INTRODUCTION TO BAKING
Baking is a science, it is a form in which different ingredients come together in certain proportions or
measures following certain methods of baking resulting in chemical reactions in order to get a certain
end product. The product needs to have the right texture along with taste e.g. crunchy cookies are
welcome whereas a rock hard muffins or cupcake may not be highly appreciated.
Accurate measurement among other things are critical to the success of any recipe in making while it
may not be completely disastrous to add a little bit more or less sugar or not in a cake. Less baking
powder may not give a cake enough rise and the texture u are aiming for so no eye balling here.
NOTE: Please use a measuring scale or standard measuring cups to get accurate measurement.
VITAL BAKING EQUIPMENT IN BAKING
1. Digital scale
2. Sieve
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Large bowls/mixing bowls
5. Baking pan.
TYPES OF CAKES AND THEIR RECIPES
1. Vanilla cake
2. Red velvet cake (oil based red velvet cake)
3. Chocolate cake (baileys chocolate and mudslide chocolate cake)
4. Coconut cake
5. Strawberry cake
6. Fruit cake
7. Cookies and cream cake
8. Rich fruit cake
9. Carrot cake
10. Banana bread
11. Blue berry lemon bread
1. Vanilla Cake
250g of flour
250g of butter
200g of sugar
4 big or 5 medium size of egg
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavor (liquid)
Nutmeg; grate it (the seed) and sieve it, use ¼ teaspoon.
PROCEDURES
a. Pre-heat the oven to 180⁰C.
b. Grease and dust the pan with flour.
c. In a bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed to fluffy (10-15 mins)
d. Add sugar and continue beating till it's light and fluffy.
e. Sieve all the drying ingredient in a bowl and mix them together.
f. Break egg into another bowl, whisk together and add flavor to it.
g. Add the mixture of egg and the dry ingredients into the bowl in "step 4", alternatively. Small at a
time and until properly mixed. NOTE: Do not overmix the batter.
h. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25-30mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out
clean.
i. Bring it out of the oven, gently remove from the baking pan and cover it with a clean film to
prevent the cake from drying out and keep the moisture of the cake.
2. Red Velvet Cake (oil based cake)
250g of flour
250-300g of sugar
170g of vegetable oil - 1cup of oil
1cup of buttermilk = 1cup of full cream milk + 1teaspoon of white vinegar
2 medium size of egg
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda (another 1 teaspoon of baking soda)
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavor and/or one teaspoon of strawberry flavor
¼ teaspoon of powdered food color (red velvet)
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of salt
PROCEDURE
a. Preheat the oven to 325F.
b. Grease and dust (two size 8") pan with flour and line the pan(s) with parchment paper or baking
paper.
c. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
d. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil till fluffy.
e. Add in the food color and then the flavor.
f. To the mixture in step4, add buttermilk and the dry ingredients in step3, alternatively. Stir after
each addition. Ensure there is no lump and it is well mixed.
Magic step:
g. Add vinegar to the baking soda and turn into the batter immediately then stir together.
h. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
I. Bake in the middle rack for 35 - 50mins or until when a toothpick inserted in the centre
out clean i.e. with no crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake as cake will continue to cook
as it cools.
j. Let pans cool on a cooling rack until the pans are warm to touch.
k. Slide a knife or spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
l. Allow cake to cool (the warm cake will be very delicate).
3. Chocolate Cake
I. Mudslide chocolate cake
II. Baileys chocolate cake
I. Mudslide chocolate cake
250g of flour
300 - 400g of sugar
1cup of vegetable oil
1cup of buttermilk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of instant coffee (optional)
1cup of hot water
2 medium size of egg
75g of cocoa powder
1½ teaspoon of baking powder
1½ teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of salt
PROCEDURE
a. Preheat the oven to 325F.
b. Generously grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans or use a non stick spray or line with
parchment paper or baking paper.
c. In a bowl, add sugar and egg, beat for 2-3mins.
d. Combine the hot water, cocoa powder and instant coffee.
e. The mixture in step 4, add it into the mixture in step 3.
f. In another bowl, sieve all the drying ingredients, then add to the mixture in step 5.
g. Add in vegetable oil, butter milk and vanilla extract.
h. Make sure it is not over mixed.
i. Pour batter into the cake pans and bake for 25-30mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out
clean with no crumbs.
II. Baileys Chocolate Cake
225g of flour
270g of sugar
60g of cocoa powder
1tsp of baking powder
1tsp of baking soda
165g of oil
200g of milk
½cup of baileys Irish cream
1tsp of chocolate flavor or vanilla extract.
PROCEDURES
a. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C.
b. Generously grease and flour two 8" round cake pans or use a non stick spray or line the pan with
parchment paper or baking paper.
c. Measure sugar in a large bowl, add in oil and egg. Give it a quick whisk until sugar melts a little.
d. Add Bailey to step 3 at this point.
e. Measure drying ingredients in another bowl, whisk a little to incorporate air.
f. To your mixture in step 3, alternate your drying ingredients and butter milk. Mix until well
combined.
g. Add flavor and mix
h. Do not over mix.
i. Pour batter into the two prepared cake pans.
j. Bake for 30-35mins until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean.
k. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 mins.
l. Then flip the cakes out into cooling racks and cool completely.
4. Coconut Cake
250g of flour
250g of butter
200g of sugar
½ cup of milk
4 medium size of egg
1½ tsp of Baking powder
1 cup of desiccated coconut
1tsp of coconut flavor
Coconut shavings (optional)
PROCEDURE
a. Beat butter for like 5mins until fluffy, then add sugar and continue beating until fluffy and
smooth.
b. In another bowl, break your eggs, add flavor to it and whisk together.
c. In another bowl, sieve all drying ingredients together.
d. Add the mixture in step2 and the mixture in step 3, bit by bit into bowl1 and mix alternatively
until well combined.
e. Add milk to the mixture.
f. Then, add the desiccated coconut and mix together.
g. Pour into the pan and bake for 30 - 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted at the centre comes out
clean.
5. Strawberry Cake
250g of flour
250g of butter
200g of sugar
4 medium size of egg
1½ tsp of baking powder
1tsp of strawberry flavor
Pink food coloring
PROCEDURE
a. In a bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
b. Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy and smooth.
c. In another bowl, break your egg, add flavor to it and whisk together.
d. Sieve all drying ingredients into another bowl together.
e. Add the mixture in step 3 and the mixture in step 2, bit by bit and mix alternatively until well
combined.
f. Add pink food coloring to the mixture and mix together.
g. Pour into the pan and bake for 30 - 35 mins or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
