What to keep in mind – 

1. Mixture and creaming of the cake 

Want soft, light cakes with a fluffy crumb? This first step is crucial and shouldn’t be disregarded. In order to aerate the batter and help the cake rise when baked, the air is incorporated into the mixture of softened butter and sugar. Your mixer’s paddle or blades aid in incorporating air to lighten the butter. The edges of the sugar granules are simultaneously cut into the butter. Additionally, the cake batter is combined more uniformly as a result.  At medium to medium-high speed, creaming takes three to five minutes. The final product will be fluffy, airy, and pale in colour. Take your time because once you begin adding more ingredients, there is no turning back.

2. Eggs do play a major role 

It’s time to incorporate the eggs after creaming the butter and sugar together. To give the eggs a chance to emulsify into the batter, add them in one at a time.

To better integrate the eggs, you can add them while the mixer is on low. If the eggs are cold, the batter may appear curdled; room temperature eggs will produce a smoother, more uniform batter.

3. Mix the flour and milk 

Add the remaining dry ingredients in alternating motions with the wet. Without needing to overmix the dry ingredients, the batter will better absorb all of the liquids in this manner (more on this in a bit!).  

Make sure your flour, baking powder, and salt are all combined before you begin. Add in half of the flour mixture while running the mixer on low (you don’t want flour flying everywhere). Mix the ingredients continuously until the final flour streaks start to disappear. Stream the milk in while the mixer is still running. The addition of the vanilla extract is now a fantastic idea as well. Stop the mixer once the milk has been largely absorbed and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and restart the mixer on low speed. Increase the mixer to medium once they have started to combine. The batter should only be combined until it is smooth and all traces of flour are gone.

4. How to check a cake is done 

It’s not easy to put together a great cake batter, therefore it’s a good idea to be aware of the signs that your cake has been baked properly. Here are a few other signs that your cake is finished baking rather than just relying on the timer:

A toothpick put into the centre of a cake should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs when it has finished baking. The cake is still baking if the toothpick comes out covered in batter. Bake for a few more minutes and then check again. When finished, the cake’s top ought to bounce back when lightly pushed with a fingertip. When a cake is finished baking, the sides may begin to come away from the pan. Be cautious, though, as if the cake shrinks excessively, it may have been overbaked.

When finished, place your cakes on a wire rack to cool. Before removing the cakes from their pans, wait for about 15 minutes or until the cakes and pans are cool enough to handle. A cake that is too hot may shatter if you attempt to remove it.

Before trimming, cutting, or icing the cakes, let them cool fully. The cake that has been refrigerated makes cutting it considerably simpler and produces less crumbs.

Recipe to bake a simple vanilla cake – 

1. Oven temperature set to 350 °F.
2. Salt, baking powder, and flour are sifted together. Place aside.
3. Sprinkle some baking spray, shortening, or butter on the bottom and the sides of the cake pans. Make sure to climb all the way up the edges and into the corners. By scooping some flour into the pan, shaking and tapping the pan to coat the bottom and sides with flour, and then dumping out the extra, you can flour the pan’s sides and bottom. Alternately, you may cut out a circle of parchment paper and line the bottom with that.
4. Butter and sugar should be combined until frothy and light. for around 3 to 5 minutes on a medium spread (see above notes for more information).
5.  One by one, add the eggs. The batter should be very creamy and silky after being beaten. The eggs have a higher chance of blending into a smooth mixture when added one at a time. To prevent the batter from appearing curdled, make sure they are at room temperature.
6. Add the salt, baking powder, and half of the flour. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients that have been sifted. Mix until fully blended.
7. Add vanilla and milk after beating. To give the milk a chance to absorb without needing to overmix the batter, combine the liquids and dry ingredients alternately. On low speed, stream the milk in until well-combined.
8.  Use a spatula with an offset to smooth the tops. To remove air bubbles, tap the pans against the counter.
9. The cake should rise up like a pillow, turn golden, and pull away from the sides of the pan after baking for 25 to 30 minutes. A toothpick put into the centre of the cakes should come out clean when they are finished.
10. In the pan, cool for fifteen minutes. To ensure sure the cake is entirely freed from the pan’s sides, run an offset spatula around it.
11. After the cake has cooled, top it with buttercream and assemble it.

These were some of the tips and recipes to make a cake from scratch

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