THE CAKE GALLERY

“This book is composed with different types of cakes along with their recipes and also consists of some cake recipes for different occasions. The book is a composition of beautiful pictures and ideas of cake preparation for those who are definitely wants to make cake.”

“This book is composed with different types of cakes along with their recipes and also consists of some cake recipes for different occasions. The book is a composition of beautiful pictures and ideas of cake preparation for those who are definitely wants to make cake.”

by

Debjani Sarkar

by

Debjani Sarkar

Contents

Introduction about Cake

First Bakery in India

Different Types of cakes

Butter cakes

Butter cake recipe:

Pound Cakes

Pound Cake Recipe:

Sponge cakes (or foam cakes)

Sponge cake recipe:

Genoise Cake:

Genoise Cake Recipe:

Biscuit Cakes:

Biscuit Cakes Recipe:

Angel Food Cakes

Angel Food Cakes Recipe:

Chiffon cakes

Chiffon Cake Recipe:

Baked Flourless Cakes

Baked flourless cakes Recipe (Flourless Chocolate Cake):

Unbaked Cakes

Unbaked Chocolate Mousse Cake:

Carrot Cakes

Carrot Cakes Recipe:-

Red Velvet cakes

Red Velvet cakes Recipe:

Chocolate cakes

Chocolate Cakes Recipe:

Coffee Cake

Coffee cake Recipe:

Butter or oil layer Cakes

Butter Layer Cake Recipe:

Yeast Cakes

Yeast Cakes Recipe (Saffron yeast Cake):

Shapes

Bundt Cakes

Cake balls

Conical

Cupcakes

Layer Cakes

Sheet cakes

Swiss rolls

Cake Layer

Some Toppings Items on Cakes

Glimpses of some toppings items

Different kinds of pan for different cakes

Cake Decoration

Cakes for Different Occasions

Acknowledgments:

Introduction about Cake

Cake is a form of sweet dessert that is typically baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of breads, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, and that share features with other desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards, and pies.

Typical cake ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil or margarine, a liquid, and leavening agents, such as baking soda or baking powder. Common additional ingredients and flavourings include dried, candied, or fresh fruit, nuts, cocoa, and extracts such as vanilla, with numerous substitutions for the primary ingredients. Cakes can also be filled with fruit preserves, nuts or dessert sauces (like pastry cream), iced with butter cream or other icings, and decorated with marzipan, piped borders, or candied fruit.

Cake is often served as a celebratory dish on ceremonial occasions, such as weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. There are countless cake recipes; some are bread-like, some are rich and elaborate, and many are centuries old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure; while at one time considerable labor went into cake making (particularly the whisking of egg foams); baking equipment and directions have been simplified so that even the most amateur cook may bake a cake.

Cakes are broadly divided into several categories, based primarily on ingredients and mixing techniques.

Although clear examples of the difference between cake and bread are easy to find, the precise classification has always been elusive. For example, banana bread may be properly considered either a quick bread or a cake.

The cake we realize today isn't equivalent to it was in the seventeenth Century. As the year's progressed bakers and chefs alike started changing the manner in which a cake was made. Changes have not exclusively been made to the formula of a cake yet we have changed its utilization. These days cakes are utilized to celebrate a birthday, a wedding, and sometimes utilized similarly as a treat for individuals to enjoy.

First Bakery in India

The very first bakery in India was found by a malayali named Babu in Thallassery. The First bakery in India was started by ' Mampally Bapu' and Sons. 'MampallyBapu' who started a biscuit company in 1880 attracted the foreigners by his sweet products. He studied the taste of cake from bakers from England and made biscuits and bread by the neighbor’s cooperation.

20th December 1883 has an important role in Bakery industry of India. The English officer Brown brought a cake from England to Bapu. Bapu just smelt it and understood its composition and ingredients. Thus cake was baked by Bapu in 1883.

Bapu handed over his biscuit company to his son-in-laws. Mampally Gopalan who got the biscuit company at Thalassery, then handed it to his son Mampally Narayanan who's sons now doing Bakery business inside and outside Kerala.

Different Types of cakes

Butter cakes 

Butter Cakes are made from creamed butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Any recipe for cake that begins "cream butter and sugar" is a butter cake. They rely on the combination of butter and sugar beaten for an extended time to incorporate air into the batter. A classic pound cake is made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Baking powder is in many butter cakes, such as Victoria sponge. The ingredients are sometimes mixed without creaming the butter, using recipes for simple and quick cakes. Different types of cake batter within the butter cake family include chocolate, white, yellow and marble; for white and yellow cakes coloring typically depends on whether they have whole eggs, or extra egg yolks in them (yellow cake) or egg whites only (white cake).

Butter cake recipe:

Ingredients:

250g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

2/3 cup milk

icing sugar mixture, to serve

Method:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease and line an 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan with baking paper.

Step 2

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Step 3

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine. Add half the flour. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

Step 4

Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

Pound Cakes 

Pound Cakes are the relative of butter cake. It's so called because it can be measured as a matter of proportion: a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of flour. In some pound cake recipes, you'll see the eggs separated and the egg whites whipped and folded into the batter, to leaven it. It contains no baking soda or baking powder. These cakes are usually very lightly flavored and served plain or topped with a simple glaze or water icing. A pound cake is usually baked in a loaf or Bundt pan. Many coffee cakes, sour cream cakes, and fruit crumb cakes are variations of pound cake.

Pound Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons milk (skim, low fat, or whole)

3 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/3 cups cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled with a straight edge

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (no need to cut it in pieces)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease an 8-in x 4-in x 2½-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour, shaking off any excess. (Alternatively, use a nonstick cooking spray with flour in it, such as Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray with Flour.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla until just combined.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 separate additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to combine. Do not over-mix. (The batter may have a slightly curdled or grainy appearance -- that's okay.)

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or store in a large sealable plastic bag.

6. The wrapped pound cake will keep for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated.

7. Freezer-Friendly Method: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

Sponge cakes (or foam cakes)

Sponge cakes (or foam cakes) are made from whipped eggs, sugar, and flour. They rely primarily on trapped air in a protein matrix (generally of beaten eggs) to provide leavening, sometimes with a bit of baking powder or other chemical leaven added as insurance. Sponge cakes are thought to be the oldest cakes made without yeast. An angel food cake is a white sponge cake that uses only the whites of the eggs and is traditionally baked in a tube pan. The French Genoise is a sponge cake that includes clarified butter. Highly decorated sponge cakes with lavish toppings are sometimes called gateau, the French word for cake.

Sponge cake recipe:

Ingredients:

225g softened butter

225g golden caster sugar

4 large eggs

½ lemon, zested

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g self-raising flour

Splash of milk

Optional fillings of lemon curd, jam, lightly whipped cream

icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, butter and line the base of two 20cm spring-form cake tins with baking parchment.

Using an electric whisk beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Crack the eggs in one at a time and whisk well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until just combined then divide the mixture between the two tins.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. After 10 mins remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Fill how you like. My personal favourite is a good dollop of lemon curd and some fresh cream, then dust the top with icing sugar. Will keep for 3 days.

Genoise Cake:

In Italy and France, a sponge cake is called genoise; in genoise, whole eggs are beaten with sugar until they're thick and ribbony, and then flour (and sometimes butter) is added and the batter is baked; the result is wonderful baked in a round cake pan and simply frosted, but genoise is also pliable enough to be baked in a jelly-roll pan and rolled up into a roulade. Genoise lacks much assertive flavor of its own, but it is often used to construct layered or rolled cakes when a lighter texture than a butter cake is desired. To add flavor and moisture, genoise cake layers are always moistened with a flavored syrup, and they are often sliced into thin horizontal layers and stacked with rich fillings such as buttercream. These layer cakes, common in the coffeehouses of Europe, are called "European-style" to distinguish them from American-style butter layer cakes, which generally have fewer, thicker layers.

Genoise Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted cake flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 pinch salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper and grease it as well. Lightly flour pan and paper.

Sift together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt onto a piece of wax paper.

Place the eggs into a mixing bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture feels warm (not hot) to the touch, about body temperature. Place the bowl onto a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow in color and falls off the end of the whisk attachment in long ribbons. Add the vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the beaten egg and fold in. Continue to add the remainder of the flour, folding it in each time.

Place about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl containing the melted butter and combine the butter with the batter. Add this back to the main batter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Immediately bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes or until the top is a light brown. Cool in pan on a rack about 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack. It is best to invert it again onto another rack so that it cools with the top up. Let cool completely before cutting or frosting.

Biscuit Cakes:

Biscuit (always pronounced the French way as bees-kwee) cakes are another type of sponge cake containing both egg whites and yolks, but, unlike genoise, the whites and yolks are whipped separately and then folded back together. This creates a light batter that's drier than a genoise but holds its shape better after mixing. For this reason, it's often used for piped shapes such as ladyfingers. If baked in a tube pan like an angel food cake, it makes a very chewy sponge cake that was popular in the early 20th century but has since fallen out of favor. However, it's still known in a slightly different form as the classic Passover sponge cake, in which the flour is replaced by matzoh cake meal and potato starch.

Biscuit Cakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

275g/10 oz Butter

150ml/¼pt Golden Syrup

225g/8 oz Chocolate (good quality, at least 60% cocoa)

½ x 400g packet of Digestive Biscuits, roughly crushed

½ x 400g packet of Rich Tea Biscuits, roughly crushed

1 packet of Maltesers

125g/4 oz Shamrock Walnuts, Brazil Nuts and/or Almonds (optional)

125g/4 oz Shamrock Sultanas, Apricots and/or Cherries (optional)

Instruction:

Line a 15cms/6" round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper.

Melt the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan over a low heat. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed together.

Add the biscuits, maltesers and fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well.

Transfer to prepared tin. Level it on top and press down well to avoid air gaps. Allow to get cold and hard. Wrap completely in greaseproof paper and store in a fridge.

Angel Food Cakes

Angel Food Cakes are made with egg whites alone and no yolks. The whites are whipped with sugar until very firm before the flour is gently folded in, resulting in a snowy-white, airy, and delicate cake that marries beautifully with fruit. Most angel food cakes have a spongy, chewy quality derived from their relatively high sugar content and the absence of egg yolks. Baked in ungreased two-piece tube pans, angel food cakes are cooled by being inverted, since this type of cake would collapse if cooled right-side-up in the pan or if removed from the pan while still warm. There's also no butter here, so the cake is fat free.

Angel Food Cakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method:

Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then add cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Repeat five times.

Gently combine the egg whites with the dry ingredients, and then pour into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan.

Place cake pan in a cold oven. Turn the oven on; set it to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cook for about one hour, or until cake is golden brown.

Invert cake, and allow it to cool in the pan. When thoroughly cooled, remove from pan.

Chiffon cakes

This fairly recent American creation was invented by a salesman who sold the recipe to General Mills, which spread the recipe through marketing materials in the 1940s and 1950s. A classic chiffon cake is kind of a cross between an oil cake and a sponge cake. It includes baking powder and vegetable oil, but the eggs are separated and the whites are beaten to soft peaks before being folded into the batter. This creates a cake with a tender crumb and rich flavor like an oil cake, but with a lighter texture that's more like a sponge cake. Chiffon cakes can be baked in tube pans like angel food cakes or layered with fillings and frostings.

Chiffon Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (280 gr) cake flour

1 1/4 tsp (5 gr)  baking powder

1/4 tsp (2 gr) baking soda

3/4 tsp (3.6 gr) Morton kosher salt or table salt (use 1 1/2 tsp if using Diamond kosher)

1 1/2 cups (294 gr) granulated sugar

5 TBSP (70 gr) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup (118 ml) vegetable, canola, or avocado oil

1 cup (237 ml) buttermilk, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks, room temperature

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated sugar

Instructions:

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Prepare a tube pan by greasing only the bottom of the pan and not the sides or the tube. Measure out all of your ingredients for each section of the recipe and keep each grouping together to help with the flow of the recipe.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and then whisk together to combine. Set aside.

Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients and set aside.

Make the Meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium/high speed until they start forming medium peaks. With the mixer still running, slowly stream in the sugar and keep beating until you reach stiff peaks.

Combine the Components: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and stir together with a rubber spatula. Once the dry ingredients are saturated, add about 1/2 cup of the egg whites into the mixture and stir it in completely to lighten the batter. Next add in 1/2 of the rest of the egg whites and gently fold them in being careful not to deflate them. Add in the rest of the egg whites and fold them in gently until completely combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 40-50 minutes, until a tester comes out with moist crumbs clinging to the tester.

Cool & Serve: Set the cake pan on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before turning it out of the pan. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, with a powdered sugar glaze, or with whipped cream.

Store cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes:

It is traditional for this cake to be baked in a tube pan because it can climb up the center, resulting in a very spongy texture. However, this cake can also be baked in 2- 8" or 9" round cake pans and be stacked as a layer cake. Adjust baking time to 20-22 minutes when baking it in round cake tins.

Baked Flourless Cakes

These include baked cheesecakes and flourless chocolate cakes. For easy removal, they're often made in a spring form pan, though some can also be made in regular round layer cake pans. Often the filled pan is placed in a larger pan that's half-filled with water to insulate the delicate, creamy cake from the oven's strong bottom heat, which might give the baked cake a porous rather than silky texture. This is called baking the cake in a water bath.

Baked flourless cakes Recipe (Flourless Chocolate Cake):

Ingredients:

Cake

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa preferred

Glaze

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a metal 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.

To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.

Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.

Yield: 8" cake, 8 to 12 servings.

Unbaked Cakes

These types of cakes are typically molded in a dessert ring or spring form pan then simply chilled before unmolding. They include unbaked cheesecakes and mousse cakes. They often have a crust or bottom layer that's baked before the mousse is added. Sometimes other layers, such as genoise or biscuit, are alternated with the mousse.

Unbaked Chocolate Mousse Cake:

Ingredients:

Cake

1/2 cup (75 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (55 g) sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup (75 ml) water

2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil

1 tsp (5 ml) white vinegar

Chocolate Mousse

7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp gelatin

2 tbsp (30 ml) water

1/2 cup (105 g) sugar

2 cups (500 ml) 35% heavy cream

Ganache

3 oz (85 g) dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (75 ml) 35% heavy cream

Preparation

Cake

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 2.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the water, oil and vinegar with a whisk until smooth. Spoon into the prepared pan.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Do not unmould.

Chocolate Mousse

In a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave oven, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cup (60 ml) of the cream with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Add the cream mixture to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.

In another bowl, whip the remaining cream (1 3/4 cups / 430 ml) with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Combine one-quarter of the whipped cream with the chocolate mixture.

With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining cream. Spoon onto the cake in an even layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or freeze.

Assembly

Unmould the cake and place on a serving platter. If frozen, leave the cake at room temperature for 1 hour.

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.

In the microwave oven or in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add to the chocolate and let melt for 1 minute. With a spatula, stir the ganache until smooth. Pour over the cake, letting it run over the sides.

Chocolate Mousse 4. In a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave oven, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. 5. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cup (60 ml) of the cream with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Add the cream mixture to the melted chocolate and stir to combine. 7. In another bowl, whip the remaining cream (1 3/4 cups / 430 ml) with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Combine one-quarter of the whipped cream with the chocolate mixture. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining cream. Spoon onto the cake in an even layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or freeze. Assembly 8. Unmould the cake and place on a serving platter. If frozen, leave the cake at room temperature for 1 hour. 9. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Set aside. 10. In the microwave oven or in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add to the chocolate and let melt for 1 minute. With a spatula, stir the ganache until smooth. Pour over the cake, letting it run over the sidesChocolate Mousse 4. In a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave oven, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. 5. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat cup (60 ml) of the cream with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Add the cream mixture to the melted chocolate and stir to combine. 7. In another bowl, whip the remaining cream (1 3/4 cups / 430 ml) with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Combine one-quarter of the whipped cream with the chocolate mixture. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining cream. Spoon onto the cake in an even layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours or freeze. Assembly 8. Unmould the cake and place on a serving platter. If frozen, leave the cake at room temperature for 1 hour. 9. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Set aside. 10. In the microwave oven or in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add to the chocolate and let melt for 1 minute. With a spatula, stir the ganache until smooth. Pour over the cake, letting it run over the sidesBottom of Form

Carrot Cakes 

Carrot Cakes uses the leavening practices of butter cake, but instead of butter uses a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil. For this reason, it will keep a little longer than butter cakes but can sometimes come out on the greasy side. (The process is pretty much the same: instead of starting out beating butter and sugar, you start out whipping eggs and sugar, and then add oil.)

Carrot Cakes Recipe:-

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 fresh whole eggs

2 cups pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups raw finely ground carrots

4 ounces finely chopped walnuts

Frosting:

1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar

12 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ounces room temperature margarine

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Fold in carrots and chopped nuts until well blended. Distribute batter evenly into 3 (9-inch) cake layer pans, which have been generously greased. There will be approximately 1 pound 5 ounces of batter per pan. Place in preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool layers in pans, for approximately 1 hour. Store layers in pans, inverted, in closed cupboard to prevent drying. Layers must be a minimum of 1 day old.

To remove layers from baking pan, turn upside down, tap edge of pan on a hard surface. Center a 9-inch cake circle on top of revolving cake stand. Remove paper from bottom of layer cake. 

For the frosting: 

In a suitable bowl of large mixer, place powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and margarine. Beat at second speed until thoroughly blended. Hold refrigerated and use as needed.

For the assembly: 

Place first layer, bottom side down, at center of cake stand. With a spatula, evenly spread approximately 3 1/2 ounces of frosting on the layer. Center second layer on top of first layer with topside down. Again with a spatula, evenly spread approximately 3 1/2 ounces of frosting on the layer. Center third layer on top of second layer with topside down. Using both hands, press firmly but gently, all layers together to get one firm cake. With spatula, spread remainder of frosting to cover top and sides of cake. Refrigerated until needed. Display on counter or cake stand with a plastic cover.

Red Velvet cakes

Red Velvet cakes are essentially a butter cake, though it is frequently made with oil instead of butter. In addition, cocoa is added to the cake batter to create the distinct red velvet flavor — originally it was a reaction between buttermilk and the raw cocoa widely available at the time of red velvet's inception that caused a ruddy-hued crumb. These days you'll more often find them tinted with food coloring. You might have heard the cake referred to as the $200 cake — legend has it that the red velvet cake was first baked in the 1920s by a chef at the Waldorf-Astoria. A guest was so taken with the cake that she wrote the chef, asking for the recipe — along with a bill, hence it's other name. Whatever you call it, it's delicious.

Red Velvet cakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons salt

4 large eggs

1½ cups buttermilk

1 1/4 cups warm water

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons red food coloring

Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese softened

1 cup butter softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

Mix together flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.

Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.

Divide batter among the three prepared pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake meets the toothpick test (stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean).

Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for best results. Add in vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until frosting is smooth.

Assemble and frost the completely cooled cake.

Chocolate cakes 

Chocolate cakes are butter cakes, sponge cakes, or other cakes flavored with melted chocolate or cocoa powder. German chocolate cake is a variety of chocolate cake. Fudge cakes are chocolate cakes that contain fudge. There are many different types of chocolate cake, depending on the recipe and different types of chocolate used. Different countries have different recipes for chocolate cakes. Chocolate cakes are a sold in shops as well as made at home.

Chocolate Cakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake

butter and flour for coating and dusting the cake pan

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups butter softened

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

7-8 cups powdered sugar

about 1/4 cup milk as needed

Instructions

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.

Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.

Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.

Divide batter among the three pans. I found that it took just over 3 cups of the batter to divide it evenly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.

Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for best results

Add in cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.

Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add milk as necessary to make a spreadable consistency. The frosting should be very thick and will thicken even more if refrigerated.

Notes

Metric Measurements: Butter and flour for coating and dusting the cake pan- 450 grams all-purpose flour, 650 grams granulated sugar, 155 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, 17 grams baking soda, 8 grams baking powder, 11 grams salt, 4 large eggs, 350 ml buttermilk, 350 ml warm water, 115 ml vegetable oil, 10 ml vanilla extract

Bake at 176 degrees Celsius in three 23 centimeter pans.

Coffee Cake 

Coffee cake is generally thought of as a cake to serve with coffee or tea at breakfast or at a coffee break. Coffee cake is cake intended to be eaten with, or flavored with, coffee. British coffee cake is a sponge flavoured with coffee. They are generally round and consist of two layers separated by coffee flavoured butter icing, which also covers the top of the cake. Walnuts are a common addition to coffee cakes. Some types use yeast as a leavening agent while others use baking soda or baking powder. These cakes often have a crumb topping called streusel or a light glaze drizzle.

Coffee cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter softened

3 eggs room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

Cinnamon Filling:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

Cheesecake Layer:

4 packages 8oz each full fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter melted

3 cup all purpose flour

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 - 3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Cake:

Grease and dust with a bit of flour a 13x9 baking dish and set aside. Make sure you use a deep pan, otherwise the batter will overflow in the oven, this is very important. If you don't have a deep dish, cut the cheesecake ingredients in half to reduce the volume of the cake.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined.

Using a hand mixer to a stand mixer, beat in softened butter into the flour mixture until all combined and crumbly.

Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and beat until fully combined, the mixture should be fluffy.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.

Cinnamon Filling:

In a small bowl, using for mix together the softened butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon until soft crumbs form.

Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the cake batter. Set aside.

Cheesecake Layer:

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, once creamy, beat it sugar.

Once combined, beat in eggs and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Scoop the cheesecake filling over the cinnamon filling and using a spatula spread it evenly.

Streusel Topping:

In a large bowl, mix sugar with cinnamon and salt. Add in the melted butter and combine using a fork.

Once the butter is fully combined, add the flour and mix with a fork or using your hands until fully combined.

Sprinkle streusel topping over the cheesecake layer until evenly distributed.

Bake:

Bake cake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes, until fully cooked.

Cool completely and after that refrigerate it for 3-4 hours for the cheesecake layer to fully settle before serving.

Glaze:

Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl; add two tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined with no lumps. If the mixture is too thick add one more tablespoon of milk. I like the glaze on the thicker side, yet pourable, so it will look white and shiny, not transparent.

Use a fork or spoon to drizzle the icing over the cake.

Slice and serve!

Butter or oil layer Cakes 

This includes most of the traditional cakes used as birthday cakes, etc., and those sold as packaged cakes. A butter cake is a cake in which one of the main ingredients is butter. Butter cake is baked with basic ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda. It is considered as one of the quintessential cakes in American baking. Baking powder or bicarbonate of soda is used to provide both lift and a moist texture. Many flavorings and ingredients may be added; examples include devil's food cake, carrot cake, and banana bread.

Butter Layer Cake Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup butter (very soft but not melted, no substitutes!)

1 ¹⁄₂ cups sugar

3 large eggs (room temperature)

3 large egg yolks (room temperature, save whites for another time)

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 ¹⁄₄ cups cake flour

2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder

¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt

1 ¹⁄₄ cups warm milk (or use half and half cream)

Directions

Set oven to 350° (degrees).

Set oven rack to second-lowest position.

Lightly butter or use cooking spray on the sides and bottom two 9-inches round cake pans then line with parchment paper, then lightly butter once again.

On medium-high speed of an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until pale and yellow (about 5 minutes).

Add in the eggs and egg yolks; beat until thoroughly combined, then beat in vanilla until blended.

In a small bowl sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt; at low speed add in the flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk.

Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans and spread to level.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until cakes test done.

Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Yeast Cakes

Yeast cakes are the oldest and are very similar to yeast breads. Such cakes are often very traditional in form, and include such pastries as babka and stollen.

Yeast Cakes Recipe (Saffron yeast Cake):

Ingredients

For the cake

1 1/2 cup hot milk

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cube fresh yeast

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups bread flour, plus 1/2-1 cup more for later

1/2 cup raisins

For the filling

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon powdered cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon cold butter

For the glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

Directions

Heat the saffron threads in the oven, at low heat, for 5 minutes. This helps to release their flavor thoroughly. I just put them on a folded square of baking parchment and used the same parchment to line the baking pan.

Heat the milk until small bubbles appear at the edges. It shouldn't boil.

Put the saffron threads in a coffee cup and pour hot milk over them to fill the cup. Cover the cup and allow the milk to infuse. After 5 minutes or so, it will be bright yellow.

Pour the rest of the milk over the yeast and cream the mixture.

Melt the butter gently.

Add the saffron-infused milk to the yeast, without straining it.

Add the melted butter.

Add the sugar, salt and raisins. Stir to mix well.

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time. Stir well. It will make a loose dough. Cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave it alone for 1 hour or until doubled. Depending on the room temperature, this might take up to 2 hours. It did for me, because my kitchen was cold.

When the dough is doubled and light, add 1/2 to 1 cup more flour, kneading it in to make a soft, but pliable dough. You don’t want a stiff dough like bread.

Roll the dough out to a fat rectangle 3/4″ high.

Mix the brown sugar, the clove and the cinnamon. Spread this all over the dough.

With a knife point or your fingers, cut off small pieces of the cold butter and dot them all over the surface of the sugared dough.

Roll the dough into a rope, from the long edge.

Form a ring, pinching the edges shut in the middle. Pat and coax it into a more or less regular shape.

Allow the cake to rise 1 hour, or until very light. Don’t worry about the hole in the middle closing up.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).

Bake the cake for 35 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out of the cake with a moist crumb or two clinging, bake another 5-7 minutes.

Cook the powdered sugar and milk together for the glaze: boil them for about 5 minutes. Powdered sugar has starch in it, which will thicken the glaze slightly. Add the vanilla and continue cooking another minute or so. Let the glaze cool somewhat; it will thicken. But spread it on the cake while both are still hot.

Shapes

Cakes are frequently described according to their physical form. Cakes may be small and intended for individual consumption. Larger cakes may be made with the intention of being sliced and served as part of a meal or social function. Common shapes include:

Bundt Cakes

A Bundt cake is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ring shape. The shape is inspired by a traditional European cake known as Gugelhupf, but Bundt cakes are not generally associated with any single recipe.

Cake balls

Cake balls are small spheres of reconstituted cake crumbs, coated with chocolate or frosting. They are made by blending cake crumbs with icing, shaping them to form a ball and then dipping them in a coating, such as melted chocolate. Cake balls were originally created from the crumbs of leftover or stale cake to prevent waste. Cake balls do not have the consistency of the traditional sweetened, baked and leavened cakes, but have a consistency similar to dough which can be attributed to the blending of the cake crumbs and icing. Cake balls are sold in various bakeries as well as mall kiosks; they are also available to be purchased as gifts. The bite-sized snacks may be displayed on a stick (known as a cake pop), and can be decorated with ribbon. They are especially popular during the holiday months. Cake balls can be decorated in a variety of ways, using such items as sprinkles, nuts, chocolate shavings, candy or other confectionery toppings. Almond bark or confectionery coatings are often used as alternatives to chocolate, and can be easily melted in a microwave oven before dipping.

Conical

Conical Cakes such as the Kransekake or "Ring Cake," is the signature cake of Norway, earning pride of place on wedding, birthday, graduation, and holiday banquet tables. Traditionally made from almonds, confectioner's sugar, and egg whites, it is a splendid flourless, gluten-free alternative to standard celebratory cakes.

Cupcakes 

Cupcakes which are both sized for a single person. A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, which may be baked in a small thin paper or aluminum cup. As with larger cakes, icing and other cake decorations such as fruit and candy may be applied. Main ingredients are butter, sugar, egg, flour. Frosting and other cake decorations are optional.

Layer Cakes

A layer cake or sandwich cake, also called a sandwich in UK English, is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by frosting or another type of filling, such as jam or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be made into layer cakes. It frequently baked in a spring form pan and decorated. Many wedding cakes are decorated layer cakes.

Sheet cakes

A sheet cake is a cake baked in a large, flat rectangular pan such as a sheet pan or a jelly roll pan. These single-layer cakes are almost always frosted, with decorations and ornamental frosting along the borders and the flat top surface.

Swiss rolls

A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, or cream roll is a type of sponge cake roll filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear. In spite of the name Swiss roll, the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, likely Austria.

Cake Layer

The cake batter is baked in a frying pan in thin layers, about a centimeter thick in the finished stack. These layers are then covered with a thin layer of cream and/or jam and stacked 7 or 8 layers high. A layer cake (US English) or sandwich cake (UK English), also called a sandwich in UK English, is a cake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by frosting or another type of filling, such as jam or other preserves. Most cake recipes can be made into layer cakes; butter cakes and sponge cakes are common choices. Frequently, the cake is covered with icing, but sometimes, the sides are left undecorated, so that the filling and the number of layers are visible.

Popular flavor combinations include the German chocolate cake, red velvet cake, Black Forest cake, and carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Many wedding cakes are decorated layer cakes.

In the mid-19th century, modern cakes were first described in English. Maria Parloa's Appledore Cook Book, published in Boston in 1872, contained one of the first layer cake recipes. Another early recipe for layer cake was published in Cassell's New Universal Cookery Book, published in London in 1894.

Layer cakes typically serve multiple people, so they are larger than cupcakes, petit fours, or other individual pastries. A common layer cake size, which is baked in nine-inch round cake pans, typically serves about 16 people.

Some Toppings Items on Cakes

Fresh fruit, such as orange wheels and mixed berries

Mini chocolate candies (baking bits in peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch), crushed peppermints, or colorful candies such as jelly beans or nerds candies)

Moldable fondant (available at baking supply stores), cut into shapes with cookie cutters

Powdered sugar or cocoa dusted over doilies and stencils

Shredded or toasted coconut

Chopped, slivered, or toasted nuts(like, toasted sliced almond)

Small cookies such as animal crackers, or crushed cookies, pirouettes, or sugar cookies cut into shapes

Chocolate curls (scrape a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler), Shaved Chocolate, or chocolate chips (white or semisweet)

Candies in shapes such as ducks and fish

Spun-sugar flowers

Coloured Sprinkles

Mini Marshmallows

Dry fruits ( such as, chopped pistachios, pineapple, Cranberries)

Caramel corn

Glimpses of some toppings items

Different kinds of pan for different cakes

Cake Decoration Technique

A finished cake is often enhanced by covering it with icing, or frosting, and toppings such as sprinkles, which are also known as "jimmies" in certain parts of the United States and "hundreds and thousands" in the United Kingdom. Frosting is usually made from powdered (icing) sugar, sometimes a fat of some sort, milk or cream, and often flavorings such as vanilla extract or cocoa powder. Some decorators use a rolled fondant icing. Commercial bakeries tend to use lard for the fat, and often whip the lard to introduce air bubbles. This makes the icing light and spreadable. Home bakers either use lard, butter, margarine, or some combination thereof. Sprinkles are small firm pieces of sugar and oils that are colored with food coloring. In the late 20th century, new cake decorating products became available to the public. These include several specialized sprinkles and even methods to print pictures and transfer the image onto a cake.

Special tools are needed for more complex cake decorating, such as piping bags and various piping tips, syringes and embossing mats. To use a piping bag or syringe, a piping tip is attached to the bag or syringe using a coupler. The bag or syringe is partially filled with icing which is sometimes colored. Using different piping tips and various techniques, a cake decorator can make many different designs. Basic decorating tips include open star, closed star, basket weave, round, drop flower, leaf, multi, petal, and specialty tips. An embossing mat is used to create embossed effects. A cake turntable that cakes are spun upon may be used in cake decoration.

Royal icing, marzipan (or a less sweet version, known as almond paste), fondant icing (also known as sugarpaste), and buttercream are used as covering icings and to create decorations. Floral sugar craft or wired sugar flowers are an important part of cake decoration. Cakes for special occasions, such as wedding cakes, are traditionally rich fruit cakes or occasionally Madeira cakes that are covered with marzipan and iced using royal icing or sugar-paste. They are finished with piped borders (made with royal icing) and adorned with a piped message, wired sugar flowers, hand-formed fondant flowers, marzipan fruit, piped flowers, or crystallized fruits or flowers such as grapes or violets.

Cakes for Different Occasions

Wedding:

The most important event in one’s life is wedding. Life partners bond together to form a new relation of man & wife. To celebrate this new relation, a cake is a very impactful dessert.

Birthday:

Birthdays are marked with the presence of a birthday cake. A birthday is an occasion that has a mania for cakes since a long time.

Receptions:

Reception is an event of welcoming new relation or an event. It’s made worthwhile by adding on a cake. Welcoming of the new is enhanced.

Valentine’s Day:

Valentines is the occasion to celebrate love. Why not to add a delicious cake t make the celebration more delicious!

Anniversary:

Anniversary is the time to celebrate the bond of relation. Make it delightful by cutting a piece of cake with your loved ones.

Cake for Kids:

Unlike adults, kids are more enthusiastic about cakes especially on their birthdays. Many colourful designs of birthday cakes are available in the markets.

Designer Cakes:

Designer exclusive pieces are the center of attraction for many on any occasion. Cake decorating is one of the sugar arts that use icing or frosting and other edible decorative elements to make plain cakes more visually interesting.

Christmas Cakes:

A festive celebration is incomplete without a dessert. Christmas is one of the most important festivals celebrated all over the world. Make it more special by adding a cake to the menu.

Creative Cakes:

Cakes can be creative as such making them a piece with unique sovereignty. Creativity is applauded throughout, whether be it of any form used in cakes or ornamentation of cakes.

Artistic Cakes:

Art is something that is loved and appreciated by many if made understandable and appealing to the viewers. Making an artistic cake also leads to that aura of appreciation by everybody looking at it.

Thanks Giving Cakes:

Thanks giving mean giving a note of thanks to the almighty for whatever he has given to us. Enthusiasm of this festival is doubled if the celebration is added on with a cake symbolizing the thanks giving.

Cakes for men:

Men have a different set of tastes regarding what they eat, wear or drink. Cakes available in the market have developed that taste and accordingly have started designing for the men folk.

Cakes for women:

Women do not have a defined taste as such. A variety of tastes leads to enigma of variable set of designs available for a cake for a woman in the market.

Cakes for baby Shower:

Baby Shower is an occasion to welcome the new upcoming guest in the family. For certain reasons the event is very important for the family members, especially the mother of the unborn. Making the moment really special and getting the blessings of all is the purpose of the shower. A cake might help in enhancing the happiness of this moment.

Acknowledgments:

The pictures and contents are used in the book are taken from Wikipedia, various cake related websites and blogs.