Cake rise

[Dave Hatfield]

Dude, that's a flourless cake recipe!  You need to use one that's designed for flour, like this one.  All that said, carrot cake will always be dense because of the carrots, oil, and any added fruit.  It's not supposed to be light and fluffy.

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Now I'm really confused.

The Epicurious recipe uses two cups of flour, the Passover recipe uses 11/2 cups of Matzah cake meal. Otherwise they're very similar.

The more I hear the more I think I'm chasing a mental myth. As I said up thread I have this image of a four inch high carrot cake that's both light & rich. Must be a fantasy.

Now I remember why I don't normally do cakes. I'm just not that good at them. Think I'll emulate most French people; when I need a gateau I'll go buy one!

Thanks to all for their help.

[bleudauvergne]

I thought of you Dave, at the market this morning when I passed the stand where the farmers sell their thick cream cheese, fromage fermier. I also prepared a cake for friends (it must have been 5 years ago) and scored big time using the same cheese you describe above. Since then I also use it for cheesecake.

[bleudauvergne]

I have looked up the carrot cake recipe in my first kitchen notebook, and what I used that gave a successful not overly heavy but heavy enough cake like the carrot cakes I know from home was Francine brand "Gateaux" flour. This is essentially self-rising type (with the rising agent already added) type 155 flour. You could of course use your own flour and leavening agent, it would most likely be the same. I recorded this recipe back before I began using a kitchen scale and the amount of flour for a pound of carrots (3 cups carrots) in the recipe is 2 cups flour. I'd cut out the pineapple - If your goal is to lighten the cake, I'd increase the carrot to 3 cups and take out the pineapple. I would also include a mixture of brown and white sugars instead of just white granulated sugar. Good luck for next time!

Edited June 17, 2007 by bleudauvergne (log)

[carlux]

Well, I know that baking is meant to be a reasonably precise chemical process, but my approach to cake baking in France, after 13 years of living here is to put one package of levure chimique into a small cake, two packages in recipes that make more than one cake.

I used to bring baking powder over and it usually was out of date before I finished the box, and didn't produce results that were any better. Then I tried measuring out the levure chimique to try to match what was required. Same result.

Now I use the package, I'm happy with the results, and my lemon poppy seed cake is known throughout the village! I make it for most local fetes and people always ask for the recipe.

[Dave Hatfield]

Well, I know that baking is meant to be a reasonably precise chemical process, but my approach to cake baking in France, after 13 years of living here is to put one package of levure chimique into a small cake, two packages in recipes that make more than one cake.

I used to bring baking powder over and it usually was out of date before I finished the box, and didn't produce results that were any better.  Then I tried measuring out the levure chimique to try to match what was required.  Same result.

Now I use the package, I'm happy with the results, and my lemon poppy seed cake is known throughout the village!  I make it for most local fetes and people always ask for the recipe.

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Thanks for the tips. Which type of flour do you use?

Now that fall is falling I'll be coming inside and spending more time on things like cakes. I will persevere with the carrot cake.

[Dave Hatfield]

I thought of you Dave, at the market this morning when I passed the stand where the farmers sell their thick cream cheese, fromage fermier.  I also prepared a cake for friends (it must have been 5 years ago) and scored big time using the same cheese you describe above.  Since then I also use it for cheesecake.

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Bleu - Have you ever tried fromage blanc for cheese cake?

I've got a yen for cheese cake, but have never made one. I'm thinking that the consistency of fromage blanc might be better.

Help!

[carlux]

Thanks for the tips. Which type of flour do you use?

Now that fall is falling I'll be coming inside and spending more time on things like cakes. I will persevere with the carrot cake.

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I just went down to check, as I would have said I just buy 'normal' flour. I see I have 'Carrefour Farine de Ble Fluide - Patisseries et cuisine, Type 45', so low in gluten. I like 'fluide' as it doesn't have lumps, doesn't need as much sifting, although it's always a good idea to sift the flour and levure chimique to add air and spread the raising agent through the flour.

[carlux]

Well, I know that baking is meant to be a reasonably precise chemical process, but my approach to cake baking in France, after 13 years of living here is to put one package of levure chimique into a small cake, two packages in recipes that make more than one cake.

I used to bring baking powder over and it usually was out of date before I finished the box, and didn't produce results that were any better.  Then I tried measuring out the levure chimique to try to match what was required.  Same result.

Now I use the package, I'm happy with the results, and my lemon poppy seed cake is known throughout the village!  I make it for most local fetes and people always ask for the recipe.

←

Thanks for the tips. Which type of flour do you use?

Now that fall is falling I'll be coming inside and spending more time on things like cakes. I will persevere with the carrot cake.

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I just went down to check, as I would have said I just buy 'normal' flour. I see I have 'Carrefour Farine de Ble Fluide - Patisseries et cuisine, Type 45', so low in gluten. I like 'fluide' as it doesn't have lumps, doesn't need as much sifting, although it's always a good idea to sift the flour and levure chimique to add air and spread the raising agent through the flour.

[Susanwusan]

Is there a way to stop a cake from rising more in the middle without using a wrap around the tin?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 hour ago, Susanwusan said:

Is there a way to stop a cake from rising more in the middle without using a wrap around the tin?

 

Why not use a wrap around the tin?  That's what they are for.

 

[pastrygirl]

lower the oven temp a bit

[blue_dolphin]

In her recipe for a Lemon Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Carla Lalli Music uses a method she calls "reverse creaming" that she says will reduce the aeration of the butter and result in a more tender cake (due to less gluten development) with a denser crumb (less aeration) that rises evenly, with no dome.  Obviously not the thing if you are looking for super light and airy but could be worth a try if it suits your goals. 

 

A video of Carla making the cake is available here on YouTube.  Below the video, there's a link to a page where you can download a pdf of the recipe.  It's from her recent book, That Sounds So Good.