How can I make my cake more solid? (2023)

How can I make my cake more solid?

For example, in a cake mix that calls for 1 cup of water, substitute plain or flavored yogurt, or milk that contains some amount of milk fat. The greater the percentage of fat, such as you find in whole milk or buttermilk, the denser the cake will be. Substituting whole eggs for egg whites will also increase density.

Don't Overmix Your Batter

The culprit behind what makes a cake tough could be overmixing your flour. Flour is the foundation of baked recipes because it provides structure. When combined with liquid and after mixing, flour's protein (gluten) begins to develop.

As mentioned in tip #3, over-mixing cake batter produces too much air. That trapped air expands then deflates in the oven. A deflated cake is a dense cake!

The dough/batter of starchy products increased and the macroscopic volume is expanding from the effect of the air incorporation (mixing), the production of CO₂ either by the chemical agent or by fermentation (proofing) and the water vaporization (during baking).

Should I use milk or water in a cake? First, it's always best to use what the recipe calls for, otherwise, milk is usually a better choice over water. Milk contains things that water doesn't, like sugar and fat, which can also help with the taste and texture of the cake.

1) When heated and mixed with water, starches present in the flour will undergo a process called gelatinization in which water is absorbed in the structure. This will cause the batter to 'set' from a liquid into a solid.

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.) Cakes will have a coarse, fragile crumb with a fallen center.

What might have happened: The cake layers are underbaked. The oven door was opened and slammed while the layers baked. There's too much leavening agent in the batter (baking powder / baking soda).

The internal temperature of cake varies based on the formula, ranging from 200°F to 210°F. Most classic cakes (butter cakes, pound cakes, chocolate and vanilla cakes, etc.) hover around 210°F when they're fully baked, but this isn't always a reliable threshold to look for.

Why is my cake spongy and dense?

If your sponge has come out too heavy or dense but cooked through, this could be due to under-mixing. Mixing is an important step in incorporating lots of air so that the sponge becomes light and fluffy. It could also be due to the fact that there weren't enough raising agents used.

--Underbeating and overbeating eggs, particularly egg whites, can result in poor volume, dense cakes. Overbeaten egg whites are harder to incorporate and may produce a dry cake. Bring egg whites to room temperature before beating for best results.

You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake's flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box.

Cake four with the least amount of gluten proteins produced a significantly less dense cake than the others. Whole wheat flour with twice as much gluten protein as cake flour was the densest. My conclusion is that the less amount of gluten protein present in the flour the lower the angel food cakes density will be.

How does the number of eggs affect a cake? If you add too many eggs to a cake, you'll get a much thinner consistency of cake batter and, while it will be a stunning golden colour, you'll end up with a cake tasting and textured more like a baked custard.

Milk: Add MILK, not water, when your box mix calls for liquid. 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!

Vegetable oil contributes moistness far more reliably, a result of the fact that oil remains liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies. Liquid contributes to the sensation of moistness, and therefore cakes made with oil often present as moister than their butter-based counterparts.

1Replace Water with Dairy

Just replace the water with the same amount of milk, or a little bit more buttermilk (because buttermilk is so viscous, you need to add more liquid than the recipe calls for).

Freezing is a phase transition in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered to its freezing point.

Soft solids normally include a cluttered network of microscopic strands. Scientists have suspected that repetitive flexing causes strands to break, which cuts down on network connectivity, making the material less rigid.

What does water do to your cake?

Function. Water has several functions in baking: Solvent: dissolves salts, sugars and baking powder so they can perform their roles as fermentation regulators, tenderizers, stabilizers and leavening. Hydration: hydration of gluten is essential for dough network formation and starch gelatinization.

Sugar is hygroscopic, which means that it both attracts water and holds onto it, leading to a moist cake. If you reduce the necessary amount of sugar in a recipe, you're also decreasing the cake's ability to retain moisture.

Add More Eggs

To get an extra rich and moist cake, stir in two extra egg yolks along with the eggs the recipe calls for (save the egg whites to make these delicious meringues). For a lighter and more airy cake, use only egg whites (and save the egg yolks for crème brûlée).

Too little fat

Otherwise, your cake won't have proper hydration, rendering it crumbly. Solution: Again, consider using a trusty kitchen scale to ensure you're using the right ingredients per your cake recipe. If you're still struggling, try reducing the flour by 10% and adding 10% more of your fat element.

Too much baking soda is clearly not a good thing, creating too many bubbles in cakes, causing cakes to sink, leading to over-browning, and producing an off-flavour that might even be soapy.

Baking soda is most commonly used in cookie and muffin recipes. Baking powder, however, already contains an acid and a base and has a more neutral taste, which works great when baking cakes and bread.

The next time you're using a cake mix for any recipe, add half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon of baking powder to the cake mix. What is this? If you're like me, you tend to purchase boxes of cake mixes when they're on sale. Adding the teaspoon of baking powder to the mix helps boost the freshness of the cake mix.

So how do you fix undercooked cake? If the cake is undercooked overall, put it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. If the middle part is still wet, cover the cake with foil and bake for up to 15 minutes. If the bottom is moist, turn off the upper heat or cover with foil, and cook for a few minutes.

Unfortunately once a cake has cooled it is not possible to re-bake it. The cake would have to heat all the way through again and the outside parts of the cake would become too dry. Also if the cake has sunk in the centre from being underbaked it will not rise again as the raising agents in the recipe will have expired.

The middle oven rack is the happy place where air is circulating, the heat sources are evenly distributed, and tops and bottoms aren't in danger of burning or browning too quickly. It's the perfect place for cakes, cookies, and brownies to stay and bake.

What oven setting is best for cakes?

Top/Bottom heating is the most effective setting to use when you are baking or roasting on a single level. The heat is emitted evenly from above and below, making it ideal for baking cakes.

Leveling works best on a completely cool cake; a warm and fragile cake will shed a mountain of crumbs as it's sliced. It also depends on having the right tool for the job—not a senseless, unitasking cake cutter, but a nine- or 10-inch serrated knife.

Place softened butter and sugar into large mixing bowl. Mix, using hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed 1-2 minutes, or until butter mixture is pale yellow, light and fluffy.

Your cake is too dense

A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

It allows for steam and carbon dioxide to be trapped in the batter as it is bakes, which causes your cake to rise. The butter also helps to create a light and tender texture in cake batter.

Whisking butter and sugar together is one essential tip to make the cake spongy, fluffy and moist. Whisk butter and sugar for a long until the mixture becomes pale yellow and fluffy because of the incorporation of air. The process is known as creaming.

Pound Cake: 0.80. White or Yellow Cake: 0.70. Devil's Food Cake: 0.70. Sponge Cake: 0.50.

Whisk first: To absolutely ensure my eggs incorporate slowly, I whisk all my eggs together and then slowly drizzle it into the running mixer. I've found this very gradual approach really helps to create a nice emulsion. You'll find the mixture will be thick, creamy and not curdled.

The size, mass, and arrangement of atoms affect the density of a substance.

Excess sugar could weaken a cake structure so much that it collapses. A successful recipe balances adding enough sugar to tenderize and sweeten, but not so much to make the cake collapse.

Does flour affect density?

She also found that the gluten level in flour greatly affects the density of baked goods.

Overall, changing the number of eggs in your cake recipe can alter the properties of your cake. Too few eggs will yield a cake that is overly compact and doesn't hold together will. Too many eggs can leave you with a spongy or rubbery mess.

Milk in cake recipes, generally makes the texture lighter and stronger (thanks to the protein and lactic acid),. Adding the right amount keeps the cake from being dense. Milk (and other liquids) actually activates other ingredients in the cake batter like leaveners (baking soda, baking powder).

Add powdered sugar

If the frosting has not reached your desired thickness after chilling, add a few tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar to help your buttercream stiffen.

Check the ingredients. Too much butter or too many eggs can make your cake super moist. If you've not got enough flour to balance this out then your cake can be super moist.

Glazes and Syrups

They do provide extra flavor and help seal in the moisture of the cake. The cake can be stored at room temperature when the filling is a glaze or syrup unless the cake or frosting requires refrigeration.

To get softened butter, beat the butter and sugar at a moderate speed for 2 to 3 minutes and you'll be well on your way to baking perfection! Undermixed butter and sugar will look gritty and chunky. This can lead to dense cookies and cakes. It is possible to overmix the butter and sugar.

I used some creamy chocolate canned frosting, but this trick works with whatever favorite flavor you have on hand. Empty the canned frosting into a large mixing bowl. Whip the frosting using an electric mixer (either hand mixer or stand mixer) for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and doubled in size. It's ready!

To make your buttercream stiff consistency, prepare the vanilla buttercream frosting recipe as directed. This should result in stiff consistency buttercream. However, if your buttercream isn't stiff enough, gradually add more powdered sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until your frosting is thick but still pipeable.

Cakes typically bake between 325 to 450 degrees F (see chart with Tip #9). Most convection ovens require lowering the temperature by 25 to 50 degrees F, as well as turning off the fan.

What happens if you bake a cake too long?

When overcooked, a cake will come out hard and dry, and when undercooked, it has a gummy and dense texture. If you don't know how to tell when your cake is just cooked right, then baking will become a very tedious and unrewarding task.