Unit 1: Getting Ready for Work

Lesson 1: Introduction to Cake Making

Objectives
At the end of the session, you should be able to:

 analyze the scope and delimitation of the courseware;

 explain the importance of baking cake; and
 define the common terminologies used in the workplace.

Introduction
Cake Making is one of the competencies to be learned in the qualification Bread and Pastry
Production.

Studying this lesson will enrich one’s knowledge in the competency cake making. It also gives
an overview on the things that should be learned alL throughout this courseware. It also
includes the common terminologies used in the workplace which will be crucial as one
progresses to the next module.

It is essential to grasp the knowledge presented in this courseware because it will serve as the
foundation in understanding the science and art of cake making. Yes! There is science and art
in baking cakes, and it will be further discussed on the next modules.

Getting Started
Cake is described as a form of bread that is made by baking the mixture of fat, sugar, eggs,
flour, baking powder, and with or without milk.

Cakes, Gateaux and Tortes

This competency is about preparing and presenting cakes, gateaux and tortes. What is the
difference and similarities of these three?

Cakes, gateaux and tortes are all sweet.

Cakes from France are called Gateaux(gateau, singular). It is a very light sponge cake filled
with rich icing and filling. The distinct characteristic of gateaux is composed of several layers of
thin, very light sponge cake, filled with icing and filling. The basic element in this type of cake is
its structure, not the cake base. It is usually made with a lot of fresh fruit and is intended to be
eaten on the same day.
 Tortes are cakes from Germany or Austria that contains little or no flour with eggs, ground nuts
or bread crumbs. Tortes are also composed of several layers, mostly 6 to 8 layers, with nuts
combined to the batter. Layers are filled with cream or fruit filling and are covered with chocolate
and fondant. This cake can last for days.

Baking Cake

Baking cake is like a love affair. For it to be perfect, you need to place the right effort on the
correct ingredient. In starting this courseware, you need to grasp the essential concepts before
baking. You must understand first the importance of occupational safety and hygiene, procedure
on tools and equipment material and ways to organize your work.

Along with this is the need for critical learning and analysis on the principles of baking. It
includes the formulas and measurement, mixing and gluten development, baking process,
production method, correct baking techniques, selecting correct oven condition, stalling and the
enterprise requirements and standard in baking cake.

After mastering these concepts, you can now prepare the cake base, followed by its fillings,
coatings, icing and decoration. Keep in mind that the first cake that needs to be baked is the
one that catches your interest.

Do you know that?

Making cakes started after the discovery of flour. The oldest form of cake is normally fried
breads or cheesecakes in disk shape.

Procedure on how to prepare Butter Cake, Sponge Cake, Genoese Cake, Pound Cake,
Madeira Cake and Chiffon Cake. Recipes from reliable sources along with its video
demonstration are also embedded in this courseware. This can be used as you practice baking
cake.

Aside from cake bases, preparing fillings, coatings, icing and decoration such as buttercream,
crème patisserie, ganache, boiled icing, royal icing and fondant are also discussed. Presenting
and storing cakes, gateaux and tortes are also included in this courseware.

Terminologies
Common Terminologies Used in Cake Making

A professional food worker must have deep understanding on the common terminologies used
in cake making. Mastering these terminologies would enable you to identify what is being talked
about inside the kitchen. Listed are the common terminologies used in the workplace:

 Aeration
is a process of incorporating air or gas in one or more of the stages of production before
baking. The air can be introduced into the mixture from production of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
because of yeast or baking powder. The internal expansion of the air and pressure of the
 steam makes a total contribution to the aeration, making the baked product more appetizing,
palatable and digestible.

 Agar Agar
derived from seaweed that is used as setting agent. It is much stronger, more stable and
harder to use. It is used as an alternative to gelatin.

 All-in Process
is a cake production method where all ingredients are mixed together without any preliminary
stages.

 Bake
method of cooking food in dry heat inside a heating oven using gas, electricity, charcoal,
wood or oil at a temperature from 250ºF to 450ºF.

 Batter
a semi-liquid mixture, composed of one or more portion of flour combined with liquids, such
as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods.

 Beating
introducing air into the mixture through mechanical agitation, as in beating eggs. It can be
done by hand or by machine.

 Blend
process of combining ingredients to produce a homogenous mixture.

 Coat
the act of covering the cake with almond paste or icing, fondant cream or chocolate.

 Combine
process of mixing the ingredients together

 Creaming
process of rubbing or beating butter and sugar or fat and flour until light and fluffy.

 Cutting in
using two knives or a pastry blender to combine cold fats, like butter, margarine or
 shortening, with flour or sugar without creaming or mixing air in the ingredients. Doing this will
result in a mixture that is crumbly or grainy looking.

 Emulsion
is the mixture of two fluids that would normally not mix, such as oil and water. This can be
done by means of an emulsifier. Fat, sugar and eggs that are combined and are correctly
beaten can form an emulsion. The lecithin in egg yolks are good emulsifying agent.

 Fermentation
process of converting sugar into alcohol to produce carbon dioxide.

 Fillings
inserted in between cake to enhance the taste and layering of the cake

 Foaming
to continuously beat egg white, to incorporate air until it becomes light and fluffy.

 • Ganache (pronounced as guh-nahsh)

a chocolate whipped frosting, filling or paste made from chocolate and cream. It is prepared
by heating the cream and stirring it into the chocolate.

 Gelatin
used as setting agent to stabilize creams.

 Gluten
protein found in wheat and grains, including barley and rye. Gluten is from the Latin word
which means ‘glue’. It gives elasticity to the dough, giving the final product a chewy texture. It
also acts as glue that keeps or holds the food together.

 Grease
to brush the pan with shortening.

 Jellying Agent
used to set soft solid food which includes Gelatin, Agar-agar, Pectin

 Leavening (also known as leavening agent, former term: lifters)

substance, such as yeast, baking powder, baking soda or eggs, used to cause fermentation
and expansion of batter. The agents work to produce carbon dioxide in batter.
 Line
to put a greaseproof paper on the baking pans or sheets.

 Pack compactly
to fill cup with brown sugar or shortening by pressing it with the back of the spoon.

 Pipe out
to press the mixture out of the piping bag or pastry bag.

 Pre-heat
to heat the oven prior to baking and achieve the required heat. This is done to attain the
quality in baking products.

 Petit Gateaux
small individual cakes of the larger variety.

 Room Temperature
usually about 72ºF or 22ºC.

 Scrape
to remove the sticky ingredients from the side of the mixing bowl.

 Sieve
the utensil that has wire or nylon mesh where dry ingredients are put through to refine them.

 Sift
to pass the flour through the sieves to make it finer and light.

 Stir in
to add another ingredient into the mixture.
 Storage
a space for keeping something.

 Tempering
process of setting the chocolate by heating, cooling and warming up the chocolate to its
appropriate temperature to align the cocoa butter crystal. This is done to make the melted
chocolate smooth, silky and glossy.
 Torte (pronounced as tawrt), plural form: Tortes
Austrian, German, Italian and Eastern European of origin, definition is same as gateau. It can
have pastry layers with more fruits and nuts.

 Whip
to beat rapidly and continuously to aid incorporation of air to increase in volume, as in
whipping egg whites to make meringue and in cream.

 Yield
is the calculated units from the total baked weight of a particular formula.
 Lesson 2: Occupational Safety and
Hygiene
Objectives
At the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify appropriate personal protective equipment used in preparing food;

 Examine proper hand-washing technique done before and during the work process; and
 Determine the correct hygienic practices, sanitary procedure and safety measures in the
kitchen.

Introduction
A professional food worker is expected to maintain a high standard of personal and
occupational hygiene. Taking a bath, brushing of teeth and trimming of fingernails on daily basis
are referred to as personal hygiene. The professional food worker takes good care of himself by
ensuring good cleaning and washing practices. Occupational Health and Safety, on the other
hand, are practices done to maintain a clean work environment. This includes wearing of
protective equipment, frequent washing of hands between work processes, regular sanitation of
kitchen premises and continuous hygienic kitchen practices.

This lesson focuses on the essential knowledge in Occupational Health and Safety done before
and during food preparation. These required knowledge must be perform before one can set-up
the workstation.
 Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) are specialized equipment worn by the employees to
protect themselves from health and safety hazards while working. PPEs in cake making
includes, but not limited to, the following:

1. Hat –used to restrict the hair from falling. This could be chef’s hat, baker’s hat, beret or ball
cap.

2. Hairnet – worn to keep hair contained

3. Jacket – thick white cotton cloth, mostly double-breasted and layered. This is to protect from
splattering of boiling liquid, and from heat of stove and oven. Some jackets are reversible, to
hide any spills.

4. Apron – gives legs special protection against spills.The color can be white, black or any color
with the company’s logo on it.

5. Pants/Trouser – protects legs from spills and splashes. It can be white, black, or black-and-
white striped.
6. Shoes – used to protect the feet if something hot spills or something sharp dropped

7. Mask – worn to prevent the saliva from contaminating the food

8. Gloves – worn to protect food from contamination when hands have burns, cuts or infection.
It can never be a replacement for washing hands.

Handwashing Technique
Handwashing is the single most important procedure for preventing the spread of biological
contamination to the food being prepared. Here are some handwashing procedures for your
use:

Procedure:

1. Always consider the faucet, sink and its surrounding contaminated when starting the hand
washing procedure.

2. You must avoid touching the sink. Use the hand-washing sink, not the food preparation sink.

3. Turn the water on and wet your hands, wrists, and arms.

4. Pour enough liquid soap on your palm then work until later or mass of bubbles are produced.

5. Vigorously rub together all surfaces of the lathered hands and arms for 15 seconds. Friction
helps remove dirt and microorganisms. Wash around and under rings, around cuticles, and
under fingernails.

6. Rinse hands thoroughly under a stream of water. Running water carries away dirt and debris.
Point the fingers down so that water won't drip toward elbows.

7. Use side of your arms or knuckles to turn off the faucet, avoiding touching any contaminated
area.

8. Dry hands completely with a clean dry paper towel.

 It is also important that you know when to wash your hands. Here is a list of times when
washing hands is essential:

 On arrival at work, before you get started.

 After you've been to the toilet.

 After handling garbage or garbage containers.

 After handling raw foods, before handling cooked foods.

 After you've covered your mouth or nose to sneeze or cough.

 After you've blown your nose.

 After touching or scratching your head or other parts of your body.

 Before resuming work after a break or a change of work area.

 After you've had a cigarette.

 After handling money.

Bear in mind that hand-washing is not only done in the circumstances listed above, but also
when you have made any surface contact before and during food preparation.

Hygienic Practices
Aside from frequently handwashing, there are also numerous ways to reduce the spread of
harmful germs. Hygienic practices refer to the ways carried out by any food professional to
provide safe and quality food to their customer.

Listed below are the hygienic practices one should follow:

 Always wash your hands before preparing food.

 Avoid wearing jewelry, watch, or perfume.

 Make sure that your nails are short, clean, and without nail polish.
 Wear clean clothing.

 Do not wear the uniform while travelling to and from work – change it upon arrival and out of
it before you leave.

 Don’t brush or comb your hair when you are near food.

 Do not smoke in the food areas.

 Keep your fingers away from your face, mouth, hair, and skin and other parts of the body.

 Do not come to work if you have a cold or are feeling unwell - you may transmit bacteria to
the food and put the health of others at risk.

Safety Measures in the Kitchen

Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. Think about it: Knives! Fire! Bacteria! Observing
basic rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop. Always pay attention to what you’re
doing in the kitchen because one slip can cause serious injury or accidents.

 Store knives in a wooden block or in a drawer.

 Never cook in loose clothes and keep long hair tied back. You don’t want anything
accidentally catching fire. (Not to mention hair ending up in the food!)

 Never cook while wearing dangling jewelry. A bracelet can get tangled around pot
handles.

 Keep potholders nearby and use them. Be careful not to leave them near an open flame.

 Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove. With this, children can’t grab them, and
adults can’t bump into them if they’re out of the way.
 Don’t let temperature-sensitive foods sit out in the kitchen. Raw meat, fish, and certain
dairy products can spoil quickly, so refrigerate or freeze them right away.

 Wipe up spills immediately. Keep the floor dry so that no one slips and falls.

 Separate raw meat and poultry from other items whenever you use or store them. This
precaution avoids cross-contamination of harmful bacteria from one food to another.

 Wash your hands before handling food and after handling meat or poultry. Hands can
be a virtual freight train of bacteria.

Occupational Health and Safety Indicator and Standard

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) also known as Occupational Safety and Health is a
cross-disciplinary area that mainly concerns the safety, health and welfare of the people
engaged in work or employment. The main goal of this program is to promote safe work
environment. As a secondary effect, it protects co-workers, family members, employers,
customers, suppliers and nearby communities.

OHS Indicator

To promote the safety, health and welfare of the people, it is standard in a workplace to hang
safety signs that indicate preventive measures needed. Safety sign refers to the sign or symbol
in the workplace indicating various hazards ahead.

Colors of the safety sign defined:

 Red color represents immediate hazardous situations that will cause death or serious
injuries.

 Orange color indicates potentially unsafe situation.

 Yellow color is used against unsafe practices that, if not avoided, may result in minor
injuries.

 Green color represents emergency egress location.

 Blue color conveys safety information.

Philippine OHS Standard

OHS Standard is the mandatory standard and rules enforced by the government to reduce or
eliminate any occupational hazard in the workplace.

This standard is mandated by law and enforced by the Secretary of Labor and Employment
through the Regional Director. The duties of employers and employees are as follows:

 Administrative policies on safety must be adopted in accordance with the provision of the
standards;

 Policies and safety organization established must be reported to the Regional Director;

 Safety performance must be submitted every 3 months to the Regional Director; and

 Recommended safety measures or procedures must be performed or acted upon.

Employees, on the other hand, are expected to perform duties, as follows:

 Comply with the safety policies;

 Enact as the member of Health and Safety;

 Unsafe practices and conditions must be reported to the Safety Committee; and

 Assist government agencies to conduct safety and health inspection.

 Lesson 3: Tools and Equipment
Maintenance
Objectives
At the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Differentiate cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing from each other;

 Identify the cleaning materials that can be used to disinfect and sanitize kitchen premises;
 Determine preventive maintenance procedures in the kitchen; and
 Determine the guidelines in proper storage of tools and equipment.

Introduction
To completely or fully perform the occupational safety and standard, a professional food worker,
particularly a pastry chef, needs to perform and ensure the usability or functionality of the tools
and equipments inside the kitchen.

In this lesson, difference of disinfecting and sanitizing is included, together with the cleaning
materials that can be used. Although each establishment has their own preventive maintenance
procedure, equipment cleaning procedure and tool storage guidelines, brief examples on how to
do it are also included in this lesson.

Giving importance to the tools and equipment maintenance would lessen the occurrence of
accidents and of failure in baking product.

Disinfecting the Kitchen

Disinfection, Sanitation and Sterilization
Do you know that disinfection is different from sanitizing and sterilization? Yes, these are all
different from each other!

Disinfection can be done with the use of antimicrobial agents, like lemon juice or baking soda,
which destroy or inactivate some microorganism but not all. Sanitation and sterilization can kill
almost all viruses, bacteria and spores.

Disinfection
Disinfection can be performed with the use of the correct cleaning materials. This is done
alongside with the PPEs to be worn, and handwashing practices to be performed. Cleaning
materials that can be used as disinfectants are as follows:

a. Vinegar
Using vinegar as a natural cleaning material serves as disinfectant and deodorizer. One (1)
part water to one (1) part vinegar can be used as a solution. Mix the solution thoroughly in a
 clean spray bottle and use it in cleaning stove tops, appliances counter tops and floor. The
smell will disappear when it dries. Do not use the vinegar solution on marble surfaces.

b. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is great substance used to clean soap scum and hard water deposits. It can also
clean and shine brass and copper. To use the lemon, cut it in half and sprinkle baking soda
on the cut section. Scrub the dishes, surfaces and stains using the lemon. To make cleaning
paste, mix the lemon juice with vinegar and/or baking soda.

c. Baking Soda
Baking Soda is a cleaning agent used to deodorize and scrub surfaces. It can be used the
same way in using other commercial abrasive cleaners.

d. Borax
Another natural cleaning powder that can be used is the borax. It acts as kitchen disinfectant
and stain remover like the baking soda, with stronger effect. This product is best used in
cleaning floors for it can kill mould and mildew spores while removing their stains.

Other disinfectant that can be used in cleaning includes:

a. Dishwashing Soap
Rub a sponge with a plain, liquid, vegetable-based soap or with a dishwashing bar soap. It is
optional to add a few slices of lemon to the water to help cut grease.

b. Borax or Sodium Carbonate Monohydrate

Use borax or sodium carbonate monohydrate (washing soda) with soap and water. Large
surfaces can be washed with a solution of ½ cup borax dissolved in one gallon of hot water

Cleaning the Equipment

Disinfection of tools and equipment is done to remove or inactivate 99.99% germs and viruses.
Using the disinfectants indicated above, here are examples of procedures to be followed in
cleaning certain equipment. The procedure still depends on the rules set by the establishment
or company.

Cleaning the Range

 Before cleaning, switch off the range and remove the electric plug.
 Clean the top of the range by wiping and removing food particles, burnt sediments and
grease away.
 Burner must be cleaned thoroughly with a dry brush or with clean dry cloth.
 Remove the burner grates before cleaning the entire oven. Wash and dry other removable
parts.
 Remove and scrape the food particles inside and out of the oven.

Cleaning the Mixer

 Remove the detachable parts.
 Wash the beaters and bowls after use.
 Wipe the parts with dry cloth thoroughly.

Cleaning the Oven

 Wipe any spills along with any grease after cooking or heating each meal. Clean it
periodically with baking soda and water.
 Scrub any baked grease or spills with a nonmetalic brush using a paste made of baking soda,
salt and water. Another option is to mix two (2) tablespoons of liquid dish soap, and two (2)
teaspoons of borax into two cups of hot water. Apply and let it sit for 20 minutes and then
scrub.
 Any abrasive cleaning materials must not be used in self-cleaning ovens.

Sanitizing the Kitchen Premises

Sanitation of Kitchen Premises
Aside from wearing PPEs and performing handwashing and hygienic practice, a professional
food worker must also sanitize the kitchen premises to prevent the spread of microorganism to
food. All equipment, utensils and working surfaces must be disinfected before and after each
use.

How to sanitize the kitchen premises? Cleaning and sanitizing tools, utensils and equipment
vary on the cleaning solution to be used and the standard or prescribed procedure of the
workplace. However, listed below is a suggested procedure you could follow:

1. Wear proper cleaning clothes.

2. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals to be used.
3. Prepare the detergent solution.
4. Check and sort the utensils. Separate the oily from the less oily utensils.
5. Scrub first the less oily utensils with detergent and solution. Rinse with clean water.
6. Prepare the sanitizing agent. Sanitizing agent refers to the chlorine solution to be used. The
chlorine solution depends on the percentage or number of concentration.
7. Sanitize the utensils with 50 ppm chlorine solution. (*ppm is unit of measurement for
concentration of chlorine solution)
8. Drain and dry the tools. Drying could be either to air-dry or to towel dry.
9. Sanitize the working table and equipment using 200ppm chlorine solution.
10. Store the dried, clean utensils in its appropriate shelves.

Sterilization of Utensils
Aside from sanitizing the kitchen, it is also important to sterilize the dishes, glasses and utensils.
Sterilization is done with the use of chemical agent, boiling water or steam to eliminate all
bacteria, viruses and spores.

Basic Preventive Maintenance

Alongside with the sanitation standard operating procedure, is the preventive maintenance that
must be done as a professional food worker, and as a Pastry Chef. It is a prerequisite procedure
for food safety which ensures that the facility runs smoothly.

Basic Preventive Maintenance refers to the inspection, detection and correction of tools and
equipment before they could develop into major defect in order to maintain the facility and let it
function satisfactorily. Doing so, a written report of either deteriorating, for repair or for
replacement, must be done to let the facility continuously and satisfactorily operate.

Preventive Maintenance Procedure

The detailed preventive maintenance procedure will be given or will depend on the policy set by
the company. Listed are some of the preventive maintenance procedures followed in a
workplace.

Cutting Tools

 Frequently sharpen the knives and disinfect before use.

 Knives if damaged, or if cannot be maintained in sanitary condition, must be replaced.
 Cutting blades must be frequently inspected for damage and product residue. Inspection
should be done before and during kitchen operation.
 Store the cutting tools in its designated place. Label them to ease access.

Handy Tools

 All handy tools must be air-dried to prevent rust and corrosion.

 Utensils after cleaning must be dried with clean dry rag.
 Sterilize the tools and utensils by rinsing them in very hot clean water.
 Have the tools and utensils inspected periodically.

Ranges

 Clean the range with soap and water using a cloth or sponge. Do this to prevent
accumulation of dirt.
 The burner valves should be greasless.
 Make sure the burner ports are clear and open.
 Check the level oven racks and the tightness of the oven door
 Remember not to stand on oven doors.

Convection Oven
 Do not overload the oven.
 Door opening and closing of oven are checked for proper alignment and seal.
 Do not use scouring powder or pad on glass.
 Using warm soapy water, clean daily the door gasket and oven interior.

Storage of Tools and Equipment

Taking responsibility in storing teaches workers principles of accountability. Doing this ensures
that the tools at hand are in good shape. It is an important factor for ensuring the safety of
everyone working in the kitchen and the health of the customers who will eat the food served.
Doing so will lessen the maintenance cost of the equipments and lessen chance that it will be
replaced immediately.

How to store the tools and equipments properly?

There are different guidelines an employee could follow, depending on the standard prescribed
in the workplace. Here are the suggested guidelines.

 Classify
Classify not only the tools but also its designated places. Have a designated area for each
kind of tool. Place it in an area near the point of use.

 Clean and Dry

Wash the items and dry them properly before storing. Doing this will ensure that the storage
area is clean, dry and not overcrowded, thus preventing it from microbial inhabitation/growing
of spores.

 Store in Proper Places

Place the frequently accessed items in conveniently accessible locations.

 Put Labels
Label the storage area correctly to immediately find items.
 Lesson 4: Setting up your Work Station
Objectives
At the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify the tools, equipment and utensils needed in cake making;

 Identify the ingredients to be used in baking cake; and
 Determine the process on how to set-up the workstation.

Introduction
From preparing oneself, through wearing personal protective equipment to performing
handwashing and safety measures in the kitchen, to the cleaning and maintenance of the tools
and equipment, another key to successfully prepare the cake is to set up one’s workstation.

To set-up the work station properly, familiarize yourself first with the tools, equipment and
utensils that can be used in cake making. Also, the list of the major and minor ingredients to be
used and its role in making batter must be learned. Doing so will help ease the task on the next
module, as you follow instructions in the recipe.

Identifying Tools, Equipment and Utensils Needed in

Preparing Appetizer
Below are the recommended tools, equipment and utensils in cake making:

 Measuring tools

 Mixing tools

 Baking pans

 Cutting tools

 Miscellaneous tools

 Oven
 Measuring Tools

Measuring Tools
these refer to the tools used in measuring ingredients. Remember that measurement in baking
plays a vital role.

Measuring cups has two types:

 Graduated or liquid measuring cup used for measuring liquid

 Individualized or dry measuring cup series of cups indicating fractional parts used in
measuring dry ingredients
o Measuring spoons used in measuring small quantities of dry and liquid ingredients such
as baking powder, salt, vanilla extract etc.

o Weighing scale used in measuring large quantities of ingredients. A dietetic or spring form
scale is used for baking purposes. Example is the spring type and digital scale.

o Kitchen Scale used to measure dry, liquid or chopped ingredients. It is more accurate
than measuring cups. This is the preferred kitchen tool to used to measure small quantities
of ingredients

o Timer monitors the rising of the yeast and the baking time.

o Oven thermometer varies from top to bottom and side to side. This is placed inside the
oven to monitor the temperature while baking.

o Candy thermometer used to measure the temperature of boiled sugar.

Mixing Tools
 Mixing Tools
used to mix ingredients

 Mixing bowls can be made from pottery, glass, metal or plastic. The best bowl to be used in
baking is stainless steel bowl to prevent discoloration of the batter. This can be used not only
in mixing, but also as a container when sifting ingredients.

 Wooden spoon is used as mixing spoon. Using wooden spoon is preferred by bakers since
it does not transfer bodily heat and it can be used without scratching the bottom of the
saucepan.

 Whisk is a long, narrow handle with series of wire loops joined at the end. It us commonly
used to whip cream to make whipped cream and whip egg whites to make meringue.

 Rubber scrapper is a bendable rubber used to scrape remaining ingredients from the sides
of the mixing bowl. Also known as rubber spatula.

 Electric Mixer is used to mix, fold, beat and whip food ingredients. It comes into two
variations namely hand mixer and stand mixer.

 Rotary egg beater can be used to beat eggs or whip cream manually.

 Flour sifter is used to sift and to add air to the flour or other dry ingredients.
 Baking Pans

Baking Pans
It is where the batter is placed before baking in an oven. It is recommended to use the
suggested pan in a recipe. If the pan is not available, check for other pans that can be used as a
substitute. Each pan has the recommended cups of batter and can be replaced with another
pan that has the same volume. Remember that the round pan cannot be change to a square
pan having the same pan size. If in a recipe, a 9-inch square pan is recommended, changing it
to a round pan is possible if it is one inch wider than the recommended size, which is 10-
inches.

Examples of baking pans that can be used:

 Tube center pan is a deep pan with removable bottom. It is commonly used to bake chiffon
cake.

 Muffin pan has 12 formed cups used for baking muffins and cup cakes. This is also used for
mini quiches, mini cheesecakes, mini pies and more. It can be lined with muffin paper or
baking paper or can be greased with oil or butter.
 Cake pan can be round, square, rectangle, or heart in shape and comes in different sizes.
The most popular cake pan is the 9 x 13 x 3 inch rectangular pan used to bake cakes, bars
and savoury dishes such as lasagne.

 Jelly roll pan is a shallow pan used to bake cake rolls.

 Bundt pan is a round pan with scalloped sides. It is used for baking individual custard.

 Baking sheet is a flat rectangular metal pan about ½ inch thick or less that is used in an
oven. Bread roll, cookies, bread, sheet cakes and swiss roll can be baked using this pan.

 Sheet pan are flat rimmed baking pan used to bake cookies and sheet cakes.

 Loaf pan is a rectangular shaped tin pan used to bake pound cakes, as well as yeast-raised
bread.

 Slice Tray is an 18cm wide x 28cm long baking pan used in baking brownies, vanilla slices
and zucchini slices.

TIN PREPARATION
To prepare the baking pan, tins are lightly greased and then lined with greaseproof paper. Doing
this will maintain the shape of the cake and will insulate the product during baking.

Keep in mind that the correct type of paper required in the recipe must be used. To line the tin
mould with paper, mark the internal size of the mould on the paper, then fold and cut the paper.
Do not cut unless the size is checked. Make sure that the paper fits and should not be more
than 1cm above top edge of the tin mould.

Aside from using the greaseproof paper, such as parchment paper, other preparation in
preventing the cakes or sponges in sticking to the tins are the following:

 Using greasing emulsion (mixture of fat and starch)

 Brushing the pan with fat and dipping it into flour
 Brushing with fat and dipping the tin into sugar
 Using fat only

It is advisable to use the same fat for greasing to retain the best possible flavor. Note that torte
or Gateau rings are not to be greased because the center of the sponge would be higher than
the sides and the product will shrink. Its base should only be covered with greaseproof paper.
 Cutting Tools

Cutting Tools

There are the tools used for cutting. Example of which are the following:

 Pastry blender is equipment that consists of a handle and wire used for cutting fat and
shortening in the preparation of pies, biscuits or doughnuts.

 Pastry wheel is a blade knife used to cut dough.

 Kitchen shears can be used to slice rolls and delicate cakes.

 Chopping board is a durable firm board for cutting food. It is often made of wood and plastic.

 Paring knife is a knife with a plain edge blade used to pare or cut fruits and vegetables.
 Chef’s or French knife (also known as Cook’s Knife) is an 8 to 10 inch long multi-purpose
kitchen knife commonly used in chopping, dicing and slicing.

 Utility knife is smaller than chef’s knife but larger than the paring knife used in peeling,
trimming and slicing small ingredients. It usually has a blade that is 4 to 7 inches long.

 Bread knife is a long knife with a serrated edge used in slicing bread.

 Peeler is a tool with a metal blade attached to the handle.

 Grater and shredder used to grate cheese, chocolate and other fresh fruits.
 Miscellaneous Tools

 Flour sifter used to sift flour.

 Pastry brush used in greasing pans or surface of pastries and breads.

 Spatula comes from different sizes. Small spatula is used to remove muffins and molded
cookies from pans, large spatula for icing or frosting cakes, flexible blade is used for various
purposes.

 Rolling pin is used to flatten or roll the dough.

 Pastry tips is used to decorate cake with frosting. It has many sizse and shapes.

 Utility tray is used to hold the ingredients together.

 Parchment paper (also known as baking paper or bakery paper) is a heavy duty grease
resistant, waterproof, non-stick paper used in baking. It is different from wax paper.

 Wire cooling racks (simply known as wire rack) is a flat grid made of stainless steel used to
cool the cake quickly and evenly after baking. This is also used to let the air circulate freely
on the baked goods to prevent it from getting soggy from condensation.

Other Baking Equipment

 Double broiler is commonly used in melting chocolate.

 Dutch oven is an old-style cooking vessel used for hundreds of years. This cooking pot is
usually made out of cast iron with a tight-fitting lid.
 Ovens

Oven
This is one of the most important equipment in baking. Purchasing or owning an oven is a good
investment especially if you are really interested in baking. Remember that the temperature or
the heat inside the oven takes a big role in the chemical process of the ingredients. Unstable
temperature can lead to cakes that are stalled.

Different types of oven that can be used are:

 Deck or cabinet oven refers to a large oven that has multiple racks full of sheet pans. The
other term for this type of oven is ‘Stack Oven’. This type of oven is equipped with steam
ejector.
 Convection oven is an oven that allows heat to circulate rapidly throughout the interior.
Strong air inside the oven can distort the shape products made with batter and soft dough.

 Rotary oven is a type of oven that rotates the pan inside, baking the cake evenly.

 Microwave oven can also be used to bake cake. It is an electrically operated oven that
produces heat using electromagnetic waves. Note that the recipe in this courseware cannot
be used in this type of oven.

Identifying the Ingredients in Baking

In this lesson, the focus will be on the ingredients that can be of use in baking cakes. The major
ingredient used are the flour and starches, fats, sugar, liquid ingredients, eggs, and leavening
agents. Minor ingredients are salt, flavouring and spices

The ingredients used and its role or use in the batter will be well discussed in this lesson.

Flour and Starches

 Flour is the major ingredient used in any baked goods. It can be made from different kinds of
grains including beans, legumes, corn, oats, soybeans, buckwheat, rye and more. Among
these, wheat flour is most commonly used in baking.

Flour is considered to be the main ingredient because it contains gluten that provides structure
to the cake.

Use the flour prescribed in the recipe. Using flour that has high gluten content makes chewy and
crusty cake, lower gluten content makes finer and soft cake, while little or no gluten
development toughens the cake.

Flour is used to thicken the batter and provide gluten. As mentioned in the first module, gluten is
a protein that gives structure to the cake. The gluten forms when the flour is combined with a
liquid. Note that over mixing can turn the cake tough.

 Bread Flour, also known as hard flour, is high in gluten that contains 12% to 14% protein.
This causes the bread to rise and gives its shape and structure.

 All Purpose Flour is made from the milling of hard wheat or a mixture of hard and soft
wheat. This wheat flour is often enriched with iron and vitamins such as riboflavin, folic acid
and niacin. It is commonly used in making noodles, cookies, cakes, quick breads and
pastries.

 Self Rising Flour is a ‘convenience mix’ that when used in a recipe, allows baking powder
and salt to be ignored. This type of flour is usually a combination of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1
½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.

 Cake Flour is low-protein flour that is silky and fine in texture. It is used for pastries, cakes,
cookies and certain breads.
 Fats

Fats are added in the mixture to make the cake richer, tender and more moist. This includes
butter, margarine, oil and shortening.

Using fat softens, moistens and tenderizes the texture of the cake, because it shortens and
tenderises the crumb or gluten. It also assists in the primary aeration in the creaming process.
Aeration means the air is trapped in the beating process. Trapping of gases will be further
discussed on the topic ‘The Baking Process’.

Make sure the butter and margarine are in room temperature to let the mixture emulsify
properly.

 Butter is made up of 80% milk fat, 20% milk solid, and water. It is created by churning the
cream until it is semi-solid, and can be salted or unsalted. This ingredient is used to create
crispiness, flaky layers, tenderness and golden-brown color.

 Margarine was created in the later nineteenth century as an alternative to butter. It is made
from 80% partially-hydrogenated vegetable to make it solid and the remaining 20% is made
up of flavouring, coloring, liquid and other additives.
 Sugars

Sugar or sucrose is a carbohydrate in every vegetable or fruit. Sugar is formed during

photosynthesis, when a plant converts energy from the sun into food. The sugar commonly
used in every household is mostly from sugar beets and sugar cane.

Sugar is used to enhance the flavor and give the crust a golden color. This is because the sugar
interacts with different ingredients in a batter. When consumed by yeast or baking powder,
sugar can be converted into carbon dioxide or alcohol.

Sugar also helps soften gluten and egg proteins which result in a soft, moisturized crumb.

In a cake batter, white sugar, brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, and molasses can be used
interchangeably and will not have a direct effect in the yeast development.

The following are the different types of sugar:

 Granulated sugar, also known as ‘white sugar’ is made of fine or extra-fine white sugar
crystal.
 Brown sugar is a sugar crystal contained in molasses-based syrup. Its darkness or lightness
in color depends on the amount of molasses used.

 Confectioner’s sugar or Powdered Sugar is a fine powder sugar made from the crushed
granulated sugar with combined cornstarch. The 3% of cornstarch into the final product helps
prevent the sugar from clumping.

 Raw Sugar is a coarse sugar made from the evaporation of clarified sugar cane. It is 98%
sucrose and is tan or brown in its color.

Liquid Ingredients

Liquid ingredients that can be used in making cakes are usually milk and water used to bind dry
ingredients.

These are used to tenderize, increase volume and affect the symmetry of the cake mixture.

 Water is the cheapest liquid used in baking. It makes the baking ingredients rehydrated. It
helps dissolve other ingredients in the batter for it to form a smooth mixture. It also acts as a
binding agent for any baked products.

 Milk and Cream are also used to moisten the batter. They also add slight flavour to the final
baked good. They create fuller, more moist texture and help brown the surface of the cake.
 Milk that can be used in baking includes fresh milk or whole milk, evaporated milk,
condensed milk, skimmed milk and powder or dry milk.

Eggs

Eggs are added in a recipe for several purposes which include binding, leavening, coating,
glazing, moisturizing, drying or emulsifying. They can also be used to introduce flavor and color
into the baked good. Eggs can also be used in frostings to slow down crystallization.

Eggs are used to make batter rich, as they help provide color and volume to the cake. They are
also used to bind the ingredients together. This happens when the eggs coagulate as they are
heated. The lecithin in the egg yolks emulsify the fats in the batter.

1 kg of eggs aerates 1 kg of flour.

Avoid using cold eggs. Place it in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Leavening Agents
Leavening refers to the production of gas in a dough batter. This is produced by leavening
agents such as baking powder, yeast, baking soda, or eggs.

Leaveners are used to produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which are trapped by starch, then
expand during baking.This process causes the cake to rise. Examples of leaveners are baking
soda and baking powder.

Baking Powder is a leavening agent that is the mixture of baking soda and either citric or
tartaric acid. Either wet, hot or without acid, this powder will react with other ingredients being
baked. It is entirely different from baking soda.

It is an ingredient that produces the gas Carbon Dioxide (CO2) when moistened and heated.
The production of gas leads to the aeration of cakes. The residual salt it forms after the
chemical reaction should be tasteless and without odor.

Baking Soda, is also known as bicarbonate of soda, or sodium bicarbonate. It is a powerful

leavener that reacts easily with the batter or dough.

Cream of Tartar is a by-product of the wine making industry. This is used to stabilize the egg
whites while whipping to reach its maximum volume.
 Salt, Flavouring and Spices

Salt, Flavoring and Spices (also referred to as minor ingredients)

 Salt
(or Sodium Chloride/NaCl) is an ingredient used to add flavor and control fermentation to the
baked goods. It regulates the rate of yeast or baking powder activity making the batter rise
slowly and steadily. This ingredient is also used to strengthen the gluten structure, not
allowing the trapped carbon dioxide bubbles to expand too quickly. Salt usage is 1.5% based
on the egg quantity.

 Cocoa Powder
is an unsweetened powder from cacao beans that has been fermented, roasted, dried and
cracked.
 Glycerine
is used to increase the shelf life of the cakes and other bakery products. It is also added to
increase foam stability, create finer and more moist crumb. Swiss roll with glycerine has less
chance to crack while rolling or assembling. The usage ratio of glycerine is 2% of total cake
batter, 10g to 30g for every 500g sugar and 70g to every 5kg dried fruit.

 Milk Powder
that can be used is skim or full cream milk powder. It is added to increase the sweetness,
water content and crust color. Cakes with milk powder produce products that have better
volume and color. It should be sieved with the flour and baking powder for even distribution.

 Fruits
such as cherries, mixed peel, dates, figs, apricots, currants, sultanas, raisins, pears and
pineapple can be used as fillings in making cake. The ratio of fruit to batter in fruit cake is as
follows: Light fruited cake 25% 1 part fruit, 4 parts batter, Medium fruited cake 50% 1 part
fruit, 2 parts batter, Heavily fruited cake 100% 1 part fruit, 1 part batter.

 Nuts
like almond, hazelnut, walnut, pecan, macadamia and peanut are added to enhance the
flavor of the product and usually toasted prior to use. Its weight should not exceed the weight
of the sugar. To achieve best outcome, reduction of flour by 1/3 of total weight of nuts is
required. Replace 30g of flour with 60 to 90g nuts.

 Flavors
Each ingredient contributes greatly to the overall flavor of the cake. Butter has a different
flavor than cake margarine, brown sugar tastes different than caster sugar and milk has
different flavor than water. Traditional baking flavors are lemon and vanilla for Madeira cake;
almond, lemon and orange for Genoise cake; rum, almond, lemon, orange, vanilla and mixed
spice for Heavy Fruit cake; almond and vanilla for Sultana cake; and lemon, orange, almond,
cherry, vanilla and maraschino for Dundee.

 Cocoa Powder
is actually a byproduct of extracting cocoa butter from cacao beans. It is added to replace
flour in recipes like chocolate sponge, where 4% of the flour is replaced. Replacement of flour
to cocoa powder makes an enormous change on the balancing on the quantity of ingredients.
For example, in a recipe requiring 1,000 grams flour, substituting will change the recipe to
960g of flour plus 40g of cocoa powder. Since cocoa powder has greater water absorbing
 power than flour, an increase of the milk-water is needed. The amount equal to the cocoa
powder will be the gauge in the additional milk, having 40ml milk in 960g flour and 40g cocoa
powder. Additional milk in the recipe would affect the mixture, thus adding 2g of baking
powder is appropriate to achieve the same degree of aeration.

 Chocolate

The types of chocolate that can be used in baking are:

o Unsweetened Chocolate,
also known as baking, plain or bitter chocolate. This is made with cocoa mass and cocoa
butter. It needs to be tempered before using as garnish. Tempering is the process of
heating, cooling and warming the chocolate to its appropriate temperature making the
melted chocolate smooth, silky and glossy.

o Bittersweet and Semisweet Chocolate

(can be used interchangeably) contains cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sometimes
lecithin. It has 35% cacao and less than 12% milk.

o Milk Chocolate is made with milk in the form of milk powder, liquid milk or condensed
milk.