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Baking and Pastry Arts Flashcards

7 cards from real CMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Baking and Pastry Arts flashcards as text

  1. What causes 'bloom' on chocolate and what are the two types?

    Answer: Bloom is surface discoloration caused by fat bloom (cocoa butter migration) or sugar bloom (moisture dissolving and recrystallizing sugar)

    Fat bloom appears as gray-white streaks when unstable cocoa butter rises to the surface; sugar bloom forms a rough, gritty surface when moisture dissolves then recrystallizes sugar.

  2. In pastry, what is the primary role of pectin when making fruit confiture or nappage?

    Answer: To act as a gelling agent that sets the fruit mixture into a spreadable consistency

    Pectin is a natural polysaccharide from fruit cell walls that forms a gel in the presence of sugar and acid, giving jams and napage their set texture.

  3. A pastry chef wants to make a religieuse. Which two pastry components are essential?

    Answer: Choux puffs and mousseline cream with fondant glaze

    A religieuse consists of two choux puffs (one large, one small) filled with mousseline or pastry cream, dipped in fondant, and assembled to resemble a nun.

  4. What is the difference between a dacquoise and a succès in classical French pastry?

    Answer: Both are meringue-nut discs but dacquoise uses hazelnut or almond meringue, while succès is always made with almond meringue only and contains no other nut

    While closely related, dacquoise typically refers to hazelnut or almond meringue layers, whereas succès specifically denotes almond-only meringue discs used in classic gâteaux.

  5. When preparing pâte de fruit (fruit jellies), what is the target Brix (sugar content) for a properly set, shelf-stable product?

    Answer: 75–78° Brix

    Pâte de fruit must reach 75–78° Brix to achieve proper set and microbial stability; lower Brix results in a soft, unstable texture.

  6. In sourdough bread production, what is the purpose of the 'levain' (preferment)?

    Answer: To cultivate and concentrate wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria that leaven the dough and develop complex flavor

    A levain is a sourdough preferment that builds a population of wild yeast and lactic/acetic acid bacteria, providing leavening power and the characteristic tang of sourdough bread.

  7. Which technique is used to achieve a mirror glaze (glacage miroir) finish on a modern entremets?

    Answer: Pouring a gelatin-based glaze tempered to 90–95°F over a fully frozen cake

    Mirror glaze is poured over a frozen entremets at 90–95°F; the frozen surface instantly sets the glaze and the gelatin creates the characteristic reflective finish.