Cake Baking FAQ

Answers to Common Cake Baking Questions - FAQ

Q: What makes a cake dense?

A: Developing the flour's gluten too much means the cake will rise beautifully in the oven – then sink (a little, or a lot) as soon as you pull it out. And the sinking cake is what makes dense, moist, gluey streaks. Lesson learned: beat butter and sugar and eggs at medium speed. Once you add flour, mix gently.

Q: How do I know if my baking powder and baking soda are still fresh?


A: To test if baking powder is still good, combine 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/3 cup hot water. If it bubbles, it’s still good! To test baking soda, put 2 tablespoons of white vinegar into a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. If it fizzes immediately, it’s still good!


Q: What ingredient in a cake makes it rise?


A: It forms when flour is combined with a liquid and agitated. Don't overmix, which can cause your cake to turn tough. Leaveners, like baking soda or baking powder, produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which are trapped by the starch in the batter and expand during baking, causing the cake to rise.

Q: What do eggs do in a cake?


A: In addition to their nutritional value, eggs can provide structure, leavening, richness, color, and flavor to baked products. The height and texture of baked goods is determined by the balance between eggs and flour which provide strength, and sugar and fat which add tenderness.

Q: What happens if you put an extra egg in a cake?


A: The milk adds density, fat and, most importantly, extra flavor to your mix. *Egg WHITES- Not adding the yolks to the cake makes the cake fluffy and whiter! But taking out the egg yolks removes fat so add an extra two tablespoons of butter above (or, one tablespoon of melted butter per each removed egg yolk.)


Q: A recipe calls for buttermilk but I don’t want to go to the store just for that. Can I make my own?


A: Yes! To make buttermilk, place 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the 1-cup line. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then use as much as the recipe calls for.


Q: Do you pack down flour when measuring?


A: Do not pack the flour down and do not tap the measuring cup– both cause theflour to settle in the cup. After you've spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Drill this in your head: spoon & level flour–do NOT scoop.

Q:What is the difference between Cake Flour and All - Purpose Flour?

A:The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose (AP) flour is the protein content (which becomes gluten). The protein content of cake flour is about 8%, while the protein content of AP flour is about 10-11%. When you're making cakes, you want to use a flour that's lower in protein.

Q:Is it better to use Cake flour or All-purpose flour?

A:All-purpose flour is, well, an all-around good flour to use for baking breads, cakes, muffins, and for mixing up a batch of pancake batter. All-purpose has protein content of 10-13% and it will perform very well, time after time. But if you want to make really soft cake layers, reach for cake flour.

Q:Can I substitute All-purpose flour for Cake flour?

A:The answer to the question is yes, but the substitution is not one-to-one. The general rules of substitution are:

1 cup of cake flour is equivalent to 1 cup of all - purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons (1 cup – 2 tbsps.)

1 cup of all - purpose flour is equivalent to 1 cup of cake flour plus 2 tablespoons (1 cup + 2 tbsps,)