How to Bake: The Basics of Butter Cakes

By Jennifer Rao

Have you ever wondered why you need to have your butter “softened” or your ingredients at “room temperature” when mixing up a cake recipe? In How to Bake: The Basics of Butter Cakes you will learn the answers to these and many other baking questions. Jennifer Rao, a Chemical Engineer by trade, has been baking for over 20 years. She owns and operates her own cake decorating business, Around the World in 80 Cakes and regularly posts recipes and how-to videos on her website, 80cakes.com.

In "How to Bake", Jennifer has compiled all that she has learned while walking you through every step of the cake baking process. Some of the topics she dives into include: how to bake a cake without a dome, understanding the different types of flour, why weighing ingredients is better than measuring by volume, what each step of the batter mixing process means and how it is important as well as many other helpful topics. It also includes Jennifer’s recipes for basic yellow cake and American buttercream frosting. The appendix contains an extensive Reference section with recommendations for kitchen tools, ingredients, and other helpful baking books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Rao
• Release date: Oct 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310571855

Jennifer Rao

Jennifer Rao is the owner of Around the World in 80 Cakes where she specializes in custom wedding cakes, cake decorations and unique baked goods. She also runs www.80cakes.com, a cake decorating and baking blog. Jennifer has been baking for over 20 years, holds a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and has recently discovered her passion for teaching. She spent a year as a Wilton Method Instructor and when she is not baking she is working as a science and math tutor at a local college as well as pursuing a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering.

Book preview

How-To Bake: The Basics of Butter Cakes

By Jennifer Rao

Around the World in 80 Cakes

How to Bake: The Basics of Butter Cakes

Copyright 2014 Jennifer Rao

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favorite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

To my husband, soulmate and best friend Rohit Rao. The day I met you was the best day of my life.

Table of Contents

Preface

Equipment Prep

Ingredient Prep

Mixing up the Batter

Filling the Pans

Baking the Cake

Classic Yellow Cake Recipe

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

References and Recommendations

About Jennifer Rao

Connect with Jennifer Rao

Preface

I have a passion for baking that is matched only by my love of science. As a small child, I would often switch between my Easy-Bake oven and my chemistry set (both produced many weird and wonderful things). Yet, as I got older and started baking for real I started to find the idea of baking a cake from scratch somewhat daunting. That was until I realized that baking is just chemistry (delicious, delicious chemistry). I now treat each recipe I make like an experiment. My experience as a scientist and engineer has made me realize that when baking a cake, just like any other experiment, you

Reviews for How to Bake

[Amber MILLER · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great book very helpful.I would highly recommend.