What is the Swiss equiverlent of Castor Sugar and does self rasing flour exsist here?

Castor sugar in French don't know what it is in German (or just grind down some normal sugar).

Self-raising flour does not exist here. You will need Hefe or Backpulver.

You could also look at this thread: self-raising flour (found by using the search function). For sugar, you can try Feinkristallzucker or Feinsterzucker...
good luck...

jack: i have a different recipe to self raising flour than the thread - according to my ancient south african cookbook (kook en geniet) you have to add creme of tartar as well as baking powder? do you know where i can buy tartar? sd

It must be something in the air just now. I've got that 'got to bake a cake' moment going on too .. except my 'can't find' was baking parchment!

I bought some flour in France that claims to be SR ( well, I think that's what 'avec poudre levant' means) and I'll try that one for starters.

I'm thinking your & my threads could merge for one huge cake thread If your cake works out fine and mine doesn't, maybe we can swap do's and don'ts - or maybe you can bake a cake for me, too

I have found that you can get British ingredients from Britshop.ch, I might do that. Mmmmm I want cake.

Believe Kook & geniet, Sandaleen, nothing from there ever flops!

This thread just makes we want to quit work and bake a cake. Yummmmmmmy.

Tarte au Citron or Key Lime Pie?

Hmm...things start to get complicated now... I haven't found any cream of tartar here, but haven't looked too hard. The real issue is how to get leavening in your recipes...either with or without self-raising flour. Self-raising flour is just flour with baking powder in it. Baking powder is a mix of baking soda and an acid (usually cream of tartar). Here is some more info about the two, which may help with understanding the differences between baking powder and baking soda:

Baking powder (Backpulver, gr.) is a combination of one part bicarbonate soda and two parts baking acid – usually cream of tartar, plus a small amount of starch to keep it from caking up. When baking powder comes in contact with liquid and heat, it releases carbon dioxide gas, which cause the batter to expand and rise. Single-acting baking powders react and release gas only when they come in contact with a liquid. Double-acting (more usual) react to both liquid and heat. Baking powder is very easy to find in Switzerland. It is usually sold in packaged amounts of three envelopes. Look for it near the spices, sugar and flour.

Baking soda (Bikarbonat, gr.) produces carbon dioxide gas to inflate batters in the same way as baking powder when it is combined with an acid (buttermilk, lemon juice, cream of tartar). Baking soda starts to release gas as soon as it comes into contact with moisture, so if you are using it, bake the product as soon as possible after mixing. Baking soda also darkens the color of baked cakes and cookies – good for some items like gingerbread. If you use too much, you will have a strong alkaline flavor. Baking powder is often used in combination with soda to help reduce the off-tastes. In Switzerland it is mostly available everywhere, although harder to find in smaller stores than baking powder.


Bottom-line: to get 100 gr. of unsifted self-raising flour, mix together 100 gr. of regular white flour with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder...


hope this all helps...

I've bought Creme of Tartar here - or at least thats what I think it is... Its in little sachets near the baking incredients and is called something similar to creme of tartar... I'm sure Coop & Denner have it

I shall have a look and see if I can find a packet to get the correct name

It is called Weinstein and you should find it in the baking aisle near the baking powder / baking soda / etc.

If Coop / Migros don't carry it, try a pharmacy or drug store and ask for Weinstein.

Baking parchment can be found in Migros. One brand I have at hand is 'Tangan'.

I've baked dozens of cakes in Switzerland without self-raising flour (you can raise it yourself! See Jack's post, or mix 1 cup of flour with 1 teaspoon of baking powder) and cream of tartar. They all rose. If you want fluffy soft, separate the egg whites from the yolks and whip it up before mixing in with the butter-sugar-yolk-flour mixture.



P.S. Be careful. 'Hefe' means yeast.

I have been having the same problem with the whole self raising flour thing, i love to bake and wanted to with my charges, as i am an aupair near zurich. I could not find it any where but have just looked on the britshop.ch and they are now my lifesavers as they have alot of the items i have been craving over my last month here. (including everything for baking)

Cream of tatar can also be bought in your local chemist/drugstore in small packets. = Weinstein (in German), as already mentioned.

And for all your decorating supplies, cookie cutters, colours etc., you can try our online shop.

You can find caster sugar at coop. It's called "Feinster Zucker / Sucre très fin". It comes in 600g packages and you can find it where they have all the sugars.

I have had no problems baking cakes with the regular Backmehl along with Backpulver. My only issue these days is ingredients for fondant icing. I wanted to do a Marshmallow Fondant but finding good quality marshmallows here is not possible so I am going to try out rolled butter cream fondant. Does anyone know what shortening is called in German?

You could substitute shortening (which I haven't seen over here as such) with margarine or butter.

Here's a list of common substitutes I found from allrecipes.com

There is castor sugar (or icing - sucre en poudre in French) here. It's called Zucker pulver, and it's sold in Migros and Coop.

I usually use halbweissmehl for my baking. As for self-raising flour, it doesn't exist here, so I *make* my own. Sift together (for one cup):

1 cup of all-purpose flour (I use halbweissmehl, and it works fine)
1 1/4 tsps. baking powder (back pulver)
1/8 tsp. salt

For recipes calling for cake flour, sift together (for 1 cup):
1 cup, minus 2 Tbsps, all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps. cornstarch (corn flour)

HTHS

Parchment paper is sold here, too. It's called Backtrennpapier, and Migros has it. Comes in a package of 24 sheets.

Just to correct that slightly:

Puderzucker is icing sugar (for icing the tops of cakes and buns, etc)
Griesszucker is castor sugar (fine crystal sugar for cake and biscuit mixes)

Both are available in Migros and Coop.

[quote=latigresse;330860]
For recipes calling for cake flour, sift together (for 1 cup):
1 cup, minus 2 Tbsps, all-purpose flour
2 Tbsps. cornstarch (corn flour)

I think there is a difference between corn starch and corn flour (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_cornflo...the_same_thing).

It might help if this is clarified in relation to the above .