cake

cake,  in general, any of a variety of breads, shortened or unshortened, usually shaped by the tin in which it is baked; more specifically, a sweetened bread, often rich or delicate.

In the codified cuisine of France, all cakes, or gâteaux, derive from one of eight basic doughs: short pastry, flake pastry, sweet pastry, savarin, brioche, baba, chou pastry, and génoise. To these are added an infinite variety of flavouring and decorative ingredients, such as marzipan, sugar icing, spices, fruits, and cremes.

The torte is a very rich cake found throughout Europe, often of numerous thin layers and containing nuts, fruit, creme, and chocolate in combination. The claim to invention of the world-famous chocolate Sachertorte is disputed between two Vienna hotels.

In the United States, cakes usually are made by one of three methods. In the conventional method the sugar and fat are creamed together, the egg added, and a mixture of flour, salt, and baking powder mixed in alternately with the liquid, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. In the quick, dump, or one-bowl method, all the ingredients except the leavening agent are put into a bowl and mixed vigorously (preferably with a power mixer), the ... (200 of 775 words)