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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen
Help a non-baker make a cake!



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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:16 am
Hello!
My cakes sometimes have lumps of flour in them. Why? Is it because I mix them by hand (no mixer) or something else? Help a girl out!
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Raindance




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:33 am
Why don't you use a mixer?

Mix the dry ingredients first, mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, then pour wet onto dry while mixing to avoid lumps.
If you pour the dry onto wet you'll see how the dry makes little balls in the batter, which is then harder to mash...

If you don't use a mixer, use an egg beater
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:00 am
Because I don't have one Very Happy
I do as basic as possible in the kitchen, including electronic equipment- what can a (hand) mixer be used for apart from mixing cakes?
Ahah.
I usually add the dry to the wet and stir with a spoon.
I'm so not knowledgeable about these things...
I understand I need an egg beater/mixer and to switch the order...
Thanks!
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:07 am
Back with another question- by egg beater do you mean whisk?
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:11 am
amother OP wrote:
Hello!
My cakes sometimes have lumps of flour in them. Why? Is it because I mix them by hand (no mixer) or something else? Help a girl out!

You can still do it by hand. You need firm big motions. Use a large fork to do the mixing. Though I think just purchasing a handheld whisk to use instead could help with the lumps.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D.....ss_tl
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Raindance




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:32 am
amother OP wrote:
Back with another question- by egg beater do you mean whisk?


Yes, whatever the mother on top of this comment sent a link to.
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Amarante




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 7:23 am
No - an egg beater is a real thing with a handle that moves the blades just like an electric mixer. It was a HUGE invention in the 19th century because it eliminated the hard work of beating a cake by hand.

A whisk is not an egg beater and doesn't have enough "power" to sufficiently beat a cake.

Lumps are because you aren't mixing the wet ingredients sufficiently with the dry ingredients.

FWIW it is almost impossible to get a good result with a cake unless you use some kind of mechanical mixer because you aren't able to cream the sugar and fat sufficiently as well as just beat the cake enough so that you incorporate air into the mixture.

Your best bet would be so-called quick breads which actually are not supposed to be over mixed.

But you can get an ELECTRIC hand mixer inexpensively and it would be fine for the kind of light mixing that one does with cakes or liquid batters. You wouldn't use it for cookie dough which is "harder" but their motors would be fine for cakes.

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cookier




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 8:04 am
You also need to be sure you’re sifting. You can whisk the flour gently instead of using a sifter. Mix your dry ingredients together and then whisk them for a minute or so to break up any chunks.
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Frumme




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 8:06 am
If you're finding clumps in your batter, here are some tricks to help:

-Sift your dry ingredients
-fluff flour, cocoa, etc well before measuring and adding to your recipe
-add wet ingredients to the dry instead of dry to the wet
-blend ingredients with a fork instead of a spatula
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amother
Babyblue


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 8:14 am
Do yourself a favor buy an electric beater
https://www.amazon.com/Portabl.....ss_tl

I heard you Can mash potatoes and shred chicken with it but never tried it
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Ahuva




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 8:18 am
Look for recipes that specify that no mixer is needed and follow the instructions.
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amother
Catmint


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 8:34 am
Can I recommend Dunkin Hines.
It’s a pretty solid cake and quite difficult to mess up.

I used to bake from scratch, but DH is almost as good and a fraction of the work.

If you want to be fancy, use the DH to make a Harvey Walbanger or add instant pudding, rainbow sprinkles or Chocolate Chips.
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ddmom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 9:03 am
An electric beater mixer on Amazon is not much more money than a handheld whisk!
For under $25 you can get something very decent. Totally worth the investment!
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mommyhood




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 9:06 am
Do you own an immersion blender? Works great for cakes and easier to clean than a hand mixer. Just wash right away before the batter dries.
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amother
Electricblue


 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 12:54 pm
Skip the sifting and get a hand mixer.

I own an electric mixer and I'm usually too lazy to drag it out.

Hand mixer is good for basic cake (no snow) muffins and cookies.
I wouldn't attempt babka or such doughs.
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Amarante




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 1:18 pm
amother Catmint wrote:
Can I recommend Dunkin Hines.
It’s a pretty solid cake and quite difficult to mess up.

I used to bake from scratch, but DH is almost as good and a fraction of the work.

If you want to be fancy, use the DH to make a Harvey Walbanger or add instant pudding, rainbow sprinkles or Chocolate Chips.


I have a few cookbooks which are entirely recipes for "doctored" cakes - I.e. cakes made with a mix but upgraded with very simple additional ingredients like instant pudding.
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Frumme




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 11:21 pm
mommyhood wrote:
Do you own an immersion blender? Works great for cakes and easier to clean than a hand mixer. Just wash right away before the batter dries.


I actually just saw a recipe for a "whole orange" cake. You put all of the ingredients into a blender, including 1 whole, sweet orange (rind and all), and process it until smooth. Then pour and bake. I'll try to find the recipe IYH
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Amarante




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 08 2023, 11:25 pm
Frumme wrote:
I actually just saw a recipe for a "whole orange" cake. You put all of the ingredients into a blender, including 1 whole, sweet orange (rind and all), and process it until smooth. Then pour and bake. I'll try to find the recipe IYH


Is it Claudia Roden’s cake? It also works for Pesach

Claudia Roden’s Orange and Almond Cake

Yield: 10 servings

Moira Hodgson rooted this classic out of Claudia Roden’s terrific cookbook, “Everything Tastes Better Outdoors,” and brought it to The Times in 1987: a flourless orange and almond cake that goes beautifully with blueberries or peaches, and is the perfect thing to carry along on a picnic. Extremely moist, it consists of two seeded oranges (peel and all), ground almonds, sugar and eggs – and no flour. Baked in a hot oven, it will be done in just about an hour or so, longer if the orange pulp is extremely wet. Opening the oven door to check will not harm it.

Ingredients

2 large oranges
6 eggs
½ pound ground almonds
½ pound sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

Wash the oranges and simmer them, unpeeled, in water to cover for 2 hours. Cool, cut them open and remove the seeds. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the eggs in a food processor or large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including the orange puree, and mix thoroughly. Pour into a buttered and floured cake tin, with a removable base if possible.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out.

This is a very moist cake and goes especially well with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines.
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amother
OP


 

Post Thu, Feb 09 2023, 12:30 am
Thank you for all the helpful replies! I do appreciate them all although I won't lie- it makes me want to just buy cake LOL
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PinkFridge




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 09 2023, 3:57 am
amother OP wrote:
Thank you for all the helpful replies! I do appreciate them all although I won't lie- it makes me want to just buy cake LOL


Buy an inexpensive electric hand mixer. You'll love the difference.
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