One of the most gratifying and fulfilling activities is making handmade goodies for yourself and your loved ones. But when something goes wrong and we wind up with a misshapen, sunken mass rather than a fluffy, properly baked, and crumbly cake, it can be just as stressful and demoralising. However, by following a few simple yet efficient methods, you may make them at home. If you've ever had a cake that was dense in texture rather than the light and fluffy one you desired, or that had a sunken centre, keep these things in mind the next time you bake a cake. The founder of Confect and G's Patisserie, Chef Gauri Varma, offers five suggestions for consistently baking cakes that are soft, moist, and well-risen.
Accurate measurements
It's important to precisely measure the ingredients and their quantities as a general rule. Any modification to the ingredient quantities would have an effect on the outcome. Additional butter or oil will make the cake excessively wet, which will cause it to lose its shape. Similar to how too much flour makes the batter excessively dense in texture, it becomes challenging to eat.
Leavening agent
Since they are the primary components that cause a cake to rise, leavening agents are essential for any baked food to rise. Baking soda and baking powder are examples of chemical leaveners. Baking soda or baking powder reacts with the liquids in the batter to release carbon dioxide, which aids in the formation of air bubbles and makes the cakes fluffy and light. Check the expiration dates of your leavening agents as well since if you don't, they won't be effective.
Creaming
The stage of the procedure known as "creaming" involves beating the butter and sugar together. The finished product should be a smooth mixture free of lumps and separation. This step's time and consistency building are critical for incorporating air into your cake batter and producing an airy, soft, and risen cake.
Eggs to the batter
Without the use of leavening chemicals, eggs by themselves can produce a light and fluffy cake texture. How many beating eggs are required will vary depending on the sort of cake being made. Following the timings and instructions specified in the recipe is essential during this step. Pay close attention to when eggs are to be added, whether they should be kept at room temperature first, and how many eggs to incorporate. If there are too many eggs in the batter, the cake may be dense or compact and may even have an unpleasant aftertaste.
Right oven temperature
It's critical to use the right oven temperature to enable the cake to rise while preserving its structure so that it won't sink in the middle after cooling. The cake will be set up too quickly before the air bubbles have time to form if the oven is too hot. The cake will rise excessively and fall in the centre before setting if the oven is not heated sufficiently. It will rise excessively and collapse in the centre if the temperature is too low. Therefore, it is vital to adhere to the oven temperature instructions provided in the recipe.