glossary
BY: The Food Lover's Companion
Of this genre, the most popular is undoubtedly the traditional pineapple upside-down cake. Any fruit can be used, however, and this dessert is made by covering the bottom of a cake pan with butter and sugar topped with decoratively arranged fruit, then cake batter. During the baking process, the sugar, butter and fruit juices combine to create a CARAMELIZED glaze. Before serving, the cake is inverted onto a serving plate so the glazed fruit becomes the top of the cake.
A moist, three-layered white cake with a succulent filling of raisins, nuts and sometimes other fruit such as figs. The cake is covered with a fluffy white frosting such as BOILED ICING. It was first mentioned by novelist Owen Wister in his 1906 novel, Lady Baltimore. Legend has it that a young woman gave Wister such a cake, which he later chronicled in his novel. See also LORD BALTIMORE CAKE.
This light, airy cake gets its ethereal texture from beaten egg whites, which are folded into a fluffy mixture of beaten egg yolks and sugar. They get their leavening power entirely from eggs. Sponge cakes are further characterized by the fact that they do not contain shortening of any kind. The cakes can be variously flavored with anything from lemon ZEST to ground almonds.
A three-layered yellow cake with a filling of chopped pecans or almonds, MARASCHINO cherries and MACAROON crumbs. The cake is covered with a fluffy white frosting such as BOILED ICING. See also LADY BALTIMORE CAKE.
Originally this fine-textured loaf cake was made with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs, plus a flavoring like vanilla or lemon. A myriad of variations have evolved throughout the years, with additions such as leavening (baking powder or baking soda) and flavorings such as coconut, nuts, raisins and dried fruit. With reduced cholesterol and calories in mind, there are now pound cakes made with vegetable oil, as well as nonfat versions.
A traditional English favorite that's like a simple POUND CAKE, the top of which is sprinkled with candied lemon peel halfway through baking. The name comes from the fact that it is usually served with a glass of MADEIRA. Some cooks also sprinkle the baked cake with Madeira before it cools.
This rich, sweet, cakelike bread is usually eaten for breakfast or brunch. Coffee cakes can be made with yeast, but those using baking soda or baking powder take less time and are also delicious. Coffee cakes often contain fruit, nuts and sometimes a cream-cheese filling. They can be frosted or not and are usually best served slightly warm.
Said to have been created in the late 1940s by a professional baker, chiffon cake is distinguished from others of its genre by the fact that oil, rather than solid shortening, is used. It contains LEAVENING, such as baking powder, and stiffly beaten egg whites, which contribute to its rather spongecakelike texture.
A flat, small (usually 5- by 5- by 4-inch), triangle-shape tool, generally made of stainless steel. Each of the three edges has serrated teeth of a different size. This tool is used to make decorative designs and swirls in the frosting on a cake.
Originating in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in England, this oval "cake" is made of a flaky pastry filled with mixed dried fruit.
A buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that's usually ball-shaped and generally contains finely chopped almonds, pecans or hazelnuts. It's usually rolled in confectioners' sugar while still hot, then again after the cookie has cooled. Many countries have their own rendition of this rich cookie. Two versions are Russian tea cakes and Spain's polvorones.
Thought to be the precursor of the pancake, the johnnycake dates back to the early 1700s. It's a rather flat griddlecake made of cornmeal, salt and either boiling water or cold milk; there are strong advocates of both versions. Today's johnnycakes often have eggs, oil or melted butter and leavening (such as baking powder) added. Some renditions are baked in the oven, more like traditional cornbread. Also called hoe cake or hoecake.
This rich, light cake is made with flour, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla. It's similar in texture to a moist SPONGE CAKE. It was developed in Genoa, Italy, adapted by the French and is now baked by gourmet cooks throughout Europe and the United States. Génoise is an extremely versatile cake and is used for many elegant presentations such as PETITS FOURS, cake rolls and BAKED ALASKA.
This pastry is a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty made by pouring batter through a funnel into hot, deep fat and frying the resulting spirals until crisp and brown. Funnel cakes are served hot, often with sugar or maple syrup.
see FLOUR
A sweet, baked confection usually containing flour, sugar, flavoring ingredients and eggs or other LEAVENER such as baking powder or baking soda.
Thought to have been inspired by the cupola of Florence, Italy's, Duomo (the city's main cathedral), this dome-shaped dessert begins with a bowl lined with LIQUEUR-moistened cake (usually pound cake) slices. The bowl is then filled with a mixture of sweetened whipped cream, chopped or grated chocolate and various chopped nuts before being topped with additional cake slices. The zuccotto is refrigerated at least a day so the filling can set. It's inverted onto a plate before being served.
A round pan with deep sides and a hollow center tube used for baking cake, especially ANGEL FOOD or SPONGE CAKE. The tube promotes even baking for the center of the cake. See also BUNDT PAN.
see PANFORTE
Also called baba au rhum, this rich, light currant- or raisin-studded yeast cake is soaked in a rum or KIRSCH syrup. It's said to have been invented in the 1600s by Polish King Lesczyinski, who soaked his stale KUGELHOPF in rum and named the dessert after the storybook hero Ali Baba. The classic baba is baked in a tall, cylindrical mold but the cake can be made in a variety of shapes, including small individual rounds. When the cake is baked in a large ring mold it's known as a SAVARIN.
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