CB Baker Cake & Cookie Production Flashcards

What is the key structural difference between a chiffon cake and an angel food cake?

Answer: Chiffon cake uses oil and egg yolks; angel food cake uses only beaten egg whites and no fat

Chiffon cake contains oil and egg yolks for richness plus beaten egg whites for lift, while angel food cake contains absolutely no fat and relies solely on beaten egg whites for leavening.

What ingredient ratios most control cookie spreading during baking?

Answer: Fat and sugar ratios — higher amounts increase spreading while more flour and eggs reduce it

Fat melts and sugar liquefies during baking, causing cookies to spread outward; increasing these relative to flour and eggs increases spreading.

In the reverse creaming cake method, what is combined first?

Answer: Flour and fat are mixed together first to coat and waterproof the flour particles

In reverse creaming, fat is mixed into the dry ingredients first, coating flour particles to limit gluten development and produce an exceptionally tender, velvety crumb.

What is the standard proportion of baking powder to flour in most cake formulas?

Answer: 1 teaspoon per cup of flour

Approximately 1 teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour is standard; using too much causes rapid over-expansion followed by collapse and a soapy off-flavor.

At approximately what temperature does sucrose (table sugar) begin to caramelize?

Answer: 320°F (160°C)

Sucrose begins to caramelize at approximately 320°F (160°C), undergoing thermal decomposition to produce hundreds of flavor compounds and characteristic amber color.

What is the purpose of a 'dam' of stiff buttercream in multi-layer cake assembly?

Answer: To prevent soft fillings such as mousse or fruit curd from squeezing out between cake layers

A buttercream dam is piped around the inner perimeter of each cake layer to contain soft or loose fillings and prevent them from seeping out when the layers are stacked.

What is the main structural characteristic that distinguishes a génoise from an American butter cake?

Answer: Génoise uses whole eggs beaten with sugar as the primary structure; American butter cake uses creamed fat and chemical leaveners

Génoise is a classic French sponge cake made by whipping whole eggs and sugar (often over a bain-marie) to create foam as the primary leavening, with no chemical leaveners and very little added fat.