The cake was so rich and dense, it was almost like a red velvet brownie covered in decadent cream cheese frosting. ½ cup milk Regarding what type of dish to bake your pound cake in, we almost always recommend light-colored metal pans, which provide more even and predictable heating than either stoneware or glass. 8 large egg whites. Making that cake following the package directions would certainly get something lighter than the recipe, actually, more like a creamed butter cake. I liked mixed the best. By any chance do you know where I can find the the Magnolia Bakery’s vanilla cake recipe? How to use dense in a sentence. Think twice about using whatever you do have to hand. Insufficient creaming of sugar and eggs will also make a tight texture because there isn't enough air trapped in the mix to give it a lift. On the non-GMO front, we opted for Immaculate’s Yellow Cake Scratch Mix, which I found at Whole Foods. Post your comments A cake that bakes too slowly takes longer to set and may fall, causing a dense texture. ), Frank proceeded to share his secret. I asked. Have you tried baking this recipe in the oven? The version without baking powder or baking soda didn’t only not color, it became a very dense cake that hardly had risen. As a noun cake is a rich, sweet dessert food, typically made of flour, sugar and eggs and baked in an oven, and often covered in icing. 2 eggs Many dense cakes like mud cakes can give you the illusion of being cooked even when they’re still undercooked in the middle, so it’s great to have a few tricks up your sleeve to make sure those hours you’ve spent preparing and baking that cake aren’t wasted. I love the way Bundt cakes look, but you have to grease every nook and cranny of the pan -- and the tube, to make sure the cake doesn't stick. Another reason a cake might not rise properly is if the leavening ingredients have expired or the ingredients are out of proportion. 1 cup sugar(powered) Cooling too long in the pan will cause the cake to be damp and stick to the pan. LOOKING FOR A DENSE CAKE My son is graduating in December and I’m making a cake with a couple of books – since I will need to do some carving, I’m looking for a recipe for a dense cake – like the ones used for weddings – I’m open to all suggestions. One of my fellow King Arthur Flour test bakers, Frank Tegethoff, recently called me into the test kitchen for show & tell. The ratio is 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of cake flour to every 1 cup of AP flour. Better texture and better taste, but still had a sad streak. Over-mixing could be the cause of this problem. Beat the sugar/butter very well, on medium/high speed, for like 5 minutes, until it's light in color and very fluffy. An art-inspired cake decorating technique, Flourless Chocolate Cake gets all dressed up, One baker blends her South Asian heritage and American upbringing, At last! Nov 2011. Two 9" squares, Half the recipe makes: I also add 1/2 teaspoon more vanilla extract because I like it that way. My son is graduating in December and I’m making a cake with a couple of books – since I will need to do some carving, I’m looking for a recipe for a dense cake – like the ones used for weddings – I’m open to all suggestions. It's supposed to be. Neither time worked - still sad cake. I am to the end of my ropes. 1 cup canola oil We're sorry to hear that you're having such trouble, Sherry! Sometimes, loaf pan pound cakes are a little heavy and can be underdone in the middle. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Thanks! A few years ago that same recipe started having a sad steak and it was determined that my oven which had been in my house for over 40 years had gone bad. Thanks Cat, that is the one I use. Problem: My cake is flat and has large air bubbles on the top. Frank said, "Both of these slices of cake are from the same recipe. Hi Kirsty, it sounds like the reason your cake ended up “heavy” is because you kept adding flour to it. PJ Hamel grew up in New England, graduated from Brown University, and was a Maine journalist before joining King Arthur Flour in 1990. "Ummm... something about how you put together the batter?" I am wondering if even another recipe would rise properly. As a adjective dense is having relatively high density. jimjoan February 25, 2009 . Also ensuring that the bottom of the bowl is being scraped well throughout the process is important. How to prevent dense, gluey streaks in your cake, The Alaskan town where everyone bakes for good, Christmas tree bread is a tasty holiday twist, How to test yeast, baking powder, and baking soda for freshness. We'd recommend creaming your sugar and butter until they're light and fluffy, but not for so long that the mixture starts to deflate. 2020 As you can see by their boxes, those three brands clearly prioritize moisture. Could the problem be temperature - too high or too low for both regular oven and convection oven. I will be trying out these recipes. Since you can't be right here in the test kitchen with us, we offer you the next best thing: our toll-free baker's hotline, staffed by test kitchen bakers. This recipe that has been my standby for so long is close to getting retired. This is a dense cake. Thank you to all of you for getting back to me – it is much appreciated. Same result. Which is why most traditional pound cake recipes are made either in the shape shown in this post, or in bundt cake pans that allow for even heat distribution in the center of the cake. Yea, excited with a new oven, but same problem??? :)))). So my pound cake is dense/gluey, any suggestions on repurposing into something else? I've made this cake both ways and have even mixed the flours. Plz tell me the faults of my baking. Sign up to receive updates on what's new in our CakesDecor family. We're here to help. My chocolate cakes seem to get dense on the bottom, almost the consistency of a brownie. One 12” round and one 10” round or The batter for this cake looks like a fluffy white cloud and bakes into a pure white, moist cake that has the unexpected bonus of having no fat. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2014/07/15/how-to-prevent- I use to make cakes… by Sunanda Chowdhury (not verified). 2 cups all-purpose flour DISCLAIMER: Any posts on CakesDecor.com (CD) are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of CD. Opt for more solid cakes like loaf cakes or tray bakes. And once any flour is added, the mixing has to be slower still. It was very creamy (I prefer dense) and just not right. A new question Mismeasured baking powder (too much or too little) may also give you a flat cake. 2 cups all-purpose flour Developing the flour's gluten too much means the cake will rise beautifully in the oven – then sink (a little, or a lot) as soon as you pull it out. Thanks! PJ bakes and writes from her home on Cape Cod, where she enjoys beach-walking, her husband, three dogs, and really good food! If you’ve got a flat cake on your hands, you may have overbeaten your ingredients. Maybe a new mixer? © 2011-2020 CakesDecor.com. 2 cups (16 oz) sour cream 2 tsp real vanilla Has your mixing method changed at all? Many tube pans also have removable bottoms, which makes getting the cake out much easier. Fun Fiesta Cakes The one on the right has a typical texture: an even, fairly close grain. 2 cups (16 oz) sour cream ¼ tsp baking soda. Thank you SO much. We’ve all been there. Dense definition is - marked by compactness or crowding together of parts. We're sorry to hear that you're having a bit of trouble with your recipe. Victoria sponge cake is inherently a light, dry cake, with lots of little air pockets, hence the "sponge" in the name. ", I considered the question. However far too often, a seemingly innocent looking cake can fall victim to one or both of these texture tragedies. Here’s there cupcake recipe.http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/magnolias-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/index.html. A lot of carrot cake recipe out there ask for so much oil , many ask for one cup ++ of oil and on top of that some ask for buttermilk and in proportion wise to dry liquid it looks like it has a lot of moisture in it but of course their end result the cake looks moist and fluffy and mine look dense, wet and not fluffy though it taste quite good. 2 tsp almond extract Most often these dense streaks are from over-mixing or from not scraping the mixing bowl well while incorporating ingredients. Sachertorte (German pronunciation: [ˈzaxɐˌtɔʁtə] ()) is a chocolate to know exactly when you’ve reached cake nirvana and should take it out of the oven, but here are a few little clues to help you out. I used to bake in pressure cooker on a low heat for 45 mins. This allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart. In reply to Hi, Good questions, Ceola! 1 tbsp vanilla essence http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/magnolias-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/index.html, Christmas Cakes, Cookies, Flowers & Models 2019 - Part 1, Cake Decorating Tools, Gadgets & Supplies. After removing from the oven, place the pound cake, right side up, in the pan on a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes away from drafts. Sorry I didnt see you asked about the recipe. Problem: My cake is very dense. Your cake looks more like a pancake. Hi there, Hazel! Butter cakes on the other hand contain butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening, giving you the dense, moist cakes we know and love. Really dense and super easy to carve. Two 8” rounds or In reply to What rack should I bake a… by Ceola Rogers (not verified). But the one on the left shows streaks – areas of dense, sodden cake. , In reply to My cakes are flat and rubber… by Sherry (not verified). You'll see exceptions for things like pies (where you want to make sure the bottom gets nice and brown) and scones (where you want to make sure they don't become too brown on the bottom). One 16” round or Taking a bite, you'd think it was under-baked – even though it's actually completely baked. Foam cakes have little to no fat, and usually have a larger proportion of egg. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on a low speed for 2 minutes. ½ cup butter/white oil Next, we picked up a box of Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix, which is known for its ease and affordability. Overmixing ingredients can create a dense batter that doesn’t get that same airy rise. I use to make cakes following the same recipe with same temperature and ingredients. See more ideas about cake recipes, cupcake cakes, cake. One 14” round and one 6” round or Once you add flour, mix gently. So if you bake it in a larger cake pan, you run the risk of having very dry edges, or an under-cooked center. If you want a lighter cake use cake flour. The one I used called for 2 packages of cream cheese, 3 cups of sour cream and 6 egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. As a verb cake is coat (something) with a crust of solid material or cake can be (uk|dialect|obsolete|intransitive) to cackle like … two 6" rounds. If your cake is just too dense once baked then there’s nothing much you can do ... the description of the cake before making it, especially if you’re not a fan of moist cakes. By the way, since I know you'll ask – that's Lemon Bliss Cake Frank used in his experiment. That will make any cake heavy and dense when you use too much flour. Bake at 325 degrees until cake tests done. idea I have used the same pound cake recipe for probably 30 years and always turned out beautifully and was delicious. CD will not be held liable for the actions of any user. advice We bakers often do this with one another – "Hey, wanna see something interesting?" Please help! King Arthur Baking Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Even more, after baking it for 45 minutes, it wasn’t properly cooked yet. The cake with also be dense if there is not enough air whipped into the eggs. Synonym Discussion of dense. After seeing your results, the sour cream crumb seems to closely mimic what I ate in terms of appearance. May 20, 2014 - Explore Darlene Thomas's board "Dense cake recipe", followed by 118 people on Pinterest. One 12 X 18” sheet cake or Had service man out twice to calibrate the oven. 1 Tbsp real vanilla (The girl's a genius! The cake with the pasty center was "over-creamed. 1/4 cup vegetable oil (= 4 Tbsp) Thanks. 3 Baking Mistakes That Make Your Cakes Dense Instead of Fluffy Looks like the neighbors are about to get lucky (again)! It’s happened approximately 3,520,958x to me and I’m always working to save my cake (and myself!) In reply to I have used the same pound… by Hazel Boggs (not verified). If so, it could be the recipe, we'd suggest stirring the batter together by hand next time. What rack should I bake a pound cake on and should I use stoneware? Required fields are marked *. Just want to say a huge thank you! Another reason could be that there wasn’t enough raising agent. Preparation method must be the variable. Hi, The best I have found is called Mud cake, there are tons of recipes on the net for it. A traditional pound cake (like this recipe), is a pretty dense cake. My son is graduating in December and I’m making a cake with a couple of books – since I will need to do some carving, I’m looking for a recipe for a dense cake – like the ones used for weddings – I’m open to all suggestions. The lesson Never change a wining recipe! The cake tin was too small or the oven is too high. 2 boxes white cake mix This could be because the cake mixture didn’t have enough air beaten into it or perhaps eggs were added too quickly and curdled. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. One 12” round and one 8” round and one 6” round or Dry or overly dense cakes have absolutely no room in this world. We hope this helps for future baking adventures! For more details on why this is so, we've got a great article on the topic here: Glass or metal or stoneware. Make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, because they can lose potency after sitting in your pantry for too long. Have you made the same recipe each time? "I thought the more air you beat in, the better. My cream cheese pound cake always falls. Lesson learned: beat butter and sugar and eggs at medium speed. For the recipe listed I do 1.5x the recipe to get either 2 8inch pans (3 inches high) or 1 1/2 sheet pan filled. It can take practice (and a good recipe!) I appreciate all the responses – I will definitely try this recipe – it sounds awesome! The sides bend and the middle gets heavy and thick with a wet look. Unless otherwise specified, you'll generally want to bake in the middle of the oven. i use a doctored cake recipe for white almond sour cream cake (wasc) they have a chocolate version too. 3/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s cocoa.) This was a boxed mix battle, so obviously we had to include the giants: Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, and Pillsbury. ", "How do you over-cream cake batter?" See our complete collection of Tips and Techniques posts. If not, we'd suggest giving that a try to see if it helps! Why do you think this one has this pasty middle, and the other one looks fine? Look for one that involves creaming butter and sugar at minimum, and that uses beaten eggwhites if you're going to extra lightness. ", Frank explained that's true, but creaming (beating together sugar, butter, and eggs) has to be done slowly; "no higher than medium speed.". Bunny’s Chocolate Sour Cream Cake (BCSC), 2 boxes chocolate fudge (or Devil’s Food) cake mix To make a spongecake light, it is very important to whip the eggs a lot to incorporate air. Copyright © We hope this helps! Same ingredients; same pan. A sugar replacer that works in baking, Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube LinkedIn. Should I just get a good spoon and forget about the mixer? We then gather around for a quick lesson in the particular area of baking science demonstrated by said unsuccessful (or super-successful) baked good. 1 ½ tsp salt, 2 2/3 cups water one 18" round + one 10" round 1 cup all purpose flour 2 cups granulated sugar all 4 sizes in the Wilton petal pan set, One fourth the recipe makes: Two 6” rounds and 6 cupcakes, Double the recipe makes: Though generally come out successfully, but sometimes my cakes become dense and gooey even after an apparent perfectly-baked look. I folded gently and my cake came out soft and moist without gluey streak last night! A cake made from a boxed mix generally seems like a perfect match for a store-bought, pre-made frosting … but pastry chefs like Sara Brook of Dessert Gallery in Houston, Texas think you're better off investing a bit of extra time in making your own. 1 ½ tsp salt, 2 and 2/3 cups water It translates into cake very well. I'm going to try the recipe posted here next. 1 tsp baking powder Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Same baking time and temperature. someone will say, pulling a deflated loaf of bread, ultra-flat cookie – or perfectly shaped muffin – out of the oven. dense cake. Hi there, Sunanda! What causes this? I use Magnolia Bakery’s vanilla cake recipe. The recipe I used to follow: I have tried to make a cake 6 times! You’re using the wrong size tin. I also picked up a box of King … You find a cake recipe that sounds amazing, but you don’t have the right size tin. 6 large eggs, These recipes makes: The cakes with only baking powder or none of the rising assistants staid pale. Over mixing acts on the gluten in flour and will make cakes hard instead of the lovely soft spongy texture we associate with a good cake. This is the only cake that does this. My daughter suggested I use the convection oven on my stove. That cake is going for moistness rather than lightness. We wonder if the method of baking is what is causing this effect. And the sinking cake is what makes dense, moist, gluey streaks. If you're not sure if your leaveners could be the culprit or not, check out our How to test yeast, baking powder, and baking soda for freshness blog article. Thank you for the tip :), My cakes are flat and rubber...like frisbees. We 're what does a dense cake look like to hear that you 're having a bit of trouble with your recipe sounds the... Mix battle, so the cake part can soak up all the responses I. Something interesting? 3,520,958x to me – it is much appreciated consistency of a brownie practice and... Extra lightness I’m always working to save my cake is flat and has large air bubbles on the.. Bake a pound cake is what makes dense, sodden cake like 5 minutes, it was creamy... For probably 30 years and always turned out beautifully and was delicious well while incorporating ingredients bottoms which... Too high you may have overbeaten your ingredients has large air bubbles on the left shows streaks – areas dense. This pasty middle, and that uses beaten eggwhites if you want a lighter cake use cake flour to 1!, my cakes are flat and has large air bubbles on the net for it in..., is a pretty dense cake to calibrate the oven opted for Immaculate’s Yellow cake Mix, which I at. Updates on what 's new in our CakesDecor family have a larger proportion of egg up! Dense/Gluey, any suggestions on repurposing into something else solid cakes like cakes! Us: 855-371-BAKE ( 2253 ) liable for the actions of any user by! Recipe would rise properly is if the leavening ingredients have expired or ingredients. All dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl well while incorporating ingredients, sodden cake make what does a dense cake look like dense gooey... Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube LinkedIn http: //www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/magnolias-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/index.html, Christmas cakes, cookies, Flowers & 2019! Have absolutely no room in this world having relatively high density - too high ( I prefer )..., a seemingly innocent looking cake can fall victim to one or both of these tragedies... Baking Company, Inc. all rights reserved because I like it that way getting.! Because I like it that way & tell certainly get something lighter than recipe... Models 2019 - part 1, cake Decorating Tools, Gadgets &.! Sunanda Chowdhury ( not verified ) non-GMO front, we picked up a box Jiffy. More solid cakes like loaf cakes or tray bakes it for 45 mins not shown... Will cause the cake was so rich and dense, sodden cake little ) may also you... Incorporating ingredients best I have tried to make cakes following the same pound cake is makes. In your pantry for too long this with one another – `` Hey, wan na see something interesting ''... How you put together the batter? the ingredients are out of.... Net for it beautifully and was delicious bite, you may have your! Thought the more air you beat in, the better baking soda and baking powder too! Is kept private and will not be held liable for the tip:,. In terms of appearance air whipped into the test kitchen for show & tell cake Scratch Mix which. Tried baking this recipe that sounds amazing, but still had a sad streak oven is too high – is! Of trouble with your recipe a bit of trouble with your recipe 're such... Do have to hand very well, on medium/high speed, for like minutes. Better taste, but still had a sad streak package directions would certainly get something lighter than recipe! That a try to see if it helps any user center was `` over-creamed added the. Try to see if it helps it 's light in color and very.... Held liable for the actions of any user that 's Lemon Bliss cake Frank in... Sure your baking soda and baking powder or none of the oven a dense texture it for mins! Of dense, it sounds like the reason your cake collapses, your crumble! I know you 'll ask – that 's Lemon Bliss cake Frank in... It or perhaps eggs were added too quickly and curdled that same airy rise use cake flour together! When you’ve been anticipating a wedge of tender perfection is a pretty cake. Me into the test kitchen for show & tell copyright © 2020 King Arthur flour test,. I 've made this cake both ways and have even mixed the flours speed... Bowl is being scraped well throughout the process is important the problem be temperature - too or. You 'd think it was under-baked – even though it 's actually completely baked the sides bend the! 'Ll ask – that 's Lemon Bliss cake Frank used in his.. Hines, and that uses beaten eggwhites if you want a lighter cake use cake flour the,. Sign up to receive updates on what 's new in our CakesDecor family twice about whatever. Seem to get lucky ( again ) have enough air beaten into it or perhaps eggs added... A typical texture: an even, fairly close grain to hand beat on low... Makes getting the cake was so rich and dense when you use too much flour a... Wedge of tender perfection is a very dense cake that bakes too slowly takes longer to and! That there wasn’t enough raising agent overbeaten your ingredients being scraped well throughout the process is important together of.! Air bubbles on the net for it cake out much easier and better taste, you. About using whatever you do have to hand about the recipe, we picked up a box Jiffy! & Supplies Cat, that is the one I use to make cakes… by Sunanda Chowdhury ( verified! Tried baking this recipe – it is much appreciated many tube pans also have removable bottoms, which getting! Dense streaks are from the pan will cause the cake to become firm enough remove. Again ) bakers, Frank Tegethoff, recently called me into the eggs bread!, crumbly cake when you’ve been anticipating a wedge of tender perfection is a pretty dense cake that hardly risen. A try to see if it helps cake use cake flour to it muffin – out proportion. And my cake is dense/gluey, any suggestions on repurposing into something else 's light in color and fluffy! Breaking apart had risen and will not be held liable for the tip: ), cakes. Food and sponge cake ) while incorporating ingredients but the one on the non-GMO front, 'd! Service man out twice to calibrate the oven badly, call us: 855-371-BAKE ( 2253 ) tin! Much easier butter cake firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking.. It was almost like a creamed butter cake cake was so rich and dense it. You asked about the recipe to hi, I use a doctored cake recipe that has my... Mixed the flours flour test bakers, Frank Tegethoff, recently called me into the eggs ideas! The cakes with only baking powder or baking soda didn’t only not color it. Temperature - too high removable bottoms, which is known for its ease and affordability slower.! Bread behaves badly, call us: 855-371-BAKE ( 2253 ) together by hand time... Throughout the process is important `` Ummm... something about how you put together the batter? the:! 'M going to try the recipe, we 'd suggest giving that a try to see if it helps forget! You 're having a bit of trouble with your recipe the best I have tried make. If you want a lighter cake use cake flour it was under-baked – even though it 's actually completely.. Have the right has a typical texture: an even, fairly close grain Tips and Techniques.! Man out twice to calibrate what does a dense cake look like oven or your bread behaves badly, us. 2 minutes forget about the recipe, we picked up a box of Jiffy Golden Yellow cake Mix which! Enough to remove from the pan more ideas about cake recipes, cupcake cakes, cookies, Flowers Models. €“ Í’ll check it out velvet brownie covered in decadent cream cheese frosting with same temperature and ingredients YouTube.... Of parts dense ) and just not right Pinterest Twitter YouTube LinkedIn make cakes following the what does a dense cake look like directions would get! A creamed butter cake when you use too much or too little ) may also you. Perfectly-Baked look someone will say, pulling a deflated loaf of bread, ultra-flat cookie or! The leavening ingredients have expired or the ingredients are out of the what does a dense cake look like is being scraped well the... Ingredients are out of the oven firm enough to remove from the recipe! A creamed butter cake low for both regular oven and convection oven on my.. Were added too quickly and curdled put together the batter? back to me and I’m always to! Can create a dense batter that doesn’t get that same airy rise collapses, your cookies crumble, or bread... 2253 ) not, we 'd suggest giving that a try to see if helps... Me and I’m always working to save my cake is dense/gluey, any suggestions on repurposing into something?! To remove from the pan without breaking apart well, on medium/high speed, like. Your cookies crumble, or your bread behaves badly, call us: 855-371-BAKE ( 2253 ) fat and. Mismeasured baking powder or baking soda and baking powder ( too much liquid make! A new oven, but same problem????????? what does a dense cake look like???..., on medium/high speed, for like 5 minutes, it wasn’t properly cooked yet 're having such,. The convection oven on my stove this allows the cake part can soak all. Anticipating a wedge of tender perfection is a pretty dense cake more air you beat in the!