sheet cake (sheet keyk) noun

Traditionally, a large, rectangular, single-layer cake baked in a sheet pan. Sheet pans come in many sizes. The home baker would most likely use a quarter- or half-sheet pan, while a commercial bakery could use a half- or whole-sheet pan. (Whole-sheet pans will not fit in a home oven.)

• Whole sheet pan = 26 x 18 x 1-inch
• Half sheet pan = 18 x 13 x 1-inch
• Quarter sheet pan = 13 x 9 ½ x 1-inch

Sheet cakes are meant to be a convenient way to serve a crowd. Once the cake is baked, it isn’t filled. It is simply topped with icing or frosting, making it easy to prepare and serve many guests.

The term sheet cake has come into colloquial usage to refer to rectangular cakes made in 13-inch x 9-inch pans (like a brownie pan, not to be confused with the 1-inch high quarter sheet pan) and also to refer to just about any large rectangular cake, sometimes even ones that are 2–layered and feature a filling. See our sheet-style Buttercream Roses Sheet Cake.

Bakepedia Tip

• One thing that can be a challenge for the home baker is finding a platter large enough to hold the cake. An alternative is to use sturdy cardboards made for the task, which are available at craft stores or where cake decorating equipment is sold.

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7-minute frosting (sev–uhn min-it fraw-sting, fros-ting) noun

Also seven-minute frosting or icing. Cooked, egg-white-based frosting that is bright white with a marshmallow quality. It can be found in many old cookbooks – it is a classic American recipe – and the name references the approximate amount of time it takes to beat the frosting over a water bath until stiff and spreadable. The recipe typically includes egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar and vanilla. 7-minute frosting is essentially a cooked meringue.

Bakepedia Tips

• If you only have a hand-held mixer, then making 7-minute frosting as it is classically presented – beating while standing at the stove – is a fine option. We prefer to make a version using cooked sugar syrup, and to take advantage of a stand mixer to do most of the work. See our Fluffy White Frosting recipe.

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slurry (slur-ee) noun

A thickener used in both the sweet and  savory kitchens. While slurry often refers to a mixture of cornstarch and water, other starches can be used, such as arrowroot, flour or potato starch. The starch is mixed with cold liquid, usually water, to create the slurry, which is then combined with whatever you are trying to thicken, such as a pie filling.

Slurries are effective  because starch granules will usually not disperse evenly when added to a hot mixture and your dish won’t thicken properly. Once combined with the slurry, your mixture is then cooked, either on top of the stove or in the oven, until it simmers so that the maximum thickening potential is reached.

_{Image: Peter Muka}