During these days of quarantine, you may have decided to take advantage of the extra time at home to learn how to cook. Well done; it's about time! Cakes are really in their prime right now and it’s the perfect starting point. But perhaps you don’t have the necessary tools – like an electric hand mixer, a standing mixer, a pastry board, a rolling pin and above all, baking pans and molds. In the latter case, the good news is that you don't have to give up making a delicious cake – to cheer yourself up and sweeten your afternoons – because we we’ve got a few tips to bake them, even without the suitable molds or cake tins!
DIY cake mold
Although we recommend always having a round hinged cake tin, a bundt cake pan and a muffin pan at home, we’re here to reassure you that you can get by without them – because you can prepare at least five delicious cakes that don’t require a baking mold. In the meantime, however, you can make your own DIY cake mold that could always come in handy.
Make a ring shape with aluminum foil. Just take a nice long piece of aluminum foil – wide enough for the circumference you want to give the ring – and fold it as many times as necessary for a wide band. Close the ends of the circle with adhesive tape.
You can place this ring on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and pour the dough of your cake in the middle. Now you’re ready to bake!
You can also make molds with other shapes using aluminum foil, but as the cake bakes, it tends to lose its shape. With a circle, you won’t have this issue.
Galette
The galette is a cake that’s very easy to prepare and also very nice to serve after dinner. The base is made of puff pastry dough and it’s filled with fruit. Mix it up a little bit with the flour: You can use a mix of whole-wheat and grain flours, spelt and Italian 00 flours (similar to the consistency of pastry flour), or rice and buckwheat flours for a gluten-free version. Or you can simply use regular flour (though pastry flour is best). Use seasonal fruit and a jam as a base – so the mixture sticks together a little bit. The savory version with cheese and vegetables as a filling is also very good.
Crepe cake
To make this cake, you don't need a cake mold; use a non-stick pan. (You’ll be making a lot of crepes.) Once the crepes are ready, put whatever you want between each layer of crepes until the height looks like a real cake. We suggest layering the cake with jam if you want a breakfast cake or snack. You can also use cream and custard if you want more of a dessert flavor.
Strudel
Another dessert that doesn’t require a cake mold is strudel. Delicious every season – even in winter – served warm with whipped cream. Make it with ready-made puff pastry or make homemade dough. Inside, you must add apples, cinnamon and sugar with a little apricot jam at the base. You can add walnuts, pine nuts and raisins – depending on personal preference. You can also caramelize the apples slightly before filling the strudel. In many cases, some crumbled cookies or biscuits are added to absorb any excess liquid from the fruit. The version made with pears instead of apples is also excellent. In this case, we suggest enriching it with chocolate chips.
Tart without the mold
A tart without the mold is very easy to make because the pastry dough stands on its own if you make it nice and compact. Of course, the shape may not be perfect, but if you draw the circumference with a pencil on the baking parchment, you’ll be fine. All you need to do is cut the shortbread to the appropriate size. Then make a high border with the remaining shortbread and fill the inside with jam. Decorate the tart in the classic woven style or with the dough cut out using a biscuit cutter. Bake directly on the baking tray you’ve used as a base.