Many of the terms and ingredients used in recipes for baking are sometimes mysterious and confusing, but once you get to know what the basics are and how they work you’ll be cooking with confidence in no time.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most common ones.
Baking powder is a leavener used to aerate cakes, bread and buns. It is a mixture of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), cream of tartar (an acid) and usually cornflour (to absorb moisture). As a substitute you can mix three parts of cream of tartar and one part of baking soda.
Batter is an uncooked mixture of flour, liquid and sometimes a leavener such as baking powder. It can be a thick spooning consistency like cake batter, or thin, pouring consistency such as the batter made for pancakes, crepes and pikelets.
Beat means to briskly combine ingredients, usually with electric beaters but sometimes with a wooden spoon, to introduce air into a mixture to make it smooth and light. Beating also helps to create a finer texture for cakes, biscuits and other baked goods.
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, is both a component of baking powder and a leavener in its own right, one that gets its leavening power from the aid of acid in yoghurt, sour cream, crème fraîche, molasses or buttermilk. It’s best to work quickly with the mixture after it has been activated and to get the batter into the oven as soon as possible.
Biscuit base or crumb crust. This is crushed biscuits combined with melted butter and sometimes spices. The mixture is pressed into the base and/or sides of a cake or tart tin. It can be baked or unbaked and is mostly used as a base for cheesecakes and slices.
Butter is produced when the fat content of milk (the sweet cream) is separated from the liquid (buttermilk). The fat globules combine and become solid, forming butter. Butter is the most commonly used fat for cake making as it creams well and has a nice flavour. Salted butter has two percent salt added. Originally salt was added as a preservative, but today it is included for taste. We specifically use unsalted butter (also known as sweet butter) for baking biscuits, slices, cakes and sweet pastries.
Buttermilk is traditionally the liquid that is left after cream is churned into butter. Today, it is made by adding a culture to skim milk and leaving the mixture for up to 24 hours to sour and thicken. It has a tangy flavour. Because of its acidic content it is used to act as a raising agent, especially in quick breads and scones.
Chocolate is made from components extracted from cocoa beans which grow in pods on the cacao tree. After the beans have been roasted, the shells are removed, leaving the nibs which are ground to produce chocolate liquor (bitter chocolate), which forms the base for all chocolate products. This liquor is either pressed to extract cocoa butter to make cocoa powder, or blended with varying amounts of cocoa butter and flavouring to produce different chocolates. Couverture chocolate is considered the best. It has a good flavour and glossy finish suitable for cake decoration.
Cocoa is ground into a powder from the dry solids left when the cocoa butter (the fat) is removed. It is used extensively in baking. Cocoas is usually sifted in with the dry ingredients so it is distributed evenly. Sweetened cocoa powder is sold as drinking chocolate. Dutch cocoa, available mostly from delicatessens, is considered to be the best flavoured cocoa for baking. It is rich, dark in colour and unsweetened.
Cookie is an Amercian term for biscuit. It was originally a small dry flat cake that was twice baked so that it would be crisp and also so it would keep longer. Today, the terms ‘cookie’ and ‘biscuit’ cover a wide range of baked goods from crispy to chewy. The basic ingredients usually include flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Other flavours such as chocolate, nuts and dried fruit can be included.
Copha, or white vegetable shortening, is made from purified coconut oil that is processed into a white solid. Copha is generally used in making uncooked confections and slices.
Corn syrup is a liquid form of sugar refined from corn. A variety of corn syrups are produced, from light, which is less sweet, to dark which is a caramel colour and has flavour added. Corn syrup adds flavour to baked goods and is available from specialty shops.
Cornflour or cornstarch is a fine white powder made from maize or corn (gluten-free) or from wheat. It is used in small quantities in baking, such as in sponges and shortbread, to produce a lighter texture. It is also used to thicken sauces and fillings because it forms a gel when heated. Cornflour is usually mixed to a paste with a small amount of cold water before being added to the remaining liquid.
Cream is the fat globules that rise to the top of milk. The old method of collecting cream was to leave the unrefrigerated milk to stand until the cream separated to the required amount. Today the separation process is done by using centrifugal force. The fat content determines the type of cream. Cream is used extensively in baking, either as part of the mixture or whipped to decorate. For successful whipping, cream must have a fat content of at least 30 percent and if the fat content is higher than this, a lighter foam results when the cream is whipped.
Cream of tartar. This is a component of baking powder. It acts as a raising agent when combined with bicarbonate of soda. Sometimes it is used to help stabilise the beating of egg whites, as in meringue.
Cream together means to beat one or more ingredients, usually butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Electric beaters or a whisk can be used. The creaming process dissolves the sugar, resulting in a light texture in the baked product.
Crème fraîche is a naturally soured cream with a nutty, slightly sour taste. You can make your own crème fraîche by mixing a little sour cream or yoghurt into cream and leaving the mixture in the fridge for up to 24 hours to sour. It makes an interesting flavour to accompany sweet desserts, especially tarts.
Eggs. In baking, eggs enrich and also add flavour, moisture, nutritive value and yellow colour. They have three main functional properties in cooking – coagulation, emulsification and foaming ability. To maintain freshness, eggs should be refrigerated. Bring them back to room temperature before using them in baking.
Egg whites increase in volume when whisked, due to the entrapment of air. There are four stages in the whisking of whites. The first is the large bubble stage where the foam is frothy and unstable. The soft peak stage is where the whites form a glossy mass and just hold shape (folded into creams and cake mixtures). The next stage is medium peaks where the foam is very white and glossy – the peaks are soft and the tip falls a little (used for soufflés, mousses, and ice creams). The final stage is stiff peaks where the bubbles are very fine and the peaks hold their shape (as in meringue). To successfully whisk by hand or beat with electric beaters, make sure all utensils are spotlessly clean and free of grease and that the bowl is deep enough to hold the volume of whisked whites. Egg whites also act as leaveners, adding volume and texture to soufflés, flourless cakes and sponge cakes. The whisked whites are folded into the mixture just before baking. When cooked, the air is trapped and the mixture expands and coagulates.
Essences are concentrated flavourings that enhance the taste of food. Vanilla essence is used extensively in the baking of cakes and biscuits. Almond essence is also used to boost chopped or ground almond flavour in cakes. An extract is a stronger, purer concentration. Note: I use vanilla extract throughout the recipes on this site.
Fat or shortening contributes flavour, colour and shortness (tenderness) to shortcrust pastries, cakes and biscuits, and flakiness to layered pastries such as flaky and puff. Lard, butter, and half butter, half lard, are all suitable fats for baking. Shredded suet is used in traditional baked pie crusts including steak and kidney pie. Oils are sometimes used in one-bowl or quick mix cake mixes such as carrot-cake, resulting in a heavier texture. A little oil or butter is added to bread dough to add flavour and tenderness. Fat can be creamed with sugar, rubbed into the dry ingredients, or kneaded into bread doughs.
Flour provides the basic structure of bread, cakes batters and pastry. The process of manufacturing the whole grain where the grain is converted into a variety of flours is called milling. Wheat flour is the most versatile of all the flours. Roller milling produces all white flour and most wholemeal flours. Some wholemeal flours are produced by stone milling. Other non-wheat cereals are milled and used in cooking, for example, cornflour, cornmeal, potato flour, rice flour and rye flour. These are not termed high-quality flours because, unlike wheat flour, they lack the protein gluten (the strength elasticity and structure) necessary for baking. However, they are useful for people who are intolerant to wheat products. Bread dough made with non or low-gluten flours do not have the elasticity of dough made with wheat-based flour so the bread will be dense.
Plain white flour, also called all-purpose flour, has a medium protein content of about ten percent.Most baked foods use this flour. Self-raising flour has the same protein qualities as plain flour but has baking powder added to it. Self-raising flour can be made by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder to 1 cup (125g) of plain flour and then sifting thoroughly several times. Wholemeal flours are coarsely milled or finely ground and can be used instead of plain white flour. If you do use wholemeal, the baked product will have a denser crumb and less volume.
Bread flour is produced from hard wheat that has a higher protein (gluten) content, about twelve percent, than all-purpose bleached or white flour. It is smoother in texture and is used to ensure that the dough is elastic and strong so that the bread has structure, strength and elasticity. It is available in most supermarkets and is sometimes called strong flour. It can also be used for general baking.
Golden syrup is a by-product of sugar refining. It is a thick sticky syrup with a deep golden colour and distinctive flavour. It is used in the baking of gingerbread, tarts, and some breads to give flavour and moisture. It can be substituted for treacle in baked goods.
Icing sugar. Pure icing sugar is powdered white sugar used in the making of icings including buttercreams, glacé and royal, and fondants, to decorate cakes. Pure icing sugar should always be sifted before use to remove lumps and to obtain a smooth finish.
Icing sugar mixture is icing sugar to which a small amount of starch is added to prevent lumping during storage. It is used in the making of icings such as buttercreams and glacé, but is not suitable for royal icing. It is also known as confectioners’ sugar.
Leavened is a term describing baked products such as breads and cakes that contain a raising agent, usually yeast or baking powder, to increase the volume of goods.
Salt is used as a seasoning, preservative and flavour enhancer. Salt improves the balance of flavours in sweet baking goods and most recipes will include some.
Sugar is the common name for sucrose, the simplest form of carbohydrate. The sugars are found in virtually all plants, including many fruits and vegetables. There are several types of sugar. The most widely used is white sugar (granulated, caster, cubed and icing sugar). It is usually manufactured from sugar cane or sugar beet and is used extensively in baking and general table use. In baking, sugar is important as it adds flavour, taste and moisture, and has a tenderising effect.
Coloured sugars, also manufactured from sugar cane, include brown sugar, often known as soft brown sugar, a golden brown refined sugar, which is used in baked goods. These sugars add colour and flavour and help create a moist texture, especially in cakes. Brown sugar is also available as dark brown sugar. The colour of these sugars comes from the molasses content.
Raw sugar, coarse straw-coloured crystals, is also produced from sugar cane. It can be substituted for white sugar to add texture, but is difficult to dissolve. Demerara sugar, a coarse amber-coloured crystal, similar to raw sugar, is also used in baking, especially in crumble topping.
Treacle is a blend of concentrated refinery syrups and extract molasses. It is used in baking to give a distinctive colour and flavour. It also adds moistness and keeping qualities to a baked product. Golden syrup can be substituted in baking.
Vanilla is extracted from the pods of a climbing orchid plant native to South America. The pods or beans are dried and cured. For use in cooking, the pod is split open and infused with the food to allow for maximum flavour. The pod can be washed, dried and re-used. Vanilla is also available as pure essence or extract, which has a more concentrated flavour and is widely used in cakes, biscuits and desserts.
Zest or rind is the outside rind of any citrus fruit. The rind contains all the essential oils and therefore the flavour. Be careful when removing it that you do not include the bitter white layer underneath. If the fruit has a wax coating, wash it off in hot water before removing the rind. Grated or shredded rind is used to flavour cakes, biscuits, syrups and doughs. The rind can also be thinly peeled from the fruit, leaving the white pith behind, then thinly shredded with a small sharp knife.
