March 21, 2014 - 8:09am
Baking a cake in a steamed oven
So, despite my best efforts to search for information regarding baking a cake (in the oven) with steam, I can't find anything.
I know one can 'bake' a cake on the range over simmering water. However, I was thinking a similar tactic could be utilized in the oven.
I would guess that baking a cake at the usual temperature and time would be enhanced by steam--slightly more oven spring, less drying of the edges of the cake. Has anyone tried this? Would it work? Or will I end up with a not-so-great final product?
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I've never thought of baking a cake with steam! Maybe you could try it and let us know how it turns out! I doubt it could be too disastrous, and it may even turn out to be a revolutionary way to bake cakes that are more moist and delicious. I'm curious now, myself. I don't have a steam oven, but I guess I could try boiling water in the bottom, like I do for bread. Hmmm...
I've heard of lots of steamed cake type items in Asian cuisine (eg mantou?). I haven't made any myself, though I imagine you'd be about right with the oven spring (rise?) and less dry. In regards to the less dry, I would assume nearly no crust would form, or at least a very thin soft one. I did once make a cake in my rice cooker and it had those characteristics - very tall, moist, little to no browning and no crust.
A cake is a totally different animal from a bread (I don't mean quick breads which are cakes, too). You want your cake rise, too, but not develop an oven spring like a bread, or cracking wide open.
Little to no browning and no crust, as ccsdg says, is very undesirable for most cakes, unless they have a more pudding-like consistency, like cheese cake filling. Even for the moistest cake you want a little bit of a flavorful crust - at least I do.
Karin
million hits on google under: steamed cake
Brings back all kinds of scrumptious memories. Most of the recipes could be used in a steam oven.