vinegar in cake?

[soup_lover_9]

Hi everyone. One of my students gave the following recipe (under the cut) for making a cake (copied exactly as she wrote it, typos and bad grammar included). Does anyone know if this is an actual cake recipe, or if it's something similar to cake? Because I've never heard of a cake recipe call for vinegar, or one that's made on the stove...unless

Comments

[rhiannon_666]

Vinegar is really common in baked goods, particularly those with baking soda - the vinegar helps to produce carbon dioxide during the baking process, giving batters a lot of lift as they bake.

You won't taste the vinegar at all. :]

[arrietty]

There you go, should have read the comments first :)

[soup_lover_9]

Thanks for the explanation! Does the vinegar not leave a taste at all then, or is it because the amount so small, the other ingredients cover the flavor?

Also, do you what kind of vinegar to use?

[browngirl]

It's because the amount is so small. I've used light-colored vinegar such as rice or wine vinegar in such preparations.

[etantvert]

Yes, there are "regular" cake recipes with vinegar as an ingredient. As for making it on the stovetop -- ypu would know better than me as you live there, but it's my understanding that traditional Chinese kitchens don't have ovens, so cakes were usually steamed. A quick Google turns up recipes like this one.

[soup_lover_9]

True, but the bakeries (who make cakes) do have ovens. Stores also sell toaster ovens, and even though it's not something you'd find in all households, it is becoming common.

They primarily use the steam baskets to steam stuff (breads, baozi, dumplings, etc), and of course, the rice cooker.

[squid_ink]

I've made vinegar pie.. it's freaking yummy.
this sounds interesting,

I'm pretty sure moon cake has apple cider vinegar, is that what she's calling for?

[nimrod_9]

Now that you mentioned vinegar pie...will you share your recipe? Please?

[squid_ink]

it's at home scribbled in a notebook (in English, though, not Chinese!)

will post it when I get home :)

[squid_ink]

argh could not find pie recipe... its pretty simple and actually VERY similar to Emeril's recipe which I just found, only I use white vinegar not apple cider and not limoncello, just squeezed lemon *usually out of the bottle thats what I have around most of the time

it's not my hands down favorite pie but it's good!

[tiny_eri]

Echoing what the others have said about vinegar. It's reasonably common.

To be honest, I'd just try making it and see what the result is, I mean, what's the worst that can happen?

[soup_lover_9]

lol. That's my plan. :)

[ma_ee_uh]

Red velvet cake calls for vinegar.