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What's A Cake?

post #1 of 4
7/30/07 at 8:39am
Thread Starter 
Been watching the Food Network challanges, on and off, and I've got a question. Just what is a cake? I'm serious.

I do not come from a baking tradition, and think of a cake as something made of flour, sugar, liquid, eggs, flavorings, all of which gets covered (sometimes) with icing.

Then I watch those artists at work. They are incredible, each and every one of them; combining as they do the skills of baker, sugar worker, sculpter, painter, and engineer. I admire them. I really and truly do.

However, when you start to analyze their creations, and back away the candies, and spun-blown-molded sugar, and fondant, and non-edible support structures, well----I would call what they do confections.

So, I'm back to the basic question: Just how is "cake" defined??
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post #2 of 4
7/30/07 at 8:48am

different rules

the rules of the challenge are made known to the participants.
sometimes cake is 50%, 75% or 85% of the item.
i find it far more compelling when the cake is used instead of the wood structure and rice crispy treats.

that doughnut was a panic on the last challenge and the winners cake really popped with clear cartoon color and many elements... tough to judge!:roll:
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post #3 of 4
7/30/07 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 

Maybe I wasn't Clear

I'm not particularly concerned with the challange rules. That's an artificial environment at best.

What I'm asking is how a cake is defined in the everyday world. Certainly many bakers' show pieces use the same ingredients, materials, and techniques as are used on the challange. But is it still a cake with less than half the total is, ummmmmm, cake?

That's really what I'm trying to find out. What makes a cake a cake?

And I agree about the doughnut, and disagree with the judges' evaluation. I think it truly represented the movie based on its promotion. Ah, well. Not the first time I had to wonder if food network judges were watching the same competition I was.
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post #4 of 4
7/31/07 at 7:22am

Okay

Cake is a bread like baked item made with sugar, flour, eggs, liquids, flavors/colors,leavening....
Cake is a hashed up food product in patty shape ususally fried, like fish cakes...
Cake is a band...
Cake can be leavened or unleavened....
Cake can be a mess in the oven as in "baked on caked on mess."...

A cake should, imho, mostly cake!:bounce:

Piece Monte (sp) is something that incorporates many diciplins of pastry making.
Center Piece, Sculpture, Sugar Piece, Wood Shop ... there are other names to be used.
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