Pro Tip: Paying close attention to each stage of cake production — especially cooling and ingredient functionality — will help create cakes that are both delicious and structurally sound.
As a baker at heart, I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to overlook the basics that form the foundation of our craft.
With years of experience, including formal training in France and a degree in baking science from Kansas State University, I’ve come to appreciate the amount we lose when we stop discussing these essential processes.
In the rush of production, we can sometimes forget the importance of each step in cake making from ingredient choice to cooling.
Revisiting these fundamentals, particularly the cooling phase and the role of key ingredients in batter-type cakes, ensures our cakes come out perfect every time.
Cooling and aging of batter-type cakes
When batter-type cakes come out of the oven, they begin to cool, and the gases within the cake contract or condense. This cooling process is essential for stabilizing the cake’s structure, but it can also lead to shrinkage or collapse, depending on the cake’s ingredient ratios and cooling conditions.
Cakes with a higher sugar and liquid content relative to flour, known as high-ratio cakes, are particularly prone to collapse. These cakes have a more delicate crumb structure, which can be affected by sudden changes in temperature. If the cake cools too quickly or at a lower-than-ideal temperature, the rapid contraction of gases can cause it to collapse. To minimize this risk, high-ratio cakes benefit from a controlled cooling environment, where the temperature gradually decreases. This helps stabilize the crumb and reduces the chance of collapse.
In contrast, low-ratio cakes, with less sugar and liquid, tend to shrink slightly instead of collapsing. Their crumb structure is more stable, making them less sensitive to temperature fluctuations during cooling. However, even low-ratio cakes benefit from a consistent cooling environment, which helps prevent excessive shrinkage and maintains the intended texture.
The differences between these two types of cakes often become noticeable in the last few minutes of baking or immediately after removal from the oven. By managing the cooling environment and gradually adjusting the temperature, we can help maintain the cake’s structure and achieve the desired texture in each type.
The role of ingredients in cake structure and quality
Each ingredient in a batter-type cake serves a unique purpose, influencing the structure, texture and flavor of the final product. Here is how some of the main ingredients affect cake quality.
As the base of most cakes, flour provides starch and gluten, which are crucial for the cake’s structure. The gluten network formed during mixing supports the cake’s rise while starch gelatinizes during baking, helping to set the crumb.
Egg proteins contribute to the cake’s stability by strengthening the batter during mixing and baking. Egg yolk’s lipoproteins also help with emulsification, reducing interfacial tension between fat and water to create a stable emulsion. This is especially important in high-ratio cakes, where a stable batter prevents collapse and ensures a tender crumb.
Beyond sweetness, sugar tenderizes the crumb and affects moisture retention. In high-ratio cakes, sugar delays protein coagulation and starch gelatinization, creating a softer crumb. It also helps retain moisture, which is essential for keeping cakes soft and extending their shelf life.
Fat enhances flavor and provides a tender mouthfeel while also contributing to the cake’s aeration. During mixing, fat particles are broken down to form a stable emulsion, which allows for a finer crumb structure. This breakdown is further aided by egg yolk’s emulsifying properties. Fat plays a critical role in high-ratio cakes by helping to balance the delicate structure and prevent dryness.
Understanding water activity is also crucial in cake production. While related to moisture content, water activity uniquely affects each formulation and influences how moisture moves within the cake, impacting its texture, shelf life and microbial stability.
Transforming raw ingredients into a perfectly baked cake involves a series of complex processes, many of which we’re still learning about. While much remains to be discovered, we know that key ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar and fat all contribute in different ways to the cake’s structure, texture and flavor.
By revisiting the fundamentals and understanding the role of each ingredient, we can enhance our baking techniques and produce consistent, high-quality results.
Whether you’re making high-ratio or low-ratio cakes, paying close attention to each stage of production — especially cooling and ingredient functionality — will help you create cakes that are not only delicious but also structurally sound.
Richard Charpentier is a classically trained French baker, CMB, holds a degree in baking science from Kansas State University, and is owner and chief executive officer of Baking Innovation. Connect with him on LinkedIn.