week nine - Let them eat cake

picture 1

picture 2

picture 3

Today we covered the tri-fecta of the cake world. The basic chocolate, basic white and add the two together and you will get marble cake. Let's not forget the beloved carrot cake but is often over looked for it pure elegance and taste. Chef demo'd the apple strudel and we worked with puff pastry. We covered a lot...


So let's beginning with the cakes:

Basic Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 lb cake flour
5oz coco powder
2 1/2 oz baking powder
2 lbs 8oz sugar
2 lb 12 oz eggs
1 oz salt
1/2 oz baking soda

Using a whip - mix on high speed for 8 -10 minutes


1 pt. fluid flex
1 pt. buttermilk
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix on second speed until ribbon stage. Pour 1 qt per 10 inch cake pan greased and paper lined. Bake at 36o degrees until spring back occurs.

Note: red food color plus cinnamon makes a mean devil’s food cake.

Basic White Cake:
same as above except:
omit coco powder and baking soda


Carrot Cake Sponge - Mayonnaise Method Emulsification:
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil - slowly
14 oz sugar
whip
1/2 tsp salt
9 oz bread flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 # fine grated carrots
2 1/2 oz chopped walnuts

We panned our cakes then baked them off in the oven at 360 degrees. Chef then demo’d a beautiful apple strudel. It was a very interesting technique he used to move the large piece of laminated dough. Take an apron and place it under the dough. This will allow you to move the dough without tearing or ripping it. I thought it was a very cool technique – thanks Chef Colley. We tend to react before we think of what we need to do. Upon ruining or destroying what we were working, we then think of all the great techniques chef has taught us.






Next we started working with puff pastry. Chef demo’d some puff dough (see picture 2 above). We cut them into squares. Then on the inside of the square we cut a letter L on either side, then folded them over – something like that, work with me. Then you baked them off with parchment paper on top. Then you can use this as a pastry with a cream filling and fruit or other main course dinners. Note puff pastry is laminated dough – multiple layers of fat leavened by steam.

We covered so much today I don’t remember all that much about the lecture on puff dough.

Next week on the menu:
Cake decorating