Pastry is a pure laboratory that uses a huge variety of ingredients that are mixed together to produce a unique product. All the ingredients that are gathered within a batter have a specific role in the making of the bread or the pastry product. In the process of cake-making, egg plays a great role. What are they?
What does egg do in a cake batter?
Whether you decide to use fresh egg or egg powder, before starting the recipe, you should make sure to know the role of this ingredient in the cake batter. Generally, the protein containing in both the yolk and the white plays a great role in the structure of the cake.
In principle, when it is in contact with arm, the protein coagulates. As long as the heat rises, it forms the cake crumb with the flour. So, if you want to modify the consistence of your cake, you need to manipulate the numbers of the eggs, the white and the yolk on your batter, not the temperature of your oven.
Egg and its science
Have you ever wondered why the egg is called a super food? The answer is simple: its proteins can bond together in a unique way. Water is the main component of the egg. And in this water, there are many protein molecules.
As far as raw egg is concerned, its proteins adopt the form of long chains. They are imbricated into themselves and are spread within all the water molecules. That is the reason why raw egg flows, it is a liquid.
Once you heat or salt the egg or whip it into a foam, the liquid is directly in contact with an acid and the protein chains break the bonds. As a result, they become compact by forming new form of bonds. That’s why its form changes.
If you cannot imagine the whole process, think about little humans that are linked to form a block and that are spread in a big bowl of water. When the water is warm or when an acid is added to it, the humans are grabbed and adopts a new form- more compact- to cope with the threat.
Role of yolks in cake batter
The yolk is a source of protein. It can also bring some fat and flavor. There is also some emulsifying lecithin within the yolk. Generally, the role of the emulsifiers is to hold water and fat together. In that sense, if you some extra amount of egg yolks to your batter, it enables it to hold extra liquid.
As a consequence, it intensifies extra sugar. As a result, your will have a moister and sweeter cake because it will continue bake up. Once it’s completely baked, you will get a good structured cakebut not a falling into a corny mass of sweet bread.
Importance of egg whites in cake batter
Generally, egg whites can itself leaven the cake if you whip it to a foam. As the fact of whipping it remains cooking it, the white no more play in its solidification. So, the white is not a huge responsible of the structure of the baked cake.
But if you want to lighten up the texture but you don’t want to use more baking powder, you can just separate and whip the whites before mixing it into your batter.
Other tips to get a good cake
After the baking process, if you get a cake that has a dry side, you can try swapping out some of the egg whites for extra yolks. If you find your cake is not solid enough and tends to be a little gummy, feel free to add some extra whites.