BAKING AND BAKING SCIENCE

PART TEN ­(A-1) DECORATING CAKES; HOW TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF BATTER TO USE IN DIFFERENT SIZE SHEET AND ROUND CAKE PANS; ALSO CAKE DECORATING EQUIPMENT

INTRODUCTION

In order to master the Art of Cake Decorating, the Cake Decorator must spend many years decorating cakes. It is essential that the Cake Decorator have the proper tools with which to work with such as decorating tubes, pastry bags, spatulas and other supplies. The work area should be set up in a special area of the bakery with proper lighting and the work bench should be of the proper height in order to reduce fatigue.

A well equipped Cake Decorating Department should have some special decorating tools such as a color brush, a light weight icing gun which reduces the amount of pressure which must be used to put the icing on the cake as compared to using a pastry bag, and a special cake decorating machine which can be used to project images (photos) on the cake. After the photo has been projected onto the cake, the decorator can fill in the photo with the proper colored icings. Stencils are also used by some decorators. There are many other things that the decorator can do to save time and simplify the operation. Some Cake Decorators put Edible Image designs which looks like they were drawn on the cake by the cake decorator. This is another way time can be saved without sacrificing the quality of the finished product.

ICINGS

Butter Cream Icing, Royal Icing, Boiled Icing mixed with Royal Icing and Piping Jel are used by Cake Decorators for decorating cakes. Butter Cream Icing, Fondant Icing, Whipped Cream Toppings, Non-Dairy Topping Bases, Non-Cholesterol toppings which contain no tropical oils or preservatives are used to ice the cakes. Some cakes are covered with Marzipan after they have been iced before being decorated.

HOW TO DETERMINE AMOUNT OF BATTER TO USE IN DIFFERENT SIZE SHEET AND ROUND CAKE PANS

KNOWN FACTORS:

1. Size of pan being used: 9 inches wide, 13 inches long, 2 inches deep.

2. Amount of batter being used in pan: 34 ounces or (2 pounds 2 ounces).

3. Size of larger pan to be used: 11 inches wide, 17 inches long, 2 inches deep.

A. First determine the amount of cubic inches of space in the 9x13x2 inches deep pan by multiplying 9x13x2=234 cubic inches.

B. Next determine the amount of space which each ounce of batter occupies by dividing 234 cubicinches by 34 ounces=6.75 cubic inches per ounce of batter. NOTE: To arrive at the number of ouncesof batter going into the smaller pan, I added the weight of the prepared cake mix (18 0unces), theweight of water (1 Cup=8 ounces), the weight of (3 eggs=about 6 ounces), and the weight of (1/2 cupof oil about 3 ounces) for a total weight of 34 ounces.

C. Next determine how many cubic inches of space is available in the 11x17x2 inch pan by multiplying11x17x2= 374 cubic inches.

D. Divide 374 by 6.75 which is the amount of space occupied by 1 ounce of batter. 374 divided by6.75=55 ounces or ( 3 pounds 5 ounces of batter to use in the larger pan).

AMOUNT OF BATTER TO USE IN ROUND PAN

NOTE: Since we already know how many cubic inches of space is occupied by 1 ounce of cake batter from the previous example (6.75), we must now determine the cubic inches of the round pan. Let us assume that you want to make a wedding cake using a pan 14 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep.

PROCEED AS FOLLOWS:

Step 1. Determine the radius of the pan by dividing the diameter of the pan by 2 (14 divided by 2= 7) which is the radius of the pan.

Step 2. Multiply the radius (7 inches x 7 inches=49).

Step 3. Multiply 49 x pi( 3.14 rounded off) =154 rounded.

Step 4. Multiply the depth of the pan (3 inches times 154). The 14 inch pan 3 inches deep has 462 cubic inches of space.

Step 5. Divide the cubic inches of the round pan (462 by 6.75, the the amount of space occupied by 1 ounce of cake batter from the previous example)=68.44 ounces rounded off to 68 ounces of batter to use in the 14 inch pan 3 inches deep.

Step 6. 68 ounces divided by 16= 4.25 pounds or 4 pounds 4 ounces.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE WHO DOES NOT HAVE A SCALE AND MUST USE A CONVERSION CHART TO CONVERT POUNDS AND OUNCES TO CUPS, SPOONS, ETC..

CONVERSION CHART

Flour 2 Cups or 1 pint =9 ounces; 1 Cup=4-1/2 ounces; 1/2 Cup=2-1/4 ounces; 1/4 Cup=1-1/8 ounces.

Oats, Rolled 1 Cup=3 ounces; 1/2 Cup=1-1/2 ounces.

Cornstarch 1 Cup=5-1/2 ounces; 1/2 Cup=Cup=2-3/4 ounces; 1/4 Cup=1-1/3 ounces;1-Tablespoons=1/3 ounce.

Sugar, Granulated 1 Cup=7 ounces; 1/2 Cup=3-1/2 ounces; 1/4 Cup=1-3/4 ounce; 1/8 Cup=7/8 ounce.

Sugar, Brown, loose pack 1 Cup=4-3/4 ounces.Nonfat Dry Milk (Dry Skim Milk) 1 Cup=2-3/8th Ounces; 1/2 Cup=1-1/8th ounces; 1/4th Cup=5/8th Ounce

Raisins 1 Cup=5-1/2 ounces; i/2 Cup=2-3/4 ounces.

Water 2 Cups or 1 pint = 1 pound; 1 Cup=8 ounces; 1/2 Cup=4ounces; 1/4 Cup=2 ounces; 1/8 Cup=1 ounce.Egg Whites 2 Cups or 1 pint =1 pound; 1 Cup=8 ounces; 1/2 Cup=4 ounces.

Oil, Salad 1 Cup=6-1/2 ounces; 1/2 Cup=3-1/4 ounces; 1/4 Cup=2-1/2+ ounces.

Shortening and Butter 1 Cup=8 ounces 1/2 Cup=4 ounces; 1/4 Cup=2 ounces; 1/8 Cup=1 ounce.

Honey 1 Cup=11 ounces; 1/2 Cup=5-1/2 ounces; 1/4 Cup=2-3/4 ounces.

Sirup 1 Cup=11 ounces; 1/2 Cup=5-1/2 ounces; 1/4 Cup=2-3/4 ounces.

Peanut Butter 1 Cup=9 ounces; 1/2 Cup=4-1/2 ounces; 1/4 Cup=2-1/4 ounces.

NOTE: SOME INGREDIENTS ARE MEASURED BY SPOONS AND TEASPOONS

3 teaspoons= 1 Tablespoon

Cornstarch 1 Tablespoon=1/3 ounce.

Geletin, Powdered 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce.

Flour 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce.

Sugar Granulated 1 Tablespoon=1/2 ounce; Sugar, Powdered 1 Tablespoon 1/4 ounce

Sugar, Brown, loose pack1 Tablespoon=1/4 ounce.

Salt 1 Tablespoon =3/4 ounce.

Baking Powder 1 Tablespoon = 3/8th ounce or.375 ounce.

Baking Soda 1 Tablespoon=1/2 ounce

Nonfat Dry Milk (Dry Skim Milk) 1 Tablespoon=1/8th ounce

Cream of Tartar 1 Tablespoon=1/3rd ounce or .375 ounce.

Yeast, Active Dry 1 Tablespoon=1/3 ounce; Yeast, Compressed 1 Tablespoon=1/2 ounce.

SPICES- Allspice 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce; Cinnamon 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ; Cloves 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce; Nutmeg 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce; Mace 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce; Ginger 1 Tablespoon =1/4 ounce.

Cocoa 1 Tablespoon=1/4 ounce.

Lemon or Vanilla Extract 1 Tablespoon=1/2 ounce.

Vinegar 1 Tablespoon=1/2 ounce.

This photo shows Willie Prejean and his bride at their wedding reception in 1948. He was the owner of The pastry shop where the cake was baked.

The three photos shown were decorated by the spouse of Willie Prejean for birthdays of members of the family. The top photo was decorated for a Decorating Contest which she entered. She won First prize for the decoration. The Cake Decorating Projector was used to project the images on the cake. The photo in the middle shows a birthday cake for a member of the family who landed in France on D-Day in 1944. He was with the 508th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The Cake Decorating Projector was used to project the images on this cake also. The bottom photo was for our daughter.

This photo shows a Wedding Cake covered with Fondant Icing before being decorated. Courtesy of Bakery Production and Marketing Magazine published by Cahers Publishing Co. of Des Plaines, Illinois.

PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT METHODS USED TO DECORATE CAKES

The first photo shows the Cake Decorator using the conventional method of Cake Decorating utilizing the Pastry Bag and Decorating Tube. Courtesy of Bakery Production and Marketing Magazine.

This photo shows a piece of equipment which can project the image of a photo which the Cake Decoratorcan put on the cake. The Cake Decorator can duplicate the image unto the cake using paint brush, coloring the icing to match the colors in the photograph or using chocolate, or piping jel. Courtesy of CopyKake Projector which is available in the U.S.A., England and Germany.

This photo shows a light weight icing gun which reduces the amount of pressure (about 20 pounds which must be used to put the icing on the cake when a pastry bag is used to about 1 pound when using the icing gun). No special decorating tips are required. Use the standard decorating tips. Courtesy of EDHARD CORPORATION of Hackettstown, N.J.

This photo shows the Cake Decorator demonstrating the Deco-Mate light weight icing gun. Courtesy of Unifiller Deco-Mate and Wilton Enterprises.

This completes the information on Decorated Cakes and Cake Decorating Equipment .