREAD 539 Appear- ance of crust Shape of top Volume Texture Tender- ness Yh Color Results and conclusions. Suggestions for Additional Experiments with White Cakes 1. Vary the proportion of ingredients, and determine the amount of mixing required to give the best texture. 2. Add all the flour and milk at one time, instead of in several portions. 3. Add the flour and milk in several portions, but alternately. 4. Test the creaming ability of difEerent fats, and determine how much the baking powder can be reduced, when creaming is very thorough. 5. Determine the optimum baking temperature. Gingerbread Experiment 87. To determine the effect of using baking powder or soda and sour milk for leavening in gingerbread. Recipe : Molasses 1 cup 328 grams Sour milk )4 cup 122 grams Fat y^ cup 50 grams Egg 1 48 grams Flour 2 cups 224 grams Ginger 1^ teaspoons Salt J^ teast )oon A. Prepare }i of the recipe. Use 100 strokes for combining each cake unless otherwise stated. Weigh 180 grams of batter for each cake. Bake at 185°C. (365°F.). 1. Use 2 teaspoons of soda. 2. Repeat 1, but use 200 strokes in combining. 3. Repeat 1, but let stand 15 to 20 minutes before baking.