Layers of research

I can't remember when I baked my first cake.

I do know that is what I made the first time I worked in a kitchen. And when I mean, "work," I mean, an underfoot nuisance. There are family photos of me licking wooden mixing spoons after the batter was poured into pans. Man, those were good days ...

Cake can make the most mundane, ordinary lunch or dinner seem fulfilling. It's always the cherry on top of the meal sundae. It can be Brussel sprouts and liver, but hey, if cake is waiting at the end, it's a journey worth traveling.

Growing up, cake mix, eggs and milk (yes, and some oil) were always easily attainable, so I baked. I am sure I went through the whole supermarket inventory, plucking a box off the rack and heading home to heat up some pans.

I baked in grade school. In 4-H club. Through high school and right through college.

I guess you could call me the sheet cake king. I could have probably been a baker my entire life and been very content.

But something struck me a few days ago. The wife and I were watching television and there must have been some commercial that mentioned Devil's Food cake.

I wondered out loud where that term came from. The wife shot one of her "don't ask me" looks from across the room.

Hmmm... Seems it's time to do some research.

n The Devil's in the details: I come to find out that the term "deviled" actually refers to foods that are meant to be rich or heavily spiced (such as Deviled eggs). The chocolate used is richer and the frosting darker than regular chocolate cake.

The satanistic reference comes from the temptation of the foods, as something that is decadent and just too darn good to ignore.

• There are Angels among us: Angel food cake is actually categorized as a sponge cake. It became popular back in the late 19th century, designed to be a light cake referenced to be the "food of angels."

The construction is a bit of bother, compared to the simplistic prep many other cakes require. You have to have egg whites and cream of tartar to stabilize the whites. The flour comes from a softer wheat than usual cake flour, giving it a lighter texture with less fat.

• The lady in red: Red Velvet cake always had me stumped. Once you got past the food coloring, it always struck me as trying too hard. But then I guess for years I never tasted a good example.

The origins of Red Velvet, similar to Devil's Food, are in the southern U.S. It was usually a buttermilk-based cake, even though the exact origins are unknown. The red came from the natural reaction between the cocoa powder and the buttermilk. Naturally, bakers went with it and enhanced what nature provided.

Red Velvet has become very popular, probably because of its show-stopping flesh. The cream cheese frosting that normally adorns the cake brings some creaminess and richness to the party. It also give the cake some real bright red-and-white contrast.

• Ever heard of Sam German? I guess the most I learned about any cake happens to be regarding the origins of German chocolate cake.

It has been my favorite cake flavor for decades, the mild, chocolate cake with coconut/pecan frosting added to spice it up.

What I didn't know is that the cake comes not from eastern Europe, but from an American chocolate maker named Sam German. Back in 1852, he created a dark baking chocolate that would be the basis for the cake, hence the name. Normally, sweet baking chocolate is the stuff of choice for cakes.

The frosting is actually caramel based, and coconut and pecans are added in. For me, no chocolate frosting is needed. But I've never been one to turn down a piece, no matter what other ingredients invaded.

Man, all this is making me quite salivatory for a little layered goodness.

Let's see - how long until my birthday? Wow - five more months?

I might have to find another reason to do some baking before then.

I'll just call it research.

You can attempt to reach Jerry Hitchcock at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, or via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com.