Recipe for a delicious cakeWilliam Pokhlebkin in hisIn the culinary dictionary, he writes that "cupcake" is the English name for various edible confectionery products with a scattered filling in the form of inclusions of raisins, candied fruits or nuts. We agree with the expert's opinion, and we would like to add that in modern cooking there are thousands of cupcake fillings. Here are some of the most popular options: pineapple-coconut, orange-poppy seed, orange-almond, banana-pecan, carrot-dried apricot, oatmeal, vanilla-blueberry, cherry-chocolate, cranberry-walnut, caraway, rhubarb, cottage cheese, pumpkin, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds, dates and nuts, raisins and prunes, apple-spiced, honey-walnut, banana and dates, nut-zucchini, saffron, blueberry-white chocolate and others. Some of the most beloved are butter muffins. They are based on the so-called pound cake (for a pound of flour - a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, an egg). As a result, the dough is tasty, but heavy and dry. Later, the recipe underwent significant changes - the proportions shifted, and new components appeared (baking powder or soda). Now the baked goods are lighter and airier.
A bright representative of butter muffins - the familiar to everyone "Stolichny", classically simple in recipe:
- Rub 130 g of butter with 140 g of sugar,
- add 3 eggs, salt and 1 tbsp. cognac.
- Add raisins (1/2 cup), 1 cup flour with soda into a well-mixed mass and quickly knead the dough.
- Place it in a greased and floured baking dish.
- bake for 60-70 minutes at 190-200°C.
But despite the apparent simplicity, when baking cakes, you need to follow a few rules:
- all ingredients must be at room temperature;
- the butter must be beaten with sugar until it becomes light and airy (it is best to do this using a mixer at high speed for 4 to 6 minutes);
- if the sugar is large enough, you can grind it in a blender;
- It is better to add eggs whole to the butter-sugar mixture, after beating them at medium speed;
- sifted dry ingredients are added to the lastqueue, and in several stages: a third of flour, half a portion of liquid (water, milk, cream, yogurt, flavorings, etc.), a third of flour, the second half of the liquid, the remaining third of flour;
- You should not beat the dough together with the additives for too long - this may make the cake tough and too crumbly.
According to the same Pokhlebkin, muffins in somein the sense of "relatives" to Easter cakes (in composition) and biscuits (in the nature of preparation and shape). However, one would like to argue with this statement: judge for yourself - is it possible to compare, for example, an oatmeal cake (with the addition of flakes) or a tuna cake in its own juice to a biscuit? No. A cake is definitely a special kind of pastry, the recipes for which are as numerous as the stars in the Universe. Shape and content To bake dough with a volume of 1 liter, you will need a rectangular form measuring 19 x 9.5 x 5.5 cm; for 1.5 liters - 21.5 x 11.5 x 7.5 cm; for 2 liters - 23 x 13 x 7.5 cm. As for large round forms, the size 15 x 5 cm will hold 1 liter of dough, 20 x 5 cm - 1.75 l, and a springform form 20 x 6 or 20 x 7.5 is perfect for a large cake (from 2 to 2.5 l).
