Sometimes, things go wrong when baking a cake. Here are some tips for baking a perfect cake:
(a) Why are you told to beat the fat and sugar well? To incorporate air into the mixture and to make it light, and to make certain that the sugar is thoroughly blended with fat. Castor sugar is the best sugar to use. If your cake is not beaten correctly, it will not be light, although modern luxury (soft) magarine does help to overcome this.
(b) Why do you have to use a metal spoon when adding flour to sponge cakes? A metal spoon, or a palette knife, ensures that the mixture is put together gently. A wooden spoon (used for creaming) or a whisk (used for beating) eggs and sugar in the true sponge automatically give a more vigorous movement. Metal spoons and palette knives enable you to turn or fold in the flour correctly.
(c) Why are you told to add the eggs gradually to creamed fat and sugar? Because if they are added too quickly you will curdle the mixture. Curdling in a cake means separatilg fat and sugar into rather solid looking lumps leaving you with a liquid round them. If this happen your cake will not be smooth in texture as it should be. Fortunately, there is a remedy: at the first sign of curdling, add flour and stir this in fairly briskly.
