Academic writing

Identify the object. You have been given  What is this?  Define, list, label

Identify This is a round chocolate cake. It has been cut into 10 slices, is covered with chocolate icing and decorated with chocolate florets.

Describe Features or properties Composition Function / purpose

The cake is round and the icing looks shiny and smooth. The cake has two layers with a chocolate filling in the middle. My slice is shaped like a triangle, 12 cm high at one end and tapered to a point. It is a birthday cake for my mother. (Factual statements)

Take a bite ……….

Have some more. Explain….. the cake.

This cake must look attractive and appealing because a birthday is a special occasion and the appearance of the cake should tempt everyone into trying a slice. The cake also needs to be large enough to enable every party goer to have a piece, so I have used grandma’s recipe which is my mothers favourite chocolate cake recipe. Grandma’s recipe is easy to make and always results in a successful soft, moist, gooey product.

You haven’t had enough yet. Discuss why you think the cake is as it is.

The cake is probably soft and smooth because the baker read the recipe carefully, used quality ingredients and followed the instructions perfectly. The cake has an intense chocolate flavour, this happens when baking chocolate is combined with other ingredients such as cocoa however, chocolate increases the fat, which increases the tenderness of the crumb. Cocoa gives a dark colour to the crumb and cocoa’s acidity is also an advantage since it causes the proteins in baked goods to set rapidly. It is a traditional cake that is often used in birthday celebrations. (Linking ideas /present interpretations / points of view)

Argue Present one point of view Interpret facts Provide supporting evidence Persuade readers that your viewpoint is proven

A chocolate cake is the best choice as a birthday cake because the majority of people who will be at the celebration prefer a chocolate cake. I know that this fact is true as I completed a survey as part of my research on preferred cakes for birthday parties. The results showed that 83% preferred chocolate cakes. One point of view / interpret facts / give supporting evidence

What would you suggest could make the cake better? Justify your decision.

To add colour and interest to the cake I would add strawberries to the top of it. This would make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and strawberries are a good choice because they are in season at the moment. (Demonstrate why the chosen course of action is best.)

You are now offered some chocolate brownie.

Apply the information in a new situation.

The chocolate cake and brownie are made from similar ingredients however, folklore has it that the original cook forgot to put the baking powder in the chocolate cake mix and thus made the first Brownies. But factually, there is definitely less flour and more cocoa (or chocolate) in brownies than in a chocolate cake and little or no leavening. If you like fudgy brownies, use less flour; for “cakey” brownie, use more. Melting the butter rather than creaming it with sugar helps to yield a denser, fudgier outcome. The proportions of sugar / fat / flour are different in brownies and chocolate cakes.

Analyse compare and contrast, draw conclusions.

Both the cake and the brownie are baked and chocolate flavoured. The chocolate cake has a softer consistency, is higher and is covered in chocolate icing whereas the brownie is flatter with a hard top and a gooey centre. (Compare = similarities; Contrast = differences)

Evaluate Make a judgment

The ideal birthday cake is a moist chocolate cake – its crumbs stick together, even when cut and it “melts in your mouth”. It’s made from real ingredients like, butter, eggs and sugar with a rich, dark chocolate flavour. It has two-layers with frosting in between that’s not too sweet. The chocolate brownie is not ideal as a birthday cake because it’s not as visually appealing, although the taste is just as satisfying. To put it briefly, the best cake is a homemade cake, made from quality ingredients and made with love.

This is a round chocolate cake. It has been cut into 10 slices, is covered with chocolate icing and decorated with chocolate florets. The cake is round and the icing looks shiny and smooth. The cake has two layers with a sweet chocolate filling in the middle. Each slice is shaped like a triangle, 12 cm high at one end and tapered to a point. It is a birthday cake for my mother. This cake must look attractive and appealing because a birthday is a special occasion and the appearance of the cake should tempt everyone into trying a slice. The cake also needs to be large enough to enable every party goer to have a piece, so I have used grandma’s recipe which is my mothers favourite chocolate cake recipe. Grandma’s recipe is easy to make and always results in a successful soft, moist, gooey product. The cake is probably soft and smooth because the baker read the recipe carefully, used quality ingredients and followed the instructions perfectly. The cake has an intense chocolate flavour, this happens when baking chocolate is combined with other ingredients such as cocoa however, chocolate increases the fat, which increases the tenderness of the crumb. Cocoa gives a dark colour to the crumb and cocoa’s acidity is also an advantage since it causes the proteins in baked goods to set rapidly. It is a traditional cake that is often used in birthday celebrations. A chocolate cake is the best choice as a birthday cake because the majority of people who will be at the celebration prefer a chocolate cake. I know that this fact is true as I completed a survey as part of my research on preferred cakes for birthday parties. The results showed that 83% preferred chocolate cakes.

To add colour and interest to the cake I would add strawberries to the top of it. This would make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and strawberries are a good choice because they are in season at the moment. The chocolate cake and brownie are made from similar ingredients however, folklore has it that the original cook forgot to put the baking powder in the chocolate cake mix and thus made the first Brownies. But factually, there is definitely less flour and more cocoa (or chocolate) in brownies than in a chocolate cake and little or no leavening. If you like fudgy brownies, use less flour; for “cakey” brownie, use more. Melting the butter rather than creaming it with sugar helps to yield a denser, fudgier outcome. The proportions of sugar / fat / flour are different in brownies and chocolate cakes. Both the cake and the brownie are baked and chocolate flavoured. The chocolate cake has a softer consistency, is higher and is covered in chocolate icing whereas the brownie is flatter with a hard top and a gooey centre. The ideal birthday cake is a moist chocolate cake – its crumbs stick together, even when cut and it “melts in your mouth”. It’s made from real ingredients like, butter, eggs and sugar with a rich, dark chocolate flavour. It has two-layers with frosting in between that’s not too sweet. The chocolate brownie is not ideal as a birthday cake because it’s not as visually appealing, although the taste is just as satisfying. To put it briefly, the best cake is a homemade cake, made from quality ingredients and made with love.