Book of American Baking / A Practical Guide Covering Various Branches of the Baking Industry, Including Cakes, Buns, and Pastry, Bread Making, Pie Baking, Etc.

by Various

Flour for Cake Making.

In order to secure the best results in cake baking the subject of Flour must be studied very carefully.

For cake baking Winter Wheat flour, of course, is used. Unfortunately, there is no regular standard for Winter Wheat flour, hence the baker is constantly confronted with the necessity of solving many problems as to how to secure the best results with different brands, some being soft and others strong, tough, etc., all requiring a little different treatment. No “Fancy Straight” or “Patent Winter” flour, according to present standards, are the same, hence it is impossible to give “standard” recipes in cake making. The best recipe ever devised will not be successful in every case. Bakers frequently condemn good recipes because they cannot get good results, not considering that there may be a great difference in the materials that they are using.

The nearest approach to a standard formula are recipes such as sponge cakes, composed of 1 lb. of Sugar, 1 lb. of Eggs, 1 lb. of flour; or pound cake, made of 1 lb. of Sugar, 1 lb. of Butter, a pound of Eggs and a pound of Flour; doughnuts, where 4 lbs. of Flour are used to the quart of Milk, etc.

However, for the reason that every time we get flour the flour is different, the baker must change the recipe to conform with this difference in the flour.

The most benefit, however, would be derived in knowing the necessary amount of milk to use, thereby obtaining that which is most important and necessary in successful cake making.

There would be a help, also, in regard to the proper amount of mixing. For instance, if too strong a flour is used more milk or water must be added. The result is the mix is toughened, not only by the strong flour, but by destroying air cells, which are formed by beating the eggs, creaming the butter and sugar, and by the baking powder used.