In a new version of 'The Cake Bible,' Rose Levy Beranbaum updates a culinary classic
Nov 19, 2024
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Rose Levy Beranbaum, the esteemed author behind the revolutionary cookbook "The Cake Bible," shares her insights on baking in today's culinary landscape. She discusses the evolution in baking techniques, like the shift to weight measurements and reverse creaming. Beranbaum highlights common mistakes beginner bakers make and offers tips for simplification, focusing on ingredient selection and measurement accuracy. Additionally, she shares the story behind a chocolate cake named after Plácido Domingo, connecting baking with emotional resonance in people's lives.
Rose Levy Beranbaum's updated edition of The Cake Bible adapts baking techniques to modern ingredients and equipment, emphasizing precision in measuring by weight.
The revised Cake Bible simplifies baking for beginners by introducing the reverse creaming method and highlighting the emotional connections fostered through baking.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Baking Techniques
Baking has seen significant advancements since the release of The Cake Bible, particularly with the introduction of new techniques and tools. Rose Levy Berenbaum emphasizes the importance of weighing ingredients instead of measuring by volume, which ensures precision and consistency in baking. The revised edition acknowledges changes in both ingredients, such as the reduced size of egg yolks due to younger laying hens, and equipment, notably the height of cake pans, which impacts the final product. These details are crucial for achieving the desired texture and flavor in baked goods, illustrating how even small variations can lead to different outcomes.
Simplifying the Baking Process
The revised edition of The Cake Bible aims to make baking more accessible, especially for beginners. Berenbaum introduces the reverse creaming method, which streamlines the mixing process by combining butter with dry ingredients first, reducing cleanup and preparation time. Additionally, she provides specific guidelines for using various oils and emphasizes the importance of proper cooling times to avoid cake mishaps. These strategies help simplify the baking experience while ensuring delicious results, encouraging novices to explore the art of cake making.
Connecting Through Cakes
Berenbaum highlights the emotional connections formed through baking, as her work has resonated with countless individuals, inspiring them on their culinary journeys. She notes that her favorite accomplishment is the ability to change lives through her recipes, which has fostered a community of baking enthusiasts. The heartfelt anecdote about the White Lilac Nostalgia Cake illustrates how her creations have been celebrated and elevated in literature, further cementing the cultural significance of baking. Berenbaum's dedication to her craft and her readers reflects a deep passion for connecting people through the joy of cake.
When Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible was first published in 1988, it took the baking world by storm. It was the first cake book to list ingredients by weight instead of volume and also introduced the technique of reverse creaming. Now, 35 years later, Beranbaum has released a new version of The Cake Bible. The update includes altered recipes that keep pace with changes to ingredients and equipment over the past few decades, like taller cake pans and smaller egg yolks. In today's episode, Beranbaum speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about the biggest mistakes for beginner bakers to look out for, the author's recent preference for simple design, and a chocolate cake named after Plácido Domingo.
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