Not the Common kind - Torte

If i ask you about types of cake, what will come first in your mind?
CHEESE CAKE!!!

Based on my observation, when people think of types of cake, it must be cheese cake.
Why not others like butter cake, cupcake, chiffon cake, sponge cake, or fruit cake?


Maybe, cheese cakes always rich enough to give satisfaction.
Actually, there are a lot of different types of cakes. 
Let's don't talk about the popular cake like cheese cake or sponge cake or fruit cake or cupcake. 
Let's talk about something you can barely see in Malaysia.


TORTE

Torte (German word for cake) is a European style cake.
This cake normally made with ground nuts, cookies crumbs and eggs. 
There are two kinds of Torte, either multi layer or single layer.


Torte can be considered as flour less cake, so the texture of Torte is more to creamy, moist and smooth -  just like mousse and cream.
For those who really love rich-creamy cake, Torte is a good choice.


Recipes:

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate

Directions

1. Prepare and bake chocolate cake as directed on package. Bake in 2 - 9 inch round pans. Allow cakes to cool. When cakes are cool, cut each one in half with a long serrated knife, making four layers.
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft.
3. In a separate bowl, whip cream to soft peaks, then fold into cream cheese mixture.
4. Place the bottom layer of cake on the serving plate. Spread 1/4 of the filling on cake layer, then continue to stack up layers with 1/4 of the filling on each layer. Finish top with the final 1/4 of filling and grate the chocolate on top. Refrigerate for 6 hours before serving.

References:

Patrick, R. (n.d.). Double Chocolate Raspberry Torte. Retrieved from Healthy Cooking: http://www.newleafcommunity.com/healthycooking/?p=373

All About Cake. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Baking Pan: http://thebakingpan.com/baking-tips/all-about-cake.html

Drapala, Erika L. (n.d.). Chocolate Torte Recipe. Retrieved from All Recipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-torte/detail.aspx

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Decorations

Cake decorating started at the mid 19th century in French.

The most traditional way is used the piping bag and piped the whipping cream on top of the cake.

~Whipping CREAM~

These days, we are still using whipping cream as the decoration as everyone can see in our bakery.

Piping needs a long time of practice in order to make it perfect. 

Whipping cream is less sweeter and very fattening (i guess most of us didn't eat the whip cream right?)

Ingredients: Whipping cream and egg

The bad thing about whipping cream is, in order to hold the shape of the whip cream, you need to put it into fridge so that it can hold the shape. But, whipping cream cannot stand too long under high temperature. It will melt.  Most of people used chocolate and fruits  on the whip cream.

~Royal ICING~

Melt the icing sugar with water and add your favorite color to decorate your cookies with royal icing.

Same as the whipping cream, royal icing apply on cookies or cakes by pipping bag.

Different from whipping cream, royal icing needs to draw. (if you don't know how to draw, practice before you really do it on the cookies)

~FonDANT~

Fondant is made by sugar and sugar and sugar. 

In the past, fondant is not used as rolled fondant to apply on the cake.

People warmed up the fondant and added in their favorite flavor and dipped with cake or marshmallow.

In 1950's, fondant was cool in the fridge and rolled into smooth surface and apply on cake.

Fondant can create a prefect appearance of cakes but is not encourage to eat because of it high sugar level content.

References:

Maggrett, E. (n.d.). The History of Fondant Cakes. Retrieved from eHOW food: http://www.ehow.com/info_8716669_history-fondant-cakes.html

Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Cake. (2010). Retrieved from Wordpress: http://crustabakes.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/strawberry-shortcake-birthday-cake/

                                                                                                                 

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Pick me up

Italian elegant dessert - Tiramisu.

When you first taste the Tiramisu, the feeling can be described as 

An interesting journey of taste.

Scents of the Espresso and wine pass through your nerve every time you breath.

The very first layer covered by a thin layer of bitter-cocoa powder.

Follow by the soft and smooth creamy mascarpone cheese with crispy Savoiardi biscuit (known as "ladyfingers")

The sponge cake fully absorbed Espresso and  Tia maria (the best alcohol for Tiramisu).

Rich but not too much.

From bitter to sweet and aromatic...

Some people said, Tiramisu represents love. And, there a love story behind......

During the dark day, a wife wanted to prepare a cake for her husband who were going for battle.

But, there were nothing left at home. All she could find were the pieces of old dry bread, milk, sugar, flour and alcohol. 

She mixed them together then created Tiramisu.

Husband missed his wife every single time when he ate the Tiramisu made by his beloved wife at home.

When he finished the last bit, he found a note inside, "venire e portarmi via", -take me away...

Tiramisu expressed love of a wife towards her husband. 

In modern day, Tiramisu not only a delicious dessert but also the best way to express your love.

Commonly used as wedding cake. Decorated by strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. Elegant and meaningful.

Tira (pick), mi(me), su(up) 

-Pick me up- 

But, there is a second explanation for 'pick me up'.

Some said pick me up is actually name after the ingredients of Tiramisu that can boost once energy up -

protein, sugar and caffeine!

Image from:

Tiramisu. (2008, Aug 14). Retrieved from Asia Finest Disscussion Forum: http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t170435.html

Simply So Good: Tiramisu Cake. (2012, February 8). Retrieved from Blogspot: http://simplysogood.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/tiramisu-cake.html

References:

Over Caffeinated. (n.d.). Retrieved from Caffeine and the Effects on the Body: http://www.overcaffeinated.org/effects-of-caffeine-on-the-body.php

Black, J. (2007, July 11). The Trail of Tiramisu. Retrieved from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071000327_2.html

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History

Cakes can be categorized as sweet baked dessert or patisserie. Modern cakes are what we normally have today. The combination for cakes are basically flour, eggs, sugar, butter or oil, water or milk, nuts, purees, dried or fruits (flavouring) and yeast or baking powder (leaving agent).

Compared to the olden cakes, the shape was similar with a bread-like. People used to see cakes as a fried breads or cheesecakes with a shape of a disk-like.


Back in historical time, unlike the cakes that we eat today, it was very different. The Egyptians were the first culture who has demonstrated advanced of baking skills according to the food historians. In a country like Britain, the purpose of baking cakes was to serve the rich people who host a banquet. These cakes were meant to be decorated with nice and colourful design.

Around mid 17th century, Europe was the first to bake modern cakes (round with icing) by the ancestors. With all the advanced in technology, especially machinery, most cakes were able to bake by using oven. The Medieval Europe bakers used to bake things like gingerbread and fruitcakes which can be kept for more than several months. During that time, bakers often used cake pans or flat baking trays to place their cake onto it and send into the oven.

In the middle of 19th century, cakes have been improvised into what we have nowadays. Butter-cream frostings became the substitution for traditional boiled icings for the first few decades.

Up until 20th century, in between 1950’s and 1960’s, American housewives would bake cakes for their family or friends with no purpose at all. For today, most of the cakes that we see have improved with skills, technology and creative designs that you can ever imagine. As long as you have the interest in baking, you can bake any shape out of it.


References:

Stradley, L. (2004). Cakes - History of Cakes. Retrieved from Whats cooking America: http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CakeHistory.html

Olver, L. (2000). About Cake. Retrieved from Food Timeline: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html

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