9.11: Flavorings in Baking

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Flavors cannot be considered a truly basic ingredient in bakery products but are important in producing the most desirable products. Flavoring materials consist of:

Extracts or essences
Emulsions
Aromas
Spices

Note: Salt may also be classed as a flavoring material because it intensifies other flavors.

These and others (such as chocolate) enable the baker to produce a wide variety of attractively flavored pastries, cakes, and other bakery products. Flavor extracts, essences, emulsions, and aromas are all solutions of flavor mixed with a solvent, often ethyl alcohol.

The flavors used to make extracts and essences are the extracted essential oils from fruits, herbs, and vegetables, or an imitation of the same. Many fruit flavors are obtained from the natural parts (e.g., rind of lemons and oranges or the exterior fruit pulp of apricots and peaches). In some cases, artificial flavor is added to enhance the taste, and artificial coloring may be added for eye appeal. Both the Canadian and U.S. departments that regulate food restrict these and other additives. The flavors are sometimes encapsulated in corn syrup and emulsifiers. They may also be coated with gum to preserve the flavor compounds and give longer shelf life to the product. Some of the most popular essences are compounded from both natural and artificial sources. These essences have the true taste of the natural flavors.

Aromas are flavors that have an oil extract base. They are usually much more expensive than alcoholic extracts, but purer and finer in their aromatic composition. Aromas are used for flavoring delicate creams, sauces, and ice creams.

Emulsions are homogenized mixtures of aromatic oils and water plus a stabilizing agent (e.g., vegetable gum). Emulsions are more concentrated than extracts and are less susceptible to losing their flavor in the oven. They can therefore be used more sparingly.