| Cake making by the melting method really is a piece | | | | is a correct balance of ingredients to start with, |
| of cake because it requires the minimum of effort. | | | | perfect results will follow. |
| This method is specially designed to cope with the | | | | There are no hard and fast rules about the type of |
| extra sweeteners needed to make soft and sticky | | | | flour to use. As a basic guide, plain flour is best used, |
| traditional cakes such as gingerbread. | | | | because then you can control the amount of raising |
| Melting-method cakes have a characteristic tacky, | | | | agent which is important to the mixture. Self-raising |
| sticky texture throughout the cake, and it is this that | | | | flour may be used for certain recipes, but as you |
| has made cake like gingerbread so very popular and | | | | have no control over the raising agent you can never |
| has given them such a high place in traditional baking. | | | | be sure whether it is too much or too little for the |
| This stickiness is achieved by increasing the | | | | purpose of making cakes by this method. Certain |
| proportion of sweetening agents to ether ingredients | | | | brown flours can be used depending on your taste. |
| in the cake. | | | | Never use a strong plain flour (the type |
| To handle the extra volume of sweetener, a special | | | | recommended for bread making), because this will |
| method is used. With this method the fat is melted | | | | produce a tough and heavy-textured cake. You |
| with the sweetener before the flour is added. Before | | | | should never substitute one flour for another in a |
| cooking the cake mixture has a good texture and a | | | | given recipe, because this could upset the overall |
| consistency similar to a thick batter, rather than the | | | | balance. |
| soft topping consistency of cake mixtures made by | | | | Bicarbonate of soda is the raising agent most often |
| the all-in-one or creaming methods. | | | | used in this method of cake making as it combines |
| Like all cakes, the amount and the choice of | | | | successfully with plain flour. When this chemical raising |
| ingredients depend on the method you are using, the | | | | agent is heated, it gives off a carbon dioxide which |
| flavor and the texture you wish to achieve and/or | | | | produces the rise. Baking powder, another chemical |
| the recipe you have chosen. Average proportions for | | | | raising agent, is used where self-raising flour is |
| cakes made by the melting method are one-third fat | | | | included. The quantities are usually small because of |
| to the total amount of flour; one-third sugar to the | | | | the amounts already in a self-raising flour. Baking |
| total amount of flour; and one to two-thirds of | | | | powder is added, nevertheless to boost the rising. If |
| sweetener to the total amount of flour. However, | | | | you are using a brown flour, you must use baking |
| these proportions can vary considerably with | | | | powder in larger quantities than with self-raising flour. |
| individual recipes. | | | | Brown flour is so much heavier than white flour and |
| One extremely important factor when making cakes | | | | needs the extra rise that a larger quantity of baking |
| by this method is the exact weighing of the | | | | powder will give. |
| ingredients for the individual recipes. As long as there | | | | |