Cake Ingredients

[WhiteSnake]

This question has probably been asked many times before but I can't find an answer. When baking a cake with added ingredients, such as coconut, how do you stop the added ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan? I would like to make a coconut cake that has the coconut throughout the cake. Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind there is a small voice saying to toss the coconut with flour before adding to the batter but my mind was lost many years ago.

[bakingfool]

I've baked thousands of cakes with things like fruit and blueberries, coconut and nuts, and despite all of my efforts, I've never been able to get them evenly distributed throughout the cake. Heavy inclusions, like blueberries, always sink to the bottom. The only thing I've ever had any luck getting to stay suspended in the batter is raisins, and they sink, too, just not as dramatically.

I've been a faithful flourer, and the inclusions sank. I've tried sprinkling the ingredients over the top rather than mixing them in before baking, and they sank, too, just in a more even layer.

A couple of years ago, America's Test Kitchen answered this question in their magazine. Their answer was basically the same as mine - if what you're including in your cake is denser than the batter, it's going to sink, and they recommended skipping the flour coating all together, but admitted they'll still do it.

I know it's frustrating when the pictures show beautiful cakes with evenly distributed ingredients, but I think that's mostly food stylists in action.

[Dee514]

I agree with what ATK and bakingfool said. I still flour the extra ingredients before adding them to cake/muffin batters because thats how I was taught to do it 60+ years ago.
The only thing that gives 100% results for keeping the ingredients evenly suspended is to use a cake recipe that has a very thick batter.

I only have one cake recipe with a "batter" that thick, and it is for an apple cake. (Sour Cream Apple Cake) I'm afraid I do not have a "basic yellow" cake recipe with a very thick batter that I can recommend.

I do have my M-I-L's coconut cake recipe posted (Coconut Cake) which produces a cake with the flaked coconut evenly distributed, but it is also more dense in texture than a typical layer cake.

[WhiteSnake]

Thank you for the replies. I will try the MIL's cake.

[JolyV]

Dee514 wrote:


I do have my M-I-L's coconut cake recipe posted (Coconut Cake) which produces a cake with the flaked coconut evenly distributed, but it is also more dense in texture than a typical layer cake.

I can't wait until I can stand longer and can try this out;

[WhiteSnake]

Sorry forgot to reply. The cake was really good! I'm using it from now on. I added a vanilla/almond glaze and it went over very well!

[Dee514]

WhiteSnake wrote:
Sorry forgot to reply. The cake was really good! I'm using it from now on. I added a vanilla/almond glaze and it went over very well!

My M-I-L and I are glad you enjoyed it, WhiteSnake!

Reviews posted to a recipe are always appreciated.