[Nfbwv-talk] Blind cooking tips for jam cake

[Koch, Sheri L]

Everyone is interested in what I did to make the jam cake so I'm going to share all the blindness skills I used:

 

Tips for making Jam cake 

 

Egg Whites 

o   Separate eggs using hands; let whites slide through your fingers.  

o   You have to be very gentle but you can actually feel the shape of the yoke if it doesn't break on you

o   When I finished the egg separation I covered the small bowl of yokes with my hand all but one corner and let the rest of the whites I missed pour into my bowl of whites.  

o   I used two different shaped bowls; one for yokes and one for whites so I didn't confuse them 

o   Egg whites should sit out for 30 minutes before using. 

o   Add ¼ cream of tartar to egg whites to stabilize them 

o   Mix on low in dry clean bowl with cry clean beaters for 2 minutes; then on medium for 2 additional minutes.  You can gently touch the top of the whites when done to feel their consistency but I think you really won't need to as this recipe for beaten egg whites works very well.

 

Now for other tips . . . . .

I sprayed my 3 pans with Pam bakers secret which has the oil and flower all together.  Hold nozzle close to center of pan; spray in circular motions gradually moving out to the edge of the pan.  Don't forget to spray the side of the pan and the top.  

 

When mixing in dry ingredients to wet.  Be sure to stop periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  The dry ingredients then to move toward the side of the bowl.  

 

Folding in egg whites. . .

o   Scrape in egg whites toward the center of the bowl.  

o   Take rubber spatula and make a cutting motion down to the bottom of the bowl

o   Bring spatula back up to top and flip it over. 

o   Keep repeating this process.

o   I rotate bowl clockwise until I've covered the entire surface 

o   I then went back and folded the center again to make sure egg whites were incorporated.

 

Filling cake pans:

o   Line pans up side by side 

o   Take 1 cup measuring cup and put 3 cups of batter in each pan 

o   when done, take spatula and spread batter toward edge of pan 

o   Wack pan on counter two or three times to remove bubbles 

 

Frosting. . . .

o   I actually doubled the amount of frosting the recipe called for 

o   Only difficult time I had was knowing when it was boiling.  I kept my hand on the handle to feel when the bubbles started.  

o   Be sure to let caramel completely cool before adding powdered sugar.  

o   I used only 2 cups of sugar for a double icing recipe as it was really sweet.  Next time, I'm going to add cream cheese to see if I can cup the sweetness.

 

Cooling the cakes . . . . 

o   Put pans on rack for 10 minutes before removing the cakes 

o   To remove cakes, put hand in center of cake and flip the pan 

o   Gently place on rack to cool 

 

Frosting the cake. . . . . 

o   Be sure cakes are completely cool

o   I used one cup of frosting for each layer 

o   Fill cup with frosting, and put in center of cake 

o   With frosting knife, take frosting from center of cake to edge; rotating cake clockwise until you've covered the layer 

o   Repeat for next 3 layers 

Stacking the layers. . . . 

o   First and second layers should be flat side up 

o   Last or 3rd layer should be round side up 

o   When placing second and third layer. Cup left hand around top edge of cake and place next layer against your supped hand.  Your thumb and side of your fingers should be facing the ceiling 

o   Gently feel around the cake to see if it's even all the way around.  

o   If not, gently slide in appropriate direction to even it. 

 

Frosting top and sides 

o   Use same technique for frosting the top

o   Put cup of frosting in center of cake 

o   With frosting knife gently spread to edge while rotating cake clockwise.  

o   For sides, take frosting knife and load it with frosting then spread from top to plate rotating cake clockwise. 

o   I had trouble with the sides because my pans sides were not straight up and down

o   Next time I make it, I'm only going to frost top of layers; like you do with a German Chocolate Cake.

 

Ok, now I'll take any question you have.  Hope this helped. 

 

 

Sheri Koch, MS, CRC 

WVDRS 

Program Specialist 

Blind & Visually Impaired Services

4701 MacCorkle Ave., SE

Charleston, WV  25304 

sheri.l.koch at wv.gov 

Phone:    (304) 356-2380 Ext. 55322

FAX:  (304) 926-1740

 

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