Lotus Cake: The Most Delicious Cake You've Ever Tasted

Ingredients

• Eggs: 4 pieces

• Sugar: 200 grams

• Pastry white flour: 280 grams

• Butter: 100 grams

• Milk: 250 milliliters

• Lotus cream: 2 heaping tablespoons

• Baking powder: 2 teaspoons

• Vanilla: 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

To prepare this delicious cake, first, place the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a suitable bowl. Beat them with a high-speed electric mixer for 5 minutes until they become creamy and stretchy.

In the next step, mix the room-temperature butter with milk and Lotus cream. Pour the mixture into a pot and heat it on the stove until it becomes hot and the ingredients are fully combined. Then, add this warm mixture to the beaten eggs and sugar. Mix immediately at high speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute until smooth.

Finally, gradually add the flour and baking powder, which you’ve already mixed and sifted three times, into the cake batter. Use a spatula or a hand whisk to gently fold the mixture in one direction until fully combined.

Now, pour the batter into a 25 cm cake mold and place it in a preheated oven at 180°C for 45 minutes until the cake is baked and rises nicely.

After baking, remove the mold from the oven and let the cake cool completely. Then, remove the cake from the mold and decorate it with Lotus cream that has been softened over steam. Enjoy your cake!

Top Tips for Baking the Perfect Cake at Home

Baking a cake at home can be both a rewarding and enjoyable experience, but achieving bakery-level results requires attention to detail and a few expert tips. Whether you're a novice baker or someone with experience, these essential guidelines will help ensure your homemade cakes rise to perfection every time.

1. Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature
One of the most overlooked steps in cake baking is allowing ingredients, such as eggs, butter, and milk, to reach room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients can affect the texture and consistency of the batter. Experts recommend taking them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before starting. Additionally, dry ingredients like flour and cocoa powder should be sifted three times to remove lumps, incorporate air, and create a lighter, fluffier cake texture.

2. Accurate Oven Temperature is Crucial
Oven temperature can make or break a cake. Preheating is essential, and the temperature should match the recipe's specifications before placing the batter inside. However, ovens can vary, and the displayed temperature isn’t always accurate. Experienced bakers often rely on an oven thermometer to ensure precision. For gas ovens, increasing the temperature by about 10°C can compensate for variations.

3. Measure Ingredients Precisely
Baking is a science, and precision is key. A digital kitchen scale is highly recommended for measuring ingredients accurately. While measuring cups are a common alternative, they can be less reliable if dry ingredients are compacted. For best results, spoon dry ingredients like flour into the cup and level them off without pressing them down.

4. Beat Eggs Properly
Improperly beaten eggs are one of the main culprits behind cakes with an eggy smell. During mixing, periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all parts are evenly incorporated. No amount of vanilla or flavoring can mask poorly mixed eggs, so thorough beating is essential.

5. Choose the Right Cake Pan Size
The pan size directly impacts how a cake bakes. Ideally, the batter should fill about two-thirds of the pan, leaving enough space for rising. Choosing the right size pan may require some trial and error, but with experience, it becomes second nature.

6. Consider Pan Material
Cake pans come in various materials, but galvanized pans are often recommended for their affordability, durability, and even heat distribution. They’re widely available and come in many shapes and designs to suit different recipes.

7. Resist the Urge to Open the Oven Door Early
Patience is vital when baking a cake. Opening the oven door within the first 30 minutes can cause temperature fluctuations, resulting in a cake that fails to rise properly.

8. Use High-Quality Ingredients
No baking tip can compensate for low-quality ingredients. Even if every step is executed flawlessly, substandard flour, butter, or cocoa can affect the final outcome. Investing in high-quality ingredients is a surefire way to enhance texture, flavor, and overall presentation.

Whether you're baking for a special occasion or simply indulging your sweet tooth, these expert tips are your recipe for success. Happy baking!