Page 41 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

C H O C O L A T E C A K E M I X 1 0 1 23

seeds from raspberries, a small fine-mesh Not only do these cups hold liquids (oil,
strainer comes in handy. milk, juices) for measuring, they are just
the right size for melting butter and
8. Carbon steel chopping knife: You
chocolate in the microwave.
want the sharpness of carbon steel to
chop pecans and dried fruit quickly, to 11. Vegetable oil mister: You put your
slice into the top of a cake mix pouch, or own oil in these misters, found in house-
to chop chocolate into pieces for melting. wares departments. They mist the hills and

9. Ruler or small tape measure: When valleys of the Bundt pan easily and without
in doubt, measure the size of your pans. the propellants found in aerosol sprays.
For perfect splitting, measure to find the
12. Reusable parchment paper: It is
midpoint of a cake layer.
called Super Parchment, and it is a super
10. Quart-size glass measuring cup: and nominal investment if you bake a lot

A Quick Note on Pans

y favorite baking pans—whether might need to be reheated, it just makes
M layer, sheet cake, springform, sense to bake them in glass so you can
or cookie—are heavy, shiny aluminum. reheat them in the microwave. If you use
Bundt pans come in a variety of mate - glass or dark pans, don’t spray them with
rials, but I find the lighter-weight pans an aerosol baking spray that contains
the easiest to unmold. Tube pans can propellants, for this will make that cake
be either shiny for angel foods or bake darker. And lower the oven tem -
coated with a nonstick surface for most perature 25 degrees for these dark and
pound cakes. Most of the recipes in this glass pans.
book were tested with shiny aluminum Many people like to bake with
pans. insulated pans. They are fine for sheet
Dark pans and glass pans will cause cakes, but I find they don’t brown cookies
your cakes to bake more quickly and to well, and for that reason I don’t use them.
darken on the bottom and the edges. If you must bake with insulated pans, be
However, when you are baking the pud - aware that the cakes and cookies might
ding cakes that taste best warm and need 5 minutes more baking time.