Angel Food Cake: Airy and light and
described by some as the “food of the angels”. Angel Food cake is made with no
fat, therefore is cholesterol free, and has a light, fluffy, delicate texture that almost melts in your mouth. Stiffly beaten
egg whites provide the leavening agent, which are gently folded into the other
ingredients. Angel Food Cake is baked in a tube shaped pan that is ungreased,
allowing the cake to raise high by clinging to the sides of the pan, and then
turned upside down after baking so the cake does not collapse while cooling.
You will love this cake simply served plain with fresh fruit and whipped cream,
but you can also split into layers to add a filling, or cover with a light
icing. Example: Angel Food Cake
Bundt Cake: (Pronounced “bunt” with the
“d” being silent.) This cake is baked in a special pan called a Bundt pan, a
ring shaped pan with fluted sided, originally created to prepare German
Kugelhopf cake. National Bundt Pan Day is November 15th. The modern Bundt pan
was developed by the Nordic Ware company in 1950, and its fame rose after a
Pillsbury-sponsored baking contest in 1966. Example: Lemon Sour Cream Cake, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Orange Poppy Seed Cake, Bacardi Rum Cake, Pear Spice Bundt Cake
Charlotte: A Charlotte is made by lining a mold with a biscuit or sponge-type
cake, then filling the mold with a Bavarian or whipped cream mixture, a fruit
mixture, a mousse, or sometimes a gelatine mixture. A Charlotte Royale is made
with multi-layers of sponge cake and jam. Charlotte Russe is surrounded by
ladyfingers. A Charlotte should be made at least 4 hours in advance, and is
served chilled. There are a number of decorative molds available in kitchen
stores, but a spring form pan with a removable bottom may also be used.
Cheesecake: Cheesecake is a rich, creamy, smooth, and dense chilled dessert,
generally made with a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, and flavorings.
Cheesecakes are normally baked in a spring form pan, in a water or steam bath
to keep the cake creamy, and unmolded before serving, Cheesecakes are made with
a pastry, cookie, or graham cracker type crust, but can also be baked without a
crust. Classic cheesecake is a delicious creamy vanilla flavor with the added
tartness of lemon and sour cream, such as found in New York Cheesecake and
served plain or with a topping of whipped cream and berries. There are
unlimited cheesecake flavor possibilities ranging anywhere from chocolate,
coffee, lemon, berry to fruit. Examples: New York Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake, Caramel Apple Cheesecake , Strawberry Cottage Cheese Cake
Chiffon Cake: A tender, moist, and rich
tasting cake made with vegetable oil, along with eggs, flour, sugar and flavoring
and is lovely served with fresh fruit or covered with a creamy frosting. The
stiffly beaten egg whites along with baking soda or baking powder provide the
leavening agent. Chiffon cakes are typically baked in a tube pan; however other
shaped pans may be substituted, such as a heart shaped pan. Examples: Chocolate Chiffon Valentine Cake, Walnut Chiffon Cake
Coffee Cake: Served warm from the oven
with a hot cup of coffee or tea, coffee cake can provide a relaxing respite from a busy day. A coffee cake does
not necessarily contain coffee, but are typically flavored with cinnamon,
apple, nuts, and fruits. Coffee cakes are simple, yet rich and delicious,
perfect for family dinners or when friends drop by. Most coffee cakes have a
crumb or streusel topping made with variations of sugar, nuts, spices, butter,
flour and oats. Examples: Old Fashioned Streusel Coffee Cake, Pear Nut Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Cranberry Coffee Cake, Chocolate Glazed Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Cupcake: Who can resist a cupcake?
Sometimes called “fairy cakes,” these small and delightful cakes are made to
serve one person. Almost any butter cake recipe can be used to bake cupcakes. Before
the modern cupcake pans were developed, small cakes were often baked in
individual pottery cups, leading to the popular term “cupcake.” Today’s modern
baker has the advantage of using a muffin or cupcake pan with or without a
paper liner, or even the more recent innovation of silicone baking cups. Examples: Vanilla Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Gingerbread Cupcakes, Grasshopper Cupcakes, Mocha Cupcakes, Coconut Cupcakes
Dacquoise: (Pronounced da-KWAHZ.) A Dacquoise is a light, crispy nut
meringue, made with no flour, and is baked slowly until crisp and dry. The
meringue is usually piped in discs, and sandwiched together with whipped cream,
mousse, or Buttercream fillings. A Dacquoise is normally made with ground almonds
or hazelnuts to provide a delicious nutty flavor.
Devil’s Food Cake: Devil's food cake is a chocolate cake, but moister and airier than
other chocolate cakes and often uses cocoa for the chocolate flavor. Devil's
food cake incorporates butter, egg whites, flour and less whole egg than other
chocolate cakes and is made using hot or boiling water as the cake's main
liquid instead of milk. This cake is usually baked in layers and filled and
frosted with a rich chocolate frosting.
Flourless Cake: is a European style cake,
also known as a torte. Made either with little or no flour, these cakes instead
are normally made with ground nuts or cookie crumbs plus eggs and butter to
produce a cake with such a rich and delicious flavor that you normally want to
serve in small slices. Examples: Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake, Russian Mazurka, Triple Chocolate Pecan Cake
Fruitcake: These colorful cakes are a wonderful treat associated with the winter
holidays that most people either love or hate. Fruitcake is generally dense and
heavily laden with dried or candied fruit and nuts, and possibly rum or brandy
along with flavorful spices. Because fruitcake is rich, it is normally served
in small pieces. The proportion of fruit and nuts to the cake batter is normally high, having just enough
batter to hold the mixture together. Fruitcakes can be eaten immediately, but
are better when allowed to age by first wrapping in a cloth soaked in rum,
brandy, bourbon, wine, or even fruit juice to preserve the cakes, wrapped
tightly, then stored in a cool dark place. Light fruitcake is made with
lighter-colored ingredients such as granulated sugar, light corn syrup,
almonds, golden raisins, pineapple orange or lemon peels. Dark fruitcakes
include darker ingredients such as brown sugar, molasses, walnuts, pecans,
mincemeat, dates, and dark raisins or currants. Examples: Rich Walnut Fruitcake, Golden Fruitcake
Gateaux Cake: (Pronounced ga-toe.) Gâteau is a French cake, often a sponge type cake,
and often made with ground almonds. Gateaux cakes tend to be fancier, often
served after a special dinner. It is typically made in layers; the cake is
sometimes soaked with flavored syrup to provide extra moistness, layered with
a rich filling, and then frosted with a smooth Buttercream frosting.
Genoise Cake: (Pronounced JenWAHZ.) Genoise is a classic European sponge-type
cake that is less-sweet than other sponge cakes, and may also contain butter to
provide tenderness plus a richer and more flavorful taste. Genoise is a dry
sponge cake, and is normally soaked with flavored syrup to provide extra
moistness. To make Genoise cakes, whole eggs are beaten with sugar while
heating over a pan of simmering water to dissolve the sugar and allow the
mixture to whip higher, holding more air bubbles. After warming, the egg and
sugar mixture is whipped until it is thick, light in color, and billowy like
whipped cream. Lastly flour is folded in and butter may be added. Sponge cakes
must be unmolded as soon as baked; otherwise the steam will soften and collapse
the cake. Example: Black Forest Cherry Torte
Kuchen: (Pronounced COO-hen.) Kuchen in the German word for cake, and there
are different recipe versions available with different fillings and crusts
used. Typically Kuchen uses a sweet dough crust with a topping of fruit or
fruit and custard combined, making Kuchen similar to a pie or a tart. Kuchens
may also have a cinnamon sugar crumb topping. The fruit used in Kuchen is
varied, but apple, plum, prune, apricot, peach and rhubarb are common. Some
Kuchen recipes are similar to an upside-down cake, but the fruit and sugar
mixture goes on top of the cake batter instead of the bottom, and is served
directly from the pan. Kuchen was declared to be the official state dessert of
South Dakota on July 1, 2000. Examples:
Cherry Kuchen, Cranberry Cheese Kuchen
Kugelhopf: A European cake baked in a
special Kugelhopf pan which is a deep, round, tube pan with ornate
fluting. The cake is a sweet yeast cake studded with raisins, nuts, and candied
fruits, and has a round pyramid shape when the cake in unmolded. Examples: Kugelhopf, Fruit and Walnut Kugelhopf
Madeleine: (Pronounced Ma-de-LEHN.) A small and tender French cake that is baked in a special pan called a
Madeleine pan that has deep shell-shaped imprints. The pan must be
generously greased and floured to prevent the delicate cakes from sticking to
the pan. Madeleine’s are sometimes thought of as a cookie, but are actually
little buttery spongy cakes, sometimes delicately flavored with lemon, orange,
or almond.
Meringue: (Pronounced muh-RANG.)Made
from stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar, meringues can be added to a cake
batter to make it lighter, or baked alone until it is crisp and dry. Meringue is wonderful sandwiched between butter cake or sponge
cake layers to produce a cake full of texture and crunchiness. Meringues are
made by beating egg whites and sugar until stiff, then either spread or piped
onto a baking sheet in the desired shape, normally round. Meringue can also be
baked like a pastry shell, making a delightful container to fill with a whipped
cream, ice cream, or fruit. Example: Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Cake
Panforte: (Pronounced pan-FOHR-tay.) This is a traditional Italian dessert
containing fruits and nuts, resembling fruitcake. Panforte means "strong bread" which refers to the spicy flavor.
The original name of panforte was "panpepato" (peppered bread), due
to the strong pepper used in the cake. Most versions contain sugar, honey,
chocolate, nuts, fruit, and spices, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
This candy-like cake is usually made in a round shape. Serve a thin slice with coffee
or a dessert wine after a meal, or enjoy with your breakfast coffee or
afternoon tea. Example: Panforte di Siena
Petit four: These are tantalizingly
small cakes approximately 1 inch square, although the cake may be cut into various shapes such as square, round,
oval, or triangular. Petit fours are traditionally covered with a fondant or
Buttercream icing and decorated with icing flowers or other embellishments. When
displayed on a serving tray they are pretty to look at and difficult to resist.
Pound Cake: Original pound cake recipes
called for either one pound each of eggs, butter, sugar and flour, or the
batter was made using proportions of one-fourth eggs, one fourth butter, one forth sugar and one fourth flour. Today’s pound cakes
may use different proportions with the addition of baking powder or baking soda
and fruit or nuts, and optional flavorings. Pound cakes are typically dense,
rich, buttery, and flavorful, perfect served with a cup of tea or coffee.
Pound cake may be topped with a powdered sugar glaze, dusted with powdered
sugar, served plain, or served with whipped cream or ice cream or with a fresh
fruit topping. Examples: Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Whipped Cream Pound Cake, Blueberry Pound Cake, Southern Pecan Pound Cake, Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
Swiss Roll Cake: Jelly roll, Roll Cake,
Biscuit, Roulade, Roll Cake, Buche de Noel are other names and all included in the Roll Cake recipes, and may be as
simple or as elaborate as you want to make them. Start with a sponge cake
recipe, bake in a jelly roll pan, immediately turn upside down onto a towel
sprinkled with powdered sugar, and then roll it up to cool. When cooled, gently
unroll the cake and fill with your favorite filling such as fruit jams, ice
cream, or sweetened cream cheese or whipped cream. Examples: Pumpkin Nut Cake Roll, Vanilla Cream Roll, Strawberry Roulade, Gingerbread Cake Roll
Shortcake: A pastry or biscuit that
has a high ratio of fat to flour, resulting in a cake that is rich, crumbly,
and tender. Strawberry Shortcake is a simple and delicious dessert, made with
some type of cake such as a sponge cake, biscuit, or cream scone, then layered
with lots of fresh sweet strawberries and sweetened whipped cream. This is a
time-honored summer dessert, and as all-American as Mom’s apple pie. Example: Strawberry Shortcake
Sponge Cake: Sponge cakes are moist and light, with a bit of a spongy texture,
are easily eaten plain without any type of frosting. Sponges are a versatile
cake and made with a minimal of simple ingredients; eggs, sugar, flour and
flavoring. With a typical sponge-type cake the egg yolks and egg whites are
added separately. The egg yolks and sugar are beaten together until thick and
light to incorporate air; the egg whites are beaten separately to stiff peaks, also to incorporate air, and then the
egg whites and flour mixture are gently folded into the egg yolk mixture.
Folding the ingredients in helps retain a light and airy texture to the batter.
Most sponge cakes are made with no butter, and depending on the recipe there
may be a small amount of baking powder added with the flour. A sponge cake
recipe is generally used for making jelly roll-type cakes, baked using a jelly
roll pan; the cake, being light, airy, spongy, and springy is flexible while
still warm and easily rolled. A sponge cake, whether baked in a jelly roll pan
or regular round or square cake pans, must be turned out of the pan as soon as
it is baked, otherwise the cake will easily collapse from the steam. Example: Vanilla Cream Roll
Tea Cake: Tea cakes are pretty and
elegant, traditionally served for afternoon tea, and especially pretty for special occasions such as Mother's Day. Tea
cake is really any kind of cake that is sturdy enough to be picked up with your
fingers. Lemon Tea Cakes are
a butter cake recipe, cut into small squares that have a sweet icing drizzled
over the top and then garnished with fresh fruit or Candied Edible Flowers. Example: Lemon Tea Cakes
Tiramisu: Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian, and because it’s so luscious you
will feel picked up and carried away with bliss. Traditional Tiramisu is layers
of sponge cake, sweet mascarpone cheese filling, coffee liqueur, espresso and
chocolate.
Torrone: A nougat confection,
traditionally served at Christmas in Italy and Spain. It is typically made with
honey, sugar, egg whites and either toasted almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or
walnuts. Torrones are also flavored with orange, lemon, vanilla and almond.
Torte: Torte is the German word
for cake, though it is typically used to describe a moist cake made with many
eggs, and often made with ground nuts or bread crumbs. Tortes may be either a
multi-layered cake or a single layer. Examples: Chocolate Pecan Torte, Walnut Raspberry Torte
Trifle: A trifle is a dessert made
in a deep glass bowl with straight sides. Trifles are typically made with a sponge
cake or ladyfingers that are soaked in a syrup or liqueur and layered with
custard, cream, fresh fruit, or preserves.
Upside-Down Cake: This is an old-fashioned type cake that features a beautiful arrangement
of fruit of top of a butter-type cake. The fruit is placed in the bottom of thepan before baking; once the cake is baked the pan is turned upside to
reveal the glistening fruit. Upside down cakes have traditionally been baked in
a heavy-duty cast iron skillet. With a cast-iron skillet the butter and sugar
for the topping can be heated on top of the stove, while also helping to butter
and sugar to caramelize while baking. In place of a cast-iron skillet a round
baking pan may also be used. Almost any fruit that is used in baking can be used for an upside-down
cake. Pineapple Upside Down Cake is traditional, but apples, pears, pineapple,
rhubarb, peaches, plums and bananas also make a delicious variation. Examples: Spicy Pear Upside Down Cake, Cranberry Upside Down Cake, Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Yeast Cake: Yeast cakes have a bread-like texture and use yeast as a leavener. Several holiday cakes are a yeast cake, many made with fruit and
nuts. Examples: Kugelhopf, Fruit and Walnut Kugelhopf, Panettone, Stollen
The base provides the flavor and the whites provide the "lift". Foods commonly used for the base in a soufflé include cheese, jam, fruits, berries,chocolate, banana and lemon (the last three are used for desserts, often with a large amount of sugar). 
