Gelatine or agar-agar?
Gelatine (animal) and agar-agar (vegetable) are the best-known gelling agents used to thicken, stabilise and shape sweet and savoury dishes. The question often arises about advantages and disadvantages, professional use and qualitative differences. Information on gelatine and agar-agar simplifies the choice and guarantees problem-free handling of the corresponding gelling agent.
Gelatine is an animal product and is obtained from bones. It is commercially available in the form of sheets. Gelatine leaves must be soaked in cold water for five minutes before use and then squeezed out before mixing into the liquid. Gelatine is suitable for thickening cold and warm liquids.
Vegetarian agar-agar is obtained from red algae and is particularly suitable for gelling hot liquids, as it needs to be brought to the boil to become gellable. For making panna cotta, gelatine can therefore easily be replaced by agar-agar. Agar-agar is available in the baking department of larger grocery shops or in health food shops. The gelling power of commercially available products can vary and it is advisable to do a gelling test before use.
Why doesn’t my cake rise properly?
Incorrect stirring time: Both too short and too long a mixing time can cause cakes not to rise. Butter and sugar should always be mixed until creamy and then the eggs should be mixed in one at a time, whereas flour and baking powder should only be mixed in until a homogeneous dough is formed.
Wrong amount of baking powder: A lot helps a lot? Not always! If you add too much baking powder, the cake will rise quickly but then collapse again. In addition, the raising agent leaves an unpleasant taste.
Let the dough stand too long: Baking powder reacts as soon as it comes into contact with liquid. Therefore, the dough should not be left to stand for too long, but should be baked as soon as possible. The following applies here: Always preheat the oven in good time!
Open the oven door: Too much impatience is not good for a sponge cake – if the oven door is opened too early, the pastry will collapse again due to the sudden drop in temperature.
