Some manufacturers of boxed cake mixes would have you believe that making a cake is difficult. Not so! With a few key techniques your baking repertoire can be expanded and the possibilities unleashed - there's a large world outside of the box!  Baking a cake turns you into a bit of a kitchen chemist; combining ingredients in a certain sequence and manner takes advantage of natural chemical reactions. Understanding a little about what's going on will help you bake your best cake ever!

Measuring the Ingredients - Improvisation in the kitchen is where the fun happens. However, when baking there are certain rules and ratios to be followed so that the chemistry of the recipe works well.  Measuring ingredients accurately is one of those rules that produces the desired results. Use dry measuring cups for dry ingredients, and liquid measuring cups for liquid ingredients. Choose high-quality measuring spoons that are accurate; equipment testers report finding up to 25% inaccuracy with some kitchen tools. Fluff your flour with a fork, and then spoon it into your measuring cup. Never pack flour, nor tap the cup so that it settles. The only dry ingredient that is packed when measured is brown sugar. For the most accuracy use a baker’s scale which measures both wet and dry ingredients. They are also a great tool for both converting recipes up or down easily and for weighing batter to ensure even layers being baked in multiple pans. By scaling your recipe you will ensure perfect replication every time.

Aquatronic Glass Baker's Scale

Egg Power - Eggs are the golden not-so-secret ingredient for cakes.  Eggs provide protein strands that create the cake's structure when baked.  Whipped eggs expertly hold air bubbles that give the cake its airy texture. Always use room temperature eggs when baking; the temperature relaxes the protein strands making them more available when constructing the batter. Some cake batters call for whole eggs, others call for separating the yolks and whites. When separating eggs, take care; the smallest bit of egg yolk will keep egg whites from whipping up to their full potential.

Batter Up - Cake batters vary in composition. Generally, liquid ingredients are assembled, and dry ingredients added gradually. Stir all dry ingredients together well unless otherwise instructed. Dry ingredients may be sifted through a sieve as they are being added to the liquid to avoid clumps in the batter. Unlike muffins or pie crust where we're urged to keep mixing to a minimum, cake batters like to be mixed. A good cake recipe will specify how long to beat the batter at the various stages. Don't shortcut the mixing times - a lot is happening. The necessary chemical reactions take time, and the all-important air is being incorporated during those minutes of mixing. We love our mixer that has the elapsed mixing time noted right on the appliance.
 
Adding Air - Incorporating air into the batter and trapping it in the baking process creates the cake's texture. A fine, even texture of tiny, trapped bubbles is the goal when cake-making. Recipes that use baking powder generate some of the bubbles through a chemical reaction that releases air as the powder meets the liquid. Air is also mechanically incorporated into the batter during the beating process. Once the beating is completed, pour the batter into waiting pans and bake immediately.  Do not allow the batter to stand in the mixing bowl; those hard-won bubbles will disappear and you'll have a flat cake!

Learn How to Fold - A great baking technique to master is folding. When maximum air is called for, egg whites are often whipped separately to a soft peak stage. The egg whites are then added to the cake batter very carefully. We like to take a small portion of the egg whites and add it to the waiting batter to lighten it first. Then, adding one third of the egg whites at a time, draw a rubber spatula through the center of the batter all of the way to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the spatula allowing the whites and batter to fall gently on the top. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat the reaching down and lifting up. Continue this gentle motion just until no white streaks remain. Work slowly and preserve those air bubbles!

Scaling Recipes and Pan Substitutions- Cake recipes are designed to fit a specifically-sized pan. Matching your pan to the recipe will ensure that all of the batter will fit, that there will be enough room for rising, and that the baking time is accurate.

Pick the Right Pan - There are three factors which contribute to successful baked products: even baking, even browning and good release. The pan’s material and gauge play important roles in evening baking and browning. Always use the heaviest gauge aluminum or aluminized steel cake pans. It will allow your cake to uniformly rise and fall. In addition it will reduce the overall crown of the cake. When choosing a pan, be aware if you are using a dark colored pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can bake up to 25% faster. When using a dark pan, start checking the doneness 25% sooner than indicated on the recipe or reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees. If you only have a light or mid-weight pan, try using a Magic Cake Strip. You simply wrap it around your cake pan to provide an extra layer of insulation for more even results.

Pan Prep - Some proper preparation of the pan will save cursing later when removing the baked cake. Again, a good recipe will recommend the best pan prep. Instructions will vary from buttering or greasing the pan, to greasing with a light dusting of flour, to inserting a layer of parchment paper or a silicone cake liner. Even when using nonstick pans, instructions must be followed for the proper release.

Baking Temperatures - The chemistry of cake-making all comes together during the baking process. Air expands when heated amplifying the power of the tiny batter bubbles. The proteins in the batter are immortalized trapping the air and forming the texture.  Most cake baking is done in a medium oven between 325°-350° F.  Make sure your oven and racks are level. If your oven has "hot spots" you may need to compensate by rotating pans during baking.  Ideally, to preserve consistency, the oven door stays closed until it's time to test for doneness.

Testing for Doneness - It seems like most cakes are easy to over-bake. We like to set our timer for five minutes less than the recipe calls for and begin our testing at that stage.  A toothpick or cake tester placed in the center of the cake should come out clean. Sometimes it's ready at the early stage, sometimes precisely on the mark, and sometimes 5-10 minutes later. If your pan size or shape differs from the recipe's recommendation, the time of doneness will be impacted. Cake should start to pull away from the edge of the pan and should spring back when lightly pressed in the center when they are finished baking. The internal temperature of a cake can be taken to test doneness. Most butter cakes are done between 195 and 205o F, chiffon cakes between 185-195o F and cheesecakes between 160-170o F. Be sure to take the temperature in the center of the cake.

Unmolding - If your pan has been prepped well, removing the cake from the pan is no problem. If necessary, run the back of a thin-bladed knife around the sides of the pan. Place a cooling rack on top of the slightly cooled cake pan and invert the two together. The cake pan may be lifted off leaving the cake safely on the cooling rack. Use a second cooling rack to re-invert if necessary. If your cake sticks to the bottom of the pan, pay closer attention to the pan preparation step the next time around.