Baking cake with pan of water?!
Answers: I might be crazy but I think I heard that if cakes keep splitting to bake them with a pan of water in the oven so that they stay more moist. Is this insane or did I actually hear this somewhere?
It's called a "Bain Marie" and is a gentle way of baking delicate things.
A bain marie is a utensil and a cooking technique. One container with food to be cooked is placed in another, larger pan containing water that is at the simmering point. This method of cooking surrounds the food with very gentle heat and is used for cooking delicate dishes like custards or white sauces, or melting chocolates.
yes, you heard correctly
that is usually for cheesecakes - I usually fill up my roasting pan and stick it on the rack below my cheesecake... not the cake directly in the pan... I've never had a cracked cheesecake using this technique
yes
This is called a water bath, or bain-marie. It's not really necessary for cakes but usually used for cheesecake, as it creates a nice moist environment during cooking time in the oven. This is the secret to prevent your cheesecakes from cracking! An easy way to make one is this: wrap the bottom of your springform pan several times in aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in. Place it on a cookie sheet, stick in the oven, and pour hot water into the cookie sheet )an inch or so deep).
baine marie is the name...i think....you also do this when cooking flan....spelling might be off
I do this when baking Christmas cakes, keeps the cake moist, prevents it from spilting, and also keeps the bottom of the cake from burning (Xmas cake takes a long time to cook)
yup you can do that, i would always see my grandma do it, i've tried it before, once...im pretty sure its called water bath or bain-marie
its called a water bath...but i don't think it makes the cake more moist...the ingredients you put in your recipe make the cake moist...the water bath is usually used for cheesecakes. To get a good idea of a water bath you can watch an episode, they did a water bath for a cheesecakes and ...it turned out PERFECT.