Math and Science of Baking
MATH + SCIENCE = CAKE?
I think every mother can remember a time when their child has said, “Why do I have to learn all this math/science stuff if I’ll never use it?” And in response each mother has said, “Well, someday you just might be surprised what you will need it for” (or something to that effect). I came across an article recently in our local newspaper that was entitled “The Science of Baking”. The point of the article was to encourage cake bakers to learn the basic science and mathematics of baking and then to start getting creative with a basic cake recipe.
Let’s begin with science. Science begins with rules - you have to learn the rules and you have to learn how far you can bend the rules. According to the article, the foundation ingredients for baking have four major functions and you have to understand their relationship to each other. The four functions are (1) to toughen, (2) to tenderize, (3) to moisten or dry and (4) that some ingredients do more than one thing. Once you understand their relationship you can begin to substitute with confidence.
Okay, now for the math. Here are the basic math functions for a cake:
*The weight of the sugar should be equal to or slightly less than the weight of the flour.
*The weight of the fat should equal the weight of the eggs.
*The weight of the eggs and other liquids should equal the weight of the flour.
*Use 1-1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt for every cup of flour.
Once you are ready to experiment, start with a classic cake recipe that you feel comfortable with and start tweaking. Just remember, not every recipe is going to turn out right the first time. Learning to be creative with a cake may take some practice but who knows, you may just happen to be the next “Betty Crocker”!
You can find us online here.
“So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31
MATH + SCIENCE = CAKE?
I think every mother can remember a time when their child has said, “Why do I have to learn all this math/science stuff if I’ll never use it?” And in response each mother has said, “Well, someday you just might be surprised what you will need it for” (or something to that effect). I came across an article recently in our local newspaper that was entitled “The Science of Baking”. The point of the article was to encourage cake bakers to learn the basic science and mathematics of baking and then to start getting creative with a basic cake recipe.
Let’s begin with science. Science begins with rules - you have to learn the rules and you have to learn how far you can bend the rules. According to the article, the foundation ingredients for baking have four major functions and you have to understand their relationship to each other. The four functions are (1) to toughen, (2) to tenderize, (3) to moisten or dry and (4) that some ingredients do more than one thing. Once you understand their relationship you can begin to substitute with confidence.
Okay, now for the math. Here are the basic math functions for a cake:
*The weight of the sugar should be equal to or slightly less than the weight of the flour.
*The weight of the fat should equal the weight of the eggs.
*The weight of the eggs and other liquids should equal the weight of the flour.
*Use 1-1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt for every cup of flour.
Once you are ready to experiment, start with a classic cake recipe that you feel comfortable with and start tweaking. Just remember, not every recipe is going to turn out right the first time. Learning to be creative with a cake may take some practice but who knows, you may just happen to be the next “Betty Crocker”!
You can find us online here.
“So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31
