If I wasn’t the type of person who enjoys a challenge, I would be worried I bit off more than I can chew with Doa Petrona. Converting the recipes from metric to US standard is more difficult than I imagined. I tried a pizza dough recipe earlier in the week using metric measure and, for some reason, the dough didn’t rise. It’s possible this is because of the weather. I have soapstone counters that hold onto cold, of which we’ve had plenty. The flour was cold, the equipment was cold, and the room was cold. The yeast may have had trouble blooming. Who knows.
I decided to start out in metric or find a way to convert to US standard using a system that accounted for the differences in density across the ingredients. For example, because mini marshmallows, flour, and sugar each have their own density, 100 grams of one isn’t 100 grams of the other (mini marshmallows, 10 cups; flour, 4 cups; sugar, 2.5 cups). I found a site called gourmetsleuth that seemed to take this into account. I decided to try it out with an orange cake recipe from Doa Petrona’s cookbook because, hello, it’s January in California and I have three trees heavy with fruit.
It didn’t work out. According to gourmetsleuth, I needed 3 cups of flour. But was that three cups scooped from the bag, or 3 cups spooned into a measuring cup? That’s what I don’t like about volume measure. I went with scoop, and my dough was far too thick and stiff. Three teaspoons of baking powder converted to 2.6 teaspoons of baking powder and, as you can see from the picture, I think I needed at least the full three teaspoons.
I’m not blaming gourmetslueth entirely. It’s an odd cake recipe, a combination of basic cake and chiffon. The four eggs in the recipe are separated, like a chiffon, but instead of oil you use butter, like a basic cake recipe. The whole point of separating eggs and using oil is to give a (chiffon) cake as much height as possible, where butter adds weight and richness. So separating eggs (height) but adding butter (weight) seems counter-intuitive. Why not just add the eggs whole, one at a time? I stuck to the recipe, just in case I was missing something.
Nope, not missing something. The cake ended up dense and flat, like a pound cake. Rather unattractive, in fact. I admit, I was bummed. I wanted to impress you with something lovely and delicious, and I didn’t think this was it. I whipped up a quick orange glaze, poured it on top, and called it a miss. I’ll keep trying because I’ve got plenty of oranges!
The good thing about living among men is that even a bad cake is good cake. They ate it up and often asked for seconds during the week, and I can’t blame them. The flavor of the cake is outstanding. You can taste the orange, but it isn’t cloying like some fruit-based cakes. It’s worth trying again, if only to see how it tastes when done correctly.
So are there any bakers out there? What do you think happened? If you have any tips on how to convert from metric, or why 3 teaspoons of baking powder converted to 2.61 teaspoons, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Something got lost in translation? I looked at your post about the cookbook and it turns out we have a very similar book here in Spain, with several weeks of planned menus and that sort of thing. When I make chocolate chip cookies I have to convert from US standard to metric, but they usually turn out fine. It’s probably the cold…I’ve tried recipes with yeast over here and sometimes they turn out, other times they don’t, and I think it has a lot to do with the temperature. So, maybe try again, and put the dough in a warm place this time. And if you ever need help translating any more of Do�a Petrona, I’d be happy to help. :)
Thanks! I’m pretty sure the cold did it with the pizza dough, but it’s the orange cake I’m wondering about. What do you think? It’s not a translation issue. I’m a native speaker and of course both my parents are…I’m just not sure the measurements converted correctly on gourmetsleuth. I’m going to try using metric and see what happens.
If it makes you feel better my pizza dough never ever rises. I can make bread with no problem, but for some reason I can’t get pizza dough to rise. I can’t figure out what the problem is.
I can’t imagine what a headache it must be to try to convert from metric while trying to cook. I’ve been trying to convert from regular flour to whole wheat flour and have about developed an aneurysm. I would be a giant failure if I had to convert measurements like that. I think it’s great that you are trying though. Being adventurous in the kitchen is fun even if it doesn’t always work out.
“I have three trees heavy with fruit.”
I have a friend who’s breastfeeding and this is exactly how she described her needing to nurse feeling. Except she has two trees instead of three. If she had 3, we’d call The National Enquirer.
Hah!
When I work from metric recipes, I usually sit down and do the math myself. Not because I don’t trust the internet to do it for me, but more because I’m a little OCD. I have found that, in most cases, the flour should be sifted and then measured or things come out too heavy (the spoon method works well too when I don’t feel the urge to sift). I have also seen sites that covert metric teaspoons in to less standard teaspoons. With this I feel that a teaspoon is a teaspoon, so I use the whole amount listed.
So you sift and then measure by volume/cups or still use metric? I can be a bit compulsive about measurements, too, which is why I love metric so much. A scale is so much more exact that a measuring cup.
I agree with Kristin. Try sifting the flour, then spooning it into the measuring cup. A cup of sifted flour will weigh a bit less than a cup of unsifted flour. Another pesky thing to consider about flour is that its water content can vary quite a bit, according to climate, and even brand. Here in the midwest, my bread often takes less flour (or less liquid) in winter, when flour is drier, and can, therefore, absorb more liquid. One more thing, does she use cake flour, or all purpose flour?
I typically use all purpose flour and measure by cups, as I don’t have a scale.
The recipe says “flour.” I’m trying to think like a 1950s home baker, so I would assume it’s just all purpose flour, although I have cake flour and was tempted to use it. Also, the recipe doesn’t give an over temperature or baking time.
I checked a few recipes for chiffon cake. All of the ones in the ‘Joy of Cooking’ call for sifted cake flour (sift before measuring), although some others, including one in ‘Baking With Julia’ call for AP. Since you have it, cake flour would be worth a try. For oven temp and time, “Joy” says 325 for 55-65 minutes, but I would check sooner and do the toothpick test. Hope that helps. Good luck!
I was thinking that cake looked really darn good! What about weighing everything? Scales are really inexpensive and most bakers swear by the scale:)
That’s what I already do. I was trying to do it this way so I would have a volume-based recipe to share, since most people don’t use scales, but I think I might scrap that idea!
Converting is tough… it seems to me that there is a lot of room for error. I have a scale that has both metric and US and use that as much as possible… it is much easier to be precise and I do like to be precise! :)
I was going to tell you to get a scale, but I see you already have one! I would just stick to that and not bother converting. As sweet as it of you to think of your readers. (But maybe I’m biased because I also have a scale, and will happily use it)
If you want to have volume-based measurements to share with us, why don’t you do both as you’re cooking? Tare your scale to the measuring cup and see how much a cup of flour weighs, or measure to the weight and then see how many cups it is?
I did that with the pizza dough recipe, but since it didn’t work out I tried gourmetsleuth. I think I’m going to go back to that method next time.
Maybe I’m missing something, but why don’t you just get some metric measuring cups and spoons? Then there is no conversion.
http://www.goldaskitchen.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=4577&step=4
oh my….i’m confused by just reading this! (so in other words, i’m not going to contribute any wisdom to the conversion problem.) however, i do think it will be interesting to see how this all turns out through reading your blog!
oh my….i’m confused by just reading this! (so in other words, i’m not going to contribute any wisdom to the conversion problem.) however, i do think it will be interesting to see how this all turns out through reading your blog.
I cannot tell you how to fix the cake, but the photo above is gorgeous!
hmmmm….. i am a pastry chef, and with out seeing the actual recipe, it’s hard to tell you what happened. if it’s a chiffon, usually the eggs are separated, whites to soft peak- and the butter is melted and stirred into the yolks before you add the whites and flour. alternating between folding in the flour and whites is usually the process too, over stirring will deflate it. if you bump or tap the pan before you put it in the oven it can deflate it too.
and as for converting- i would just do the math myself. 28.35 grams are in an ounce. then weigh it accordingly. the only things measured with volume are liquids. is the whole recipe in grams? i’m very very curious!!!!!!!!! in the mean time, i have an orange chiffon cake recipe that is weighed out that is delicious. email me if you would like it! :)