Getting to basics.

Always wonder why my cake baking fails and decide maybe i should learn the basics of cake baking..

there are basically 2 cakes type: Creamed cakes & Foam Cake.

The types are according to what makes the cake rises.

Creamed cakes also known as Butter cakes relies on baking powder and baking soda to rise. This type of cake uses butter, shortening, or oil for moisture and richness and are leavened with baking powder/soda.

Foam cakes also known as sponge cake are cakes that do not consist of any types of fats. Also known as sponge cakes, they achieve their high volume from the beaten eggs instead of using a leavening agent like baking powder/soda.

Type of foam cakes:

• Angel Cakes - Literally fat-free as they contain only egg whites (me: i am so gonna learn how to make this!!! haha!!)
• Yellow sponge - prepared with whole eggs
• Chiffon egg - With beaten eggs. Not entirely sponge cake as it contains vegetable oil.

Some tips i have gathered:

• Before mixing the cake batter, soften the butter so that it mixes easily with the sugar. (me: impatient me always go ahead without waiting for it to soften. :p!)
• When preparing sponge cakes, be sure to beat the eggs to the proper stage; do not overbeat or underbeat. Handle the beaten eggs gently when folding them into the other ingredients or they will lose air and volume.
• Eggs separate more easily when cold, but egg whites reach their fullest volume if allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating.
• To measure flour, spoon it lightly into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge metal spatula. Do not shake it down or tap it on the counter (me: This is something I have been doing wrong!!!)
• If recipe instructs you to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, you can test by lifting beaters straight up from egg whites. Peaks should remain on top of the egg whites, and when bowl is tilted, mixture should not slide around. (me: this is something most of us have issues with)
• If asked to cream together butter (or other fat) and sugar, blend them together until a fluffy consistency is reached. This may take some time, but it's better to blend thoroughly than to not blend enough.

Some general knowledge:

• Sugar and fat are added to make a tender cake - flour and eggs are the proteins that makes the cake hold together.

Webbie that I learn the stuffs from:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-bake-a-cake-cooking2.htm
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p0-18-cake-baking.html