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Some of these cakes may be flavoured with chocolate, vanilla, citrus zest or coffee and may have fruit (either fresh or dried) added. When the butter is rubbed into the flour (when there is a smaller proportion of fat to the other ingredients) the texture of the cake is a little coarser. Some examples of this type of cake would be rock cakes and light fruit cakes. The fastest way to make a cake is to use the melted fat method which is proving very
popular. Carrot, zucchini, mashed banana and pineapple cakes fall into this category. Finally there is the method where the eggs are whisked to give a light textured result. Swiss rolls and Angel cakes are good examples of this type of preparation. Cakes such as carrot cake are an excellent source of carbohydrates, phosphorus and vitamin A with also iron, calcium, zinc and thiamin present.
Most of the cake varieties available today have a fairly recent history. However, the Christmas or fruit cake may well have originated from an early Roman cake called Satura made from a mixture of barley mash, dried raisins, pomegranate seeds, pine kernels, condiments and mead. With the advent of various spices becoming available, 14th century German bakers produced new recipes containing ginger, almonds, rose water, nutmeg, cinnamon together
with local honey. The light, fluffy sponge cakes are believed to have originated from a 17th century French cookbook written by François Pierre de la Varenne. Pastry dates back much, much further to the 12th century BC in Egypt. 5 or 6 centuries later the Greeks were baking pastry using flour, honey and sesame seeds. Again one of de la Varenne’s two cookbooks, Le Pâtissier François contained recipes for
all the basic pastry types – shortcrust, puff, choux (made with oil) and pie. Other popular pastries today include filo, flaky, hot water, Kataifi, strudel and suet crust. To name a few international cake/pastry favourites: Middle East – Baklava (a rich pastry filled with nuts and dipped in honey or syrup)
Austria/Hungry - Dobos torte (a caramel topped cake filled with a chocolate-cocoa cream); Sacher torte (a chocolate sponge cake with a little apricot jam); Gugelhupf (a coffee ring); Strudels (made with apples or cherries) Russia - Packha (an Easter special made in the shape of a pyramid of cottage cream cheesecake with candied fruits); Babka (a round coffee cake) |
