Baking cakes for your family and children is always exciting. Whether it’s a birthday celebration for your children or your own wedding anniversary, surprising your loved ones with cake is the finest thing you can do. A freshly baked homemade cake can delight everyone at the gathering, and your cake will almost certainly become a topic of conversation for many.
What if your cake fails when baked for a special occasion? Baking cakes is an art that is backed up by science. Everything we use in the kitchen is based on science. To prevent making mistakes when baking a cake, we must first comprehend the science behind each ingredient and each step involved in the process.
In this article we share some of the reasons for cake failure and how to overcome it the next time you bake cake.
Using the wrong cake pan
There are many different types of cakes, each of which requires a different cake pan. Using cake pans that are too big or too small can result in overflowing of the batter or unevenly baked cakes. The baking time will vary depending on the form of the cake pan. As a result, carefully read the recipe before beginning and double-check that you have the correct cake pan.
An 8″ or 9″ aluminium cake pan is required to make a conventional round layered cake. A pound cake, on the other hand, requires an aluminium loaf pan. An aluminium sponge tray is required for brownies or sponge cake. Always use metal bakeware to ensure an evenly baked cake. Because aluminium bakeware distributes heat uniformly across the pan, the cake bakes evenly from the centre to the edges without burning.
Forgetting to grease and flour the cake pan
The delectable element of the cake is the brown exterior part. When baking a cake, no one wants to lose it because it might make the cake taste boring. It’s also typical to believe that greasing is unnecessary when baking in a non-stick cake pan or when the recipe calls for too much butter or oil. However, not greasing or flouring a cake pan can cause your cake to stick to the pan’s edges and nooks. So look for the greasing and flouring methods mentioned in the recipe to do it right.
If the recipe doesn’t say greasing or greasing looks like a lot of work, use parchment papers instead. These papers are sold in rolls in grocery stores. To fit them into the cake pan, make sure to cut them to the shape of the pan.
Not using fresh leavening agents
Baking soda and baking powder have a long shelf life. Even though containers are still present, that does not indicate they are suitable for usage. Leavening agents that are past their expiration date prohibit baked items from gaining maximal lift, resulting in flat results. Check expiration dates and take them seriously!
Not pre-heating the Oven
In short, not preheating your oven can have an impact on the flavor of your baked goods. Anything including eggs and flour should be started at the correct temperature to ensure the optimal rise, texture, and browning without causing the cake to burn. When baking cakes, the basic guideline is to warm your oven to the desired temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before placing your cake in it.
When you pull out your properly baked cake, you’ll be glad you took the additional time.
Over-mixing & under-mixing the cake batter
It’s very easy to over mix a batter, especially when you use stand mixers. A cake can come apart if there is too much air in the mixture. Gluten is a protein found in flour that, when kneaded, creates the elastic structure we crave in our chewy country bread or baguette. When it comes to cake, though, you want something pillowy and sensitive, which means mixing your flour as little as possible to avoid overproducing elastic gluten. After you’ve incorporated the sugar and butter, use a light hand to fold in the dry ingredients as softly as possible using a spoon or spatula.
It is very common to under mix a cake batter just like over-mixing happens . Usually the mistake happens when you need to add dry ingredients in the last and you end up under-mixing altogether evenly. Under-mixing is evident in cake batter, which result in streaks or clumps of flour. Make sure the batter is thoroughly combined by gently folding the ingredients together while being careful not to over mix. It’s a delicate balance, but a cake is well combined when about all of the flour has been absorbed.
Note: Over mixing is only a concern after gluten-containing flours, such as rye or wheat, are used. Before moving on to the next phase, make sure you mix until the required texture is achieved in the earlier stages. It should be impossible to under mix the batter at the last stage if you’ve been patient and combined well at each of these stages — and taken the time to sift your flour to remove any lumps.
Use ingredients that are too cold
Butter, eggs, and milk should all be at room temperature for recipes that call for them. Cold butter should never be creamed with chilly eggs. Cold dairy results in thick, irregularly baked pastries. To collect air, room temperature dairy components emulsify. The contained air in the batter expands as it bakes, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
Cake is too greasy or burnt
Sometimes cakes can turn out too greasy on the top which can be fixed with a layer of icing. To avoid this mistake beforehand do not use too much butter or oil. A burnt cake cannot be fixed. To avoid your cake from getting burnt make sure the oven is at right temperature before baking.
Cake is soggy or sunk in the middle
On the outside, a cake may appear golden brown, but the batter inside is still raw making the cake soggy. To cook thoroughly, cover the cake with aluminum foil or parchment paper and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This will protect the top while the inside continues to bake.
There are so many reasons for a cake to sink in the middle. Sometimes it might be because you opened the oven door to take a peek at your cake. Adding too much leavening agent can also make a cake sink in the middle. Also make sure the batter goes into the oven as soon as it is mixed. All these reasons can make you cake sink in the middle giving it a concave shape. A quick fix for a sunken cake is to cover it up with frosting.