 So many cakes, so little time. This delectable mousse cake with a caramel topping is from FinancierPastries.com.
June 2008
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Cake Glossary
Page 3: D, E & F
There are thousands of different types of cakes in the world today; each culture has its specialties, most of which never reach our shores. Here, we present some of the more popular types one is likely to encounter—or at least hear about—in the U.S. If your favorite isn’t represented, tell us about it. After you’ve checked out the cakes, take a look at our other food glossaries—an easy way to get up to speed on more than fifty different food categories. Most related to this Cake Glossary are our Chocolate Glossary, Custard Glossary, Dessert Sauce Glossary, Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts Glossary and Sugar Glossary.
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This glossary is protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in whole or part.
DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE and RED DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
 A rich, chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting. The cake is made with chocolate, not cocoa; the chocolate has a much higher fat content and thus provides more richness. This is what distinguishes a devil’s food cake from a regular chocolate cake, which is typically made with cocoa powder; some recipes also contain light brown sugar. According to the Oxford Companion to Food, the cake originated in the U.S. in the 20th century (the first printed recipe is from 1905). The addition of baking soda to a regular chocolate cake recipe causes the cocoa powder to redden, and hence gives the cake a red cast. Such recipes, made with cocoa powder, were called “Red Devil’s Food Cake.” Often, devil’s food cake is confused with red velvet cake, also called red devil’s cake, which has a reddish color and only a mild flavor of cocoa. The two are not the same. See Red Velvet Cake.
This devil’s food cake recipe was baked in a heart shape for Valentine’s day.
DOBOS TORTE or DOBOSH TORTE
 The Dobos (pronounced Dobosh) Torte is one of Hungary’s most famous cakes, created by József C. Dobos (1847-1924) in 1884. It is a five-layer sponge. The sponge is flavored with lemon, saffron or vanilla, filled with chocolate buttercream and topped with a layer of caramel (which helps to seal in the moisture). The buttercream-frosted sides of the cake are typically coated with ground nuts.
Photo of Dobos Torte by Hu Toya, courtesy of
Wikipedia.
DOUGH
See Batter.
ELECTION CAKE or HARTFORD ELECTION CAKE
A classic fruitcake or plum cake baked on Election Day. The tradition dates back to the late 1700s in Connecticut. In those days, representatives from the various towns gathered in Hartford to cast and count the votes for state offices. Election Cakes were made to serve the out-of-town lodgers. Fruit cakes were less perishable, could be made in advance and held up through the procedures.
FILLING
Layer cakes can be sandwiched with a variety of sweet fillings. Some common fillings are buttercream, cream cheese, custard ganache, jam, lemon curd, liqueur-flavored buttercream or whipped cream (amaretto, Grand Marnier, e.g.), nut-flavored buttercream or whipped cream (hazelnut, pecan, pistachio, walnut, e.g.) and pure whipped cream.
 FINANCIER
A French tea cake made from a sponge-like batter of brown butter, egg whites, flour, toasted ground almonds and powdered sugar. They are traditionally baked in a boat-shaped mold, but can take other shapes, like the financiers in the photo at left. In recent years, they have been elevated from tea time to be frequently found on the dessert menus of fine restaurants, with a variety of garnishes.
Financiers from Tisserie.com.
FLOUR
Different types of flour are milled for different baking purposes. Protein content and gluten content will affect elasticity. The higher the protein content, the harder the flour. Bleaching produces a lighter, more aesthetic color.
- All-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached) is a blend of hard and soft wheats and has a protein content of 10% to 11%. It is ideal for hearty cookies, like chocolate chip and oatmeal, and some pastries.
- Bread flour, made from hard wheat, has a protein content of up to 15%. It is not used for cakes, but for chewy breads.
- Cake flour is made from bleached soft wheat, has a low gluten content and has a protein content of 7% to 8%. It creates a white cake with a delicate crumb, and is preferred for delicate cookies.
- Pastry flour has a moderate gluten content and a protein content of 8.5% to and 9.5%. It is used for many cakes and pastries.
FLOURLESS CAKE
 There are different types of flourless cake. One substitutes ground nuts for wheat flour. While the cake does not rise as high (it is more at a level with a German torte), the cakes are just as delicious and can be enjoyed by people with gluten allergies. Angel food cake is made only of egg whites (plus sugar, cream of tartar, salt and flavoring). Meringue cakes are also made only of egg whites, but unlike airy angel food cake, the meringue is a hardened form.
This flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake
by David Glass is available at Zabars.com.
FOAM CAKE
A category of cake that includes airy cakes with little (if any) fat and a spongy texture; for example, angel food, biscuit (the European term for sponge), chiffon, génoise, meringue, roulade and sponge. These cakes have a high proportion of eggs to flour and no added fat, and, except for chiffon cakes, are leavened only by the air beaten into the eggs.
FONDANT (ROLLED & POURED)
Fondant is a coating for cakes that is made from sugar and water cooked to the soft-ball stage, then stirred or beaten to a creamy mass. It dries to a smooth, opaque matte finish and can be colored and/or flavored (chocolate or coffee, e.g.) or left white. It is formed into  a dough, rolled out and laid over elaborate cakes (typically wedding cakes) or petit fours. It not only gives the cakes a smooth and elegant appearance, but acts as a preservative and protection: The dense fondant keeps the cake underneath moist for the extra day it may take to assemble and transport. Also, fondant does not mar easily like buttercream if it should be accidentally touched. While some people do not care for the thickness or flavor of fondant, it should be noted that commercial fondant, bought already prepared by many cake makers, does not achieve the quality of made-from-scratch fondant (it can be flavorless and gummy). Homemade fondant can be addictively delicious, especially to people who like marshmallows (think of marshmallows made by a fine confectioner versus the dry, flavorless mass-marketed varieties). Another type of fondant, poured fondant, is very smooth and shiny and typically used for decorating and filling cakes and pastries. There are still other types of baking fondant (such as sculpting fondant); and fondant has even more, very different, meanings in the world of confection. Read about them in our Chocolate Glossary.
The c hocolate fondant covering this cake can be purchased on Amazon.com.
 FRAISIER
After the French word for strawberry, fraise, “le fraisier” is a classic French cake made with a sponge cake (génoise) base brushed with kirsch liqueur. The cake is filled with buttercream and fresh strawberries, which are generally sliced and placed to make an appealing design. Variations use mousseline and Grand Marnier or other liqueur. The classic is topped with a red almond paste or Italian meringue.
This delicious fraisier is from Tisserie.com.
FRANGIPANE or FRANGIPANI
An almond-flavored pastry cream created in the 16th century by the Marquis Frangipani, a major general under King Louis XIV. It is a thick type of crème pâtissière, mixed with powdered almonds or crushed macaroons. It is also used as a filling for tarts and crêpes. Frangipane is the French spelling, frangipani the Italian.
FROSTING
Frosting, used to cover the top and sides of a cake, and often as a filling between the layers, is typically made from sugar plus a fat such as butter and/or milk or cream. It is generally flavored with vanilla extract or other flavoring—cocoa powder, coffee, lemon, lime, orange, strawberry, etc. A vanilla frosting can be colored with food coloring, which adds gaiety without additional flavor. The difference between frosting and icing is that icing is made with confectioner’s sugar (also called icing sugar), but the two words are often used interchangeably.
FRUITCAKE 
Fruitcakes are dense spice cakes packed with dried fruits, including raisins, and nuts. Brandy, sherry or whiskey can be added. The forerunners of fruitcake date back to Roman times; they evolved during the Middle Ages and became extremely popular by the 19th century, becoming the cake of choice to celebrate weddings and Christmas. Today, there is an industry in mass-produced Christmas fruitcakes with glazed dried fruits (notably, bright red and green cherries, diced citron, pineapple, orange and lemon peel) that are unappealing, re-gifted, and have become a comedian’s joke. An artisan or homemade fruitcake, made with top ingredients, is a gourmet delight.
This organic fruitcake is from FrogHollow.com, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.
 FUNNEL CAKE
Not a cake but a fried dough cookie topped with powdered sugar. Funnel cake is a Pennsylvania Dutch specialty that has become popular at fairs and ballparks.
Photo of funnel cake courtesy of Wikipedia.
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