Rose's Heavenly Cakes (4 page)
Read Rose's Heavenly Cakes Online
Authors: Rose Levy Beranbaum
The reason the crumb is finer and more tender is because at the beginning of mixing, the butter is added to the flour together with a minimum amount of the cake's liquid (just enough to disperse the butter). The butter coats some of the gluten-forming proteins in the flour, preventing excessive gluten formation. This gives the batter a larger window of mixing without risk of becoming tough.
Another advantage of this mixing method, and a difference from the conventional creaming of butter with the sugar, is that all the dry ingredients (the flour, sugar, leavening, and salt) are added together at the beginning so it is possible to disperse them evenly with the beater instead of needing to sift them together beforehand. Sifting does not uniformly disperse dry ingredients unless it is repeated many times, so using the mixer instead is a great time and energy saver.
While the main purpose of sifting flour is to ensure having the correct amount if you are measuring the flour instead of weighing it, it also serves to aerate and separate the particles, enabling the flour to absorb moisture more evenly. However, since I developed this method, I never sift at all for butter cakes and I see no difference in the cakes.
It has been reported to me by many bakers that the method works for recipes that normally would use the method of creaming the butter with the sugar, and that they have converted to this method of mixing for all their butter layer cakes.
Because stand mixers and handheld mixers are not the same, when mixing it is helpful to look for signs that you have beaten the batter sufficiently: During the beating process, the batter increases in volume, becoming airy and lighter in color.
Highlights for Successful Butter Cakes
Weigh or measure
ingredients carefully.
Use cake flour without leavening
or bleached all-purpose flour except where otherwise indicated.
Use superfine sugar
for the finest texture. (You can make a close equivalent by processing fine granulated sugar in the food processor for a few minutes.)
Use AA-grade unsalted butter
for the best flavor,
not
high fat except if indicated, and be sure the butter is 65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C.
Use fresh baking powder:
Check the expiration date and, if in a humid environment, replace it sooner.
When mixing the batter in a stand mixer, always
start the mixer on low speed
to prevent the batter from flying out of the bowl. Gradually raise the speed to medium (number 4 on a KitchenAid stand mixer, number 6 on the Cuisinart stand mixer) or high speed, if using a handheld mixer.
Stop the mixer and scrape
down the sides of the bowl several times during mixing, being sure to go to the bottom of the bowl beneath the beater.
If using a handheld mixer,
use a deep bowl
to avoid spattering. Begin on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened and then raise the speed to high. Beat for 2 minutes after the dry ingredients are moistened and then for 45 seconds after each addition of the egg mixture. You may need to make two-layer cakes in two batches.
Use the pouring shield
or splash guard, or cover the top of the mixer bowl with plastic wrap, until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Use the correct pan size.
For a very even layer, and to keep the crust from browning too deeply,
wrap the cake pan with a cake strip
(see
Cake Strips
).
Check for
accurate oven temperature.
Avoid underbaking or overbaking
the cake. It may spring back before fully baked. Use a wire cake tester or wooden toothpick, as indicated in the recipe. An instant-read thermometer will register 190° to 205°F/88° to 96°C. If a wire cake tester comes out with crumbs, the center of the cake will sink a little on cooling.
Wrap cake layers airtight
or frost them when completely cool.
For more details please read the ingredients and equipment sections.
Preparing the Pan
Butter cakes in layer cake pans bake most evenly when encircled with cake strips (see
Cake Strips
). The strips serve to slow down the baking at the perimeter of the pan so that the batter rises at the same rate on the sides as in the center, preventing a peaked surface. To use one, turn the unfilled pan upside down and gently stretch the silicone strip to fit around the sides.
Line the bottom of layer cake pans with parchment rounds to ensure the complete release of the cakes, especially chocolate cakes. Coat the bottom of the pans with solid vegetable shortening before affixing the rounds. Coat the entire insides of the pans with baking spray with flour or with solid shortening and flour, tapping out any excess.
Fluted tube pans should be sprayed with baking spray with flour (use a pastry brush if necessary to brush away any excess) or solid vegetable shortening and Wondra flour. (Briskly tap the pan on the palm of your hand to distribute the flour evenly and then invert the pan and tap it lightly on the counter to get rid of any excess flour.) To ensure that the batter enters smoothly and without air pockets into the fluted designs of the pan, first fill the pan about 1 inch full and, using the back of a spoon, with a side-to-side motion, press down the batter. Then add the remaining batter.
Unmolding a Cake
Cakes 9 inches or larger risk breaking if they are unmolded too soon. For cakes up to 10 inches, it is best to allow them to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before unmolding, 20 minutes for larger cakes.
Except when baking the cake in a fluted tube pan, always run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing the spatula against the pan to ensure complete release of the cake's sides with its crumb intact.
Always invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. If the parchment is still attached to the cake, peel it off. Unless it is baked in a tube pan, reinvert the cake onto a second lightly coated wire rack. This prevents splitting if the top is slightly domed and maintains the maximum height of the cake layer.
Allow cakes to cool until they are no longer warm to the touch before storing or frosting. Any residual heat will make them soggy and melt the frosting.
Troubleshooting
Problem | Possible Cause |
Cracked or peaked surface or large tunnels | Oven is too hot, batter is overmixed, cake strip was not used, or too little leavening |
Coarse grain and sunken center | Oven is too cold, batter was undermixed, or too much leavening |
Poor volume, compact structure | Old or inadequate amount of baking powder, or cold butter or eggs |
Dry cake, tough crust | Overbaking or pan is too big |
Burnt bottom and undercooked batter | Inadequate air circulation in the oven |
Denser, darker line at bottom of chocolate cake | Butter too cold or insufficient mixing |
8 to 10
35 to 45 minutes
Caramelized apples and walnuts atop a tender butter cake are a fabulous combination, and bourbon whipped cream is the perfect accompaniment to balance the sweetness of the caramel. This cake is most delicious in the fall at the height of apple season and is much quicker to make than a conventional apple pie. Use baking apples that hold their shape well: My favorites are Macoun, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greenings, and Golden Delicious.
Volume | Ounce | Gram | |
1¼ pounds of apples (about 2 large), peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick | 3¼ cups | 1 pound | 454 |
lemon juice, freshly squeezed | 1 teaspoon | . | . |
light brown sugar, preferably Muscovado | 1/3 cup, firmly packed, divided | 2.5 | 72 |
unsalted butter | 4 tablespoons (½ stick), divided | 2 | 57 |
walnut halves | 2/3 cup | 2.2 | 66 |
Special Equipment
One 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round | Baking stone (optional)
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, set a baking stone, if using, on the rack and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
Make the Apple Topping
In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 1½ hours. Drain the apples, reserving their liquid.
In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, melt the butter. Use about 1 tablespoon to coat the parchment-lined bottom and the sides of the cake pan.
Add the remaining brown sugar and the reserved liquid that has drained from the apples to the butter remaining in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a light-colored silicone spatula, then stop stirring, but leave the spatula in place to judge the color, and simmer for about 3 minutes, until bubbling thickly and deep amber in color.
Pour this mixture (do not scrape) into the prepared cake pan, tilting to coat the entire bottom. Don't worry if the mixture hardens; it will melt during baking. Place the apple slices, overlapping slightly, on the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Toast the Walnuts
Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Highlights for Success
To core apples, cut them in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the core. Slice each half quarters and then each piece into three pieces.
The baking stone helps to darken the caramel on the apples.
Volume | Ounce | Gram | |
about 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature | 3½ tablespoons (1.7 fluid ounces) | 2 | 56 |
sour cream | ½ cup, divided | 4.2 | 121 |
pure vanilla extract | 1¼ teaspoons | . | . |
cake flour (or bleached all-purpose flour) | 1½ cups (or 1 1/3 cups), sifted into the cup and leveled off | 5.3 | 150 |
superfine sugar | ¾ cup | 5.3 | 150 |
baking powder | ¾ teaspoon | . | . |
baking soda | ¼ teaspoon | . | . |
salt | ¼ teaspoon | . | . |
unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) | 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) | 4.5 | 128 |
Mix the Liquid Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, 2 tablespoons of the sour cream, and the vanilla just until combined.
Make the Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, drop the batter in big blobs on top of the apples. Then smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula while keeping the apples in an attractive pattern.
Bake the Cake
Place the pan in the oven on the stone, if using it. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.
Unmold and Cool the Cake