Baking Tips Are Frosting on the Cake

Microwave ovens have gotten bad press when it comes to cakes. Unfairly, we think. It’s true they do a lousy job of “baking” angel food and chiffon cakes that set before they can rise. But butter cakes are another story. So what if they don’t brown. With a cover-up glaze, who will know? Or care?

There are ways to fake a crust, too. You need only to grease a pan well with vegetable shortening, unsalted butter or margarine, then coat evenly with graham cracker, vanilla wafer or gingersnap crumbs. Never use minced nuts, (they turn rubbery), flour (it leaves an ugly scum), nonstick sprays (they splotch) or oil (crumbs don’t stick to oiled pans).

Because microwaving is such a revolutionary way of cooking, it represents other cake-baking problems, too. Luckily, they’re easy to solve.

In the Round

Failure to cook evenly: Most cakes microwave best in round pans, tubes or fluted rings. Use made-for-microwave pans or glass ovenware casseroles of the right size and shape. To help cakes microwave uniformly, you should also:

--Fill pans no more than half full, spreading batter smoothly and rap pan lightly on counter to expel air bubbles.

--Use a turntable and center it on oven shelf or elevate on shallow bowl. If you have no turntable, rotate cake pan as recipes direct.

--Microwave cake, uncovered, as near to the middle of oven as possible.

--Begin cakes on MEDIUM (50% power) to allow slow, even rising, then finish on HIGH (100% power) to firm them.

Fruits sinking to bottom: Only finely minced fruits will stay afloat during first stages of microwaving when batters tend to thin.

Loosen the Sides

Stickiness or moistness: Being crustless, microwaved cakes are unusually tender, so always let stand and/or cool as recipes direct. When turning out, loosen sides gently to bottom of pan, easing cake away from pan to allow steam to escape. Invert on serving plate to cool (cake will stick to rack).

Failure to remain moist: Paradoxically, cakes that seem sticky when removed from the oven, dry out quickly on cooling. To minimize, loosely cover with paper toweling before cooling. All microwaved cakes should be stored in airtight containers.

Failure to frost evenly: Microwaved cakes crumble easily, so seal in crumbs with a light wash of frosting, thinning frosting as needed with water to make it spread evenly. Let this coating dry at least 10 minutes before proceeding. If cooled cake is too soft to frost, refrigerate, uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.

WALNUT-GLAZED BROWN SUGAR POUND CAKE

2 cups sifted flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 to 2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup walnut halves or pieces

Sift flour with baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside.

Cream butter in bowl until light. Gradually add sugar, creaming until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at time. Mix in flour mixture and beat just until smooth. Spread batter evenly in greased 9-inch (8-cup) microwavable ring mold and tap lightly on counter.

Center mold on oven rack or elevate on shallow bowl and microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50% power) 10 minutes, rotating 180 degrees at half time. Again rotate 180 degrees and microwave on HIGH (100% power) 2 to 3 minutes until wood pick inserted midway between rim and center comes out clean (any small moist areas will dry on standing).

Let cake stand in upright mold, uncovered, 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake to bottom of mold, invert on plate, ease out and cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, syrup and 1 tablespoon water in 1-quart measure. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 1 minute. Mix well and microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM 30 to 60 seconds until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth (do not boil).

Stir in vanilla and additional 1 tablespoon water if needed to make glaze pouring consistency. Spoon glaze evenly over cooled cake, letting run down sides, then quickly arrange nuts on top. Cool until glaze hardens. Makes 16 servings.

Note: In ovens of less than 600 watts, increase cooking times about 15%.