Why are my rusks crumbly?
Rusks will be crumbly if the liquid, fat, flour ratio is incorrect or if the mixture is too dry.
FAQ
Baking Techniques
When making cupcakes a day in advance, which icing is best to use?
A butter icing (made with Stork Bake) would hold best.
What is the best baking chocolate?
Cadbury’s and Beacon are quite good and reasonably priced. You could also find some really great tasting chocolate at your local baking shops that you might want to save for special occasions.
What is 350F ºC?
350F is 180ºC.
Is it possible to freeze a cake after baking and then defrost it at a later stage?
You can freeze your cake after baking. You would just need to wrap it well before freezing and defrost it naturally on a cake cooler unwrapped ie: do not microwave it.
How long does it take for fondant to dry?
The length of time it takes for fondant to dry depends on your location and how thick the fondant is rolled. For example, it will take longer if you are near the coast and in a humid area. But generally it should take two to three days.
How do I prevent the crumbs from sticking to my icing when icing a cake?
Crumbs will only stick when the icing is too hard or sticky. Therefore, to prevent this you need to make a softer icing.
How do I prevent holes from appearing in cakes?
If holes appear in your cakes, you have either not mixed the cake mixture enough or the oven temperature is too high.
How do I prevent baking chocolate from getting thick when melting?
It is important when melting chocolate to not let it get too hot. When melting chocolate in the microwave, be sure to stir every 10 seconds. It is possible to add oil to chocolate (15ml oil to 180g melted chocolate), however it will not be suitable for dipping after this but can be used for incorporating into baking (brownies, cakes, cookies).
How do I melt chocolate?
To melt chocolate you can use a double boiler over the stove top or just melt it slowly in a clean stainless steel pot. A few pointers when melting chocolate, is to ensure that you use a clean dry container for the melting as well as a metal spoon.
How do I make rich dark chocolate icing?
You can make a rich dark chocolate icing by mixing your cocoa with some boiling water to make a paste. You then add this to the cake mix or icing like. Cocoa paste gets added to the marge of the icing once it has been beaten before adding icing sugar. If you are making a cake, where you cream your marge and sugar, you would add the cocoa paste at this stage (It should be the consistency of ultramel custard). If making a cake where you beat your eggs and sugar until light and creamy, add the cocoa paste to the rest of your liquids that you are going to add to your cake.
How do I make icing go further?
Glace icing usually goes further when you mix a little Stork Bake (melted) and boiling water with icing sugar to make a pourable icing.
How do I make Fondant?
To make Fondant you need to mivx 1 1/2 tablespoons liquid glucose with 1 egg white. Add enough icing sugar to make a pliable but not sticky mixture. When rolling or shaping animals, use white holsum (just enough to lightly coat your hands). When smoothing on the cake, use corn flour.
How do I ensure my cake comes out level and not risen in the middle?
A cake rising too high in the middle is mostly caused by there being too much air in the mixture. Dropping your cake/cupcake tin when you have poured in the batter should help with getting more even rising from your cake. A short drop of 3-5cm onto the table should do the trick.
How can I prevent my baked bread from having a hard crust?
Bread will stay softer on the crust if you have some moisture in the oven. You can do this by placing a bowl of hot water in the oven below the bread. Alternatively you can cover it with a damp cloth when it comes out of the oven so that it does not dry out or crisp.
Do I need to grease/paper a silicon baking pan?
Yes, it is advisable to spray a silicone baking mould with spray and cook.
Can I use Marzipan icing on carrot/sponge cakes?
Yes, you can use marzipan on any cake, sponge, carrot or fruit.
Baking tips for gas oven
Gas ovens are quite erratic, so the best tip we can provide is to ensure you preheat the oven and place your cake on the rack in the middle of the oven.
Specific Ingredients
Where do you I get palm sugar?
You can purchase palm sugar at Chinese stores.
Where do I get the Stork Bake from?
Stork Bake is available in all major outlets – Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Checkers stores.
What is vegetable shortening?
Vegetable shortening is something like Stork, which is vegetable based.
What is unsalted butter?
Unsalted butter is butter with no salt added. For recipes requiring ‘unsalted butter’ you can actually use regular butter as nowadays it is not so salty anymore.
What is stork bake?
Stork Bake is Stork’s baking margarine. It adds a rich, creamy texture to baked goods and is designed to make your cakes light and fluffy.
What is semolina?
Semonlina is a type of starch. It is the granular milled product of durum wheat. In our Stork Coconut Ice recipe the Semolina adds to the texture.
How do I make a caramel topping for a chocolate cake?
You can melt 1 slab of milk chocolate and beat it together with a can of caramel treat. This works really well.
Can we use rose essence instead of rose water?
You can use rose essence but you would need to dilute it in water first. So 5ml of rose essence would need to be dissolved in a 1/4 cup of water.
Can I use red food colouring instead of red gel when making Red Velvet Cake?
It is recommended to use red gel colouring as it is 10 times more concentrated than regular food colouring.
Substitutes in Baking
What is the substitute for Shortening?
Shortening is margarine or the non liquid “fat” part of your recipe.
What is the substitute for baking soda?
Baking soda is a raising agent, so baking powder can be used instead.
What can I substitute Oats for?
Generally you could substitute Oats for Coconut or slightly crushed Cornflakes.
What can I substitute for White vegetable shortening?
Stork Bake will be a suitable replacement for white vegetable shortening. For every cup of vegetable shortening, use one cup + 2 tablespoons of Stork Bake.
What can I substitute for self-raising flour?
You can use regular flour mixed with baking powder to replace self-raising flour. For every cup of flour, mix with 1.5 – 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
What can I substitute eggs for in a recipe?
Generally you can replace 1 extra large egg with 1 tablespoon vinegar, but if there are more than 2 eggs in a recipe, the vinegar taste becomes overpowering. Please note, if the eggs need to be separated and the whites stiffly beaten, you cannot replace the eggs.
