Tired of stale, store-bought cakes that were made days in advance? Don’t want to pay for pricey bakery cakes? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then making a homemade birthday cake from scratch may be for you. With the help of the following instructions and tips, you can successfully bake a tasty birthday cake from scratch.
Ingredient Selection
Depending on what type of cake you wish to a bake, a variety of ingredients may be required. Most traditional cake batters consist of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter. Of course, ingredients can be changed based on the type of cake and amount needed to feed expected guests. Additional options to make it healthier include substituting applesauce for butter and egg whites or substitute for eggs.
Preparing the Cake
To bake cakes thoroughly, the majority of recipes require an oven heated to 350 degrees and a greased baking pan to prevent sticking. A wide array of pan sizes and shapes are available at most kitchen stores to meet the desires of every consumer.
After this is determined, being by mixing the preset amount of flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Mix the butter and sugar in another. This process is made easier with a standing mixer. Add eggs to the butter mixture on at a time and slowly add vanilla. After this process is complete, reduce mixer to slow and alternate adding flour mixture and milk.
Once all ingredients are incorporated it is time to pour the batter into the pan and bake. Most cakes take approximately 30-35 minutes to bake.
Assembly
After the cake has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow to cool completely. If icing immediately, flip the baking pan over onto the chosen cake board. If icing later, repeat the same process and wrap the cake in plastic wrap to maintain moisture then store in a refrigerator.
In order to create the desired look, bakers can choose from a wide array of icing options. From sturdy, pliable fondant to decadent butter cream, bakers must choose the icing that gives them to desired texture and appearance. Fondant is a great option for incorporating designs into a cake. It is a stable piece of frosting that can be bent and stretched to fit any shape. However, butter cream is a more traditional frosting that must be smoothed onto the cake. It will not create a look that is as smooth as fondant, but it is easier to work with and many find the taste to be more desirable.
Additionally, any type of traditional white frosting can be flavored and colored with fresh fruit. Other desirable types of frosting may include German chocolate, pineapple, and whipped cream.
Final Touches
Though the taste of a cake is important, the overall appearance of a birthday cake can add to a party theme or design. Intricate details like beads, sprinkles, designs, patterns, and even pictures can make any cake more interesting. Bakers can find these cake accessories at a local cake store or even through mass merchandisers. Other accessories, such as flowers, cake stands, and lights, can also be utilized to give a cake more depth and achieve a more elegant, extravagant appearance.
Overall, baking a birthday cake from scratch is not as difficult as one might think. The love and thoughtfulness that goes into baking a homemade cake in insurmountable. It also allows individuals to bring their ideas to life without worrying about misunderstandings or mistakes from outside parties. In order to get a better idea of this process, we have included the video below to help. Good luck on making your own birthday cake from scratch!
