What is a Shortened Cake?

Shortened cakes, also known as butter, conventional, or creamed cakes, are the most commonly prepared types, especially for birthday and wedding celebrations. Shortened cakes consist of fat, eggs, and a leavening agent.

What do you need for shortened cakes?

Fat - Improves texture, tenderness, and keeping the quality of the cake. Fat consists of margarine, shortening, or butter.

Eggs - Improve color and texture of a cake. Usually for shortened cakes they use 2-3 eggs.

Leavening agent - Makes the cake rise. Shortened cakes, they are risen chemically. They use baking soda and/or baking powder.

Mixing Method

Shortened cakes use the conventional method.

• Cream together the fat and the sugar
• Beat in the eggs.

• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and leavening agent.
• Alternately add the dry ingredients with the liquid in three equal parts, begin and end with the dry ingredients.

• Stir until ingredients are well blended.

Recipe

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/8051/four-egg-yellow-cake/

This is a recipe that uses the conventional method, that includes shortening, fat, and eggs. Also it is an example of an chocolate yellow cake. It includes all of the mixing methods that you need to make a shortened cake, and it is very easy to make, while it doesn't take that long either.

Video

This video below shows how to make a shortened cake so you don't miss a step. It follows all the rules to make a shortened cake including using eggs, fat, and a leavening agent. Very simple to follow, with the directions on the screen for you to follow along with.

Sources

• "Yellow Cake Recipe." YouTube. N.p., 28 July 2008. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.
• Carolyn, Cookinginflorida, Jen In GA, Naples34102, April A., VENUS C. BANKS, Lori, Nelliehaw, Realitygirl00, and Jillian. "Four Egg Yellow Cake Recipe." Allrecipes. N.p., 17 June 2007. Web. 04 Feb. 2017.
• Jennifer Segal, Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge. "Whisking Dry Ingredients." Once Upon a Chef. N.p., 25 June 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.
• "Mixing Eggs." Pecan Pie. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2017.
• Https://www.craftybaking.com/images/uploads/old/Ultimate%20Chocolate%20Butter%20Cake%20(UCBC)_0.gif. CraftyBaking, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2017