The Frustration

Baking comes with a lot of joy and a lot of frustration. Baking is both an art and a science. You can make the same thing day after day the same exact way and there will be that one time, usually at the most in opportune time, the same bake that you can do in your sleep is not successful. Why is this? What dark magic is there?

Well, there a lot of different reasons things may not work out. The other day I had made a cake that I got from one of my subscriptions, came with all the element recipes I needed and video tutorial. Now looking at the recipe I had noticed something weird right off the bat. It wanted me to use three separate pans all 9 inches. Like any good baker, I have 9-inch pans...only 2 though. I did also have 2 - 8-inch pans as well. I was thinking that it's just two of us eating this cake we do not need a 9-inch cake. So, I made two cakes that were 8 inch and 1 - 9-inch cake, I trimmed it down.

Going through and making this cake with all the elements I saw that these are rather thick pieces of cake, but not really thick enough for me to tort them to bring it down in size. I had assembled the cake accordingly with all the elements that it had called for. I did not care for the way the cake turned out. Though it did taste great.

Things I would change with this cake:

• Do only two - 8-inch cakes and tort them and only use three of the layers created.

• Cut out the camel layer - does not do much to compliment the cake, only helps the dentist get more money from you.

That is the artistic side of the cake, sometimes the cakes that they have you do is just outside of what you believe it should be and try to make due with the way it says to make it. Even known it looked good, it does not look the greatest to me.

Coffee Chocolate Cake

Since is another key aspect as I have mentioned. Everything from the weather to temperature can have an impact on the bake you are doing. Butter reacts to cold temperature during the creaming process. If you mix creamed butter with a cold cream or eggs you will resolidfy your butter. Now in cookies, or muffins it won’t be as noticeable. Cakes on the other hand you can have lumpy batter and will affect the texture of your finished product.

Chocolate needs to be heated correctly and tempered so it will look and act correctly. Whether you’re trying to make decore or mixing it in with something else. Making bread doughs require the right about of yeast and moisture to the flour and salt. Those same doughs will be affected by humidity, temperature of the room when its time to rise. At the bakery I see it all the time. In a temperature and humidity-controlled proof box, during the warmer months my doughs rise quickly. Colder months they rise slowly. When it's raining, I have to bake breads a few minutes longer otherwise as they sit they start to lose their flakiness and the crust turns rubbery and during the dry months I have to bake them less, so they do not become too dry. These are only a few of many examples of the science behind baking.