10 Tips to bake the perfect cake

What makes a drool-worthy cake that will win you a Master Chef apron?

Whipping up a round piece of joy that you can eat!

Executive Chef Vibhav Verma, Grand Mercure Bengaluru, shares with us his expert tips that will make your job a cakewalk. 

So, get ready and gear up as you prepare to make your best flawless circle of love.

Eggs at room temperature: 

Embark on preparing your cake by getting everything on the kitchen platform. Chef Verma is quick to tell us, “If your eggs are in the fridge, keep them out for at least 30 minutes before using for the cake batter. Bring them to the room temperature. Ensure that you don’t use cold eggs while getting the batter ready. If you do, your cake mix will not blend well.” Got that Chef!

In fact, get all your ingredients to room temperature before you move on with making your cake.

Flour: The vital link

Measuring the flour properly plays a vital role in the result. Yet another top tip from Chef Verma is to take care to not scoop the flour with the measuring cup directly from the bag. It will get compressed and you will end up with more than you need for the recipe.

The measure of flour is extremely important for a soft fluffy cake. So, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and sweep off the excess. Alternatively, scoop the flour into the measuring cup and weight it.

Harmonious mix:

As per the chef, it is best to not over mix the cake batter. The reason being, it becomes heavier once baked.

Well panned out:

You will be driven to tears to find out that the cake is stuck to the baking pan. So that the outcome of your efforts is soft, moist, and fluffy apply butter to the pan. You can also spray some oil and use a pastry brush to cover the complete area of the dish. Dust it off with flour.

Oven time:

After all the effort put in preparing the dough, where you place it in the oven makes a difference too. Your baking pan needs to be right in the middle of the oven tray. This ensures that all the sides receive the correct amount of heat and is baked evenly.

Keep it humming:

Yet another top tip from Chef Verma, “Rotate the pan while baking to make sure that the cake is evenly baked. Wait until the cake is set in about two-thirds through the baking time. This will prevent it from collapsing. If you are using more than one rack now is the time to swap the pans.”

Don’t open the oven door often:

Control the temptation of opening the oven door. Because every time you open the oven, the baking process halts. If you do it too often your cake will collapse.

Thermometer:

You must have seen this in culinary shows and wondered about the ‘thermometer fever’. Using a thermometer will help you to know the exact temperature and readiness of the cake.

Patience pays:

Your cake will take a little more than an hour to cook. You are allowed to gawk with happiness as the cake rises. But do not open the oven door when it is completely ready. So, patience, please!

Cool cakes upside down:

Lastly, Chef Verma tells us, “Cool cakes upside down. This will flatten out the tops and will create easy-to-stack disks especially if you are making a layered cake. If the top of a cake is still too rounded, slice it off with a zig-zag knife.”

There your signature treat is ready. Singing the same hymn, you showcase your irresistible cake on a mushroom top and steal it all for yourself.

Go, Grab!