Dear Eric: Can I use parchment paper to make brownies or carrot cake?
Steve
Parchment paper, also called silicone paper, is a high-density, moisture-resistant paper with a non-stick coating. According to Reynolds, a company that makes parchment paper, as long as it’s not touching the heating element, it can be used in a conventional, convection or toaster oven at temperatures up to 420 F.
Many baking recipes are cooked at below that temperature, making parchment paper ideal for lining cookie sheets and baking pans before setting cookies or batters on or in them. Doing so prevents sticking and makes cleaning up easy.
With regard to baking brownies and carrot cake, you can certainly use parchment paper. I especially like to do so when making them in square or rectangular baking pans, because it makes it really easy to lift them out of the pan once they are baked.
As you can see in the photo, the trick is to ensure when lining the pan that some of the parchment paper extends over the sides of it. Once the cake has been baked and has cooled, you grab on to that paper and lift the cake out the pan, making it easy to ice and cut into squares.
Today, I’ve included a lovely carrot cake recipe that yields two eight-inch-square cakes. It’s topped with an easy-to-make, divine cream cheese icing and can be cut into squares. It’s a nice cake to make for Easter weekend as it’s very moist and keeps for days, providing a sweet treat to serve to guests, whether while enjoying a cup of tea or after lunch or dinner.
If two cakes are too many for you, you could cut one of the cakes into squares, individually wrap them and freeze them for another time. Or, you could simply cut the recipe in half and make one cake.
Note: Be aware that wax paper is different than parchment paper.
You can use wax paper to line baking pans, but, unlike parchment paper, you should only do so when the batter completely covers the wax-paper lining.
Reynolds, which also makes wax paper, says wax paper should never be directly exposed to the heat of an oven, as it might be when making cookies, for example, as the wax could smoke and even ignite.
Carrot Snackin’ Cake
This moist and marvellous carrot cake is perfect for snacking on or enjoying for dessert.
This recipe is adapted from one published in my book Everyone Can Cook Everything.
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes
Makes: two cakes; 18 to 24 servings
The cake
• vegetable oil spray
1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup unsweetened medium coconut flakes
The icing
1 (1⁄2 lb/250 g) brick cream cheese, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup butter, at room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
18 to 24 walnut or pecan halves (optional)
Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat two eight-inch-square baking pans with oil spray. (The oil spray will help the parchment paper cling and stay in place in the pan.) Cut two 20- by 30-centimetre pieces of parchment paper and fit them into the bottom and up two sides of those two baking pans. (The parchment paper extending up the sides will help lift the cake out of the pan once it’s baked.)
Combine the sugar, 1/2 cup oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and beat well. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the carrot, chopped nuts, cranberries, currants and coconut flakes.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly. Bake cakes, in the middle of the oven, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when gently touched in the centre. Cool the cakes on a rack to room temperature.
Place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and beat until thoroughly combined and lightened. Beat in the icing sugar until fully incorporated. Lift the cakes out of their pans. Spread the icing on the tops of both cakes. Chill the cake in the refrigerator until the icing is set and you are ready to serve. When ready to serve, cut each cake into nine to 12 squares and top each square, if desired, with half a walnut or pecan.
Eric’s options: I like a thick layer of cream cheese icing on my carrot cake.
If you don’t, cut the ingredients required for the icing in half and spread a thinner layer of icing on each cake.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
