Cake Formula

"Being a baking novice, I've wondered how a baker can create a cake recipe from scratch and know that it will work. When I found this "formula" I then understood the math and balancing of ingredients by WEIGHT not volume. Having the right proportions of flour, eggs, sugar, liquid and fat makes all the difference between the "rise & fall" of baked goods. The following is an *example* of the formula at work and not meant to be a specific cake recipe."
 
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photo by a food.com user photo by a food.com user
Ready In:
1hr
Ingredients:
7
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Basic formula, using weight, not volume:

  • Sugar = flour.
  • Eggs = fat.
  • Eggs + Liquid =Sugar.
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every 1 cup of flour.
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for each 1 cup of flour (baking soda is used if the recipe has a considerable amount of acidic ingredients).
  • Don't forget the 1/2 teaspoon of salt as a flavor enhancer.

Questions & Replies

  1. I have reviewed some basic cake recipes, and the formula listed here just doesn’t add up. I always find that the eggs and liquid weigh far more than the sugar in many recipes, some by at least 7 ounces!! How can this be the rule? Example: a recipe calls for 2 large eggs at 50 grams each, one cup of milk at 240 grams, and that’s supposed to equal the 1 cup sugar it calls for at 200 grams? Should I add more sugar then, than this recipe calls for or am I figuring something wrong?
     
  2. I'm new to baking! Im a teenager, and im trying to explore making my own recipes from scratch, and on top of that trying to navigate eggless baking. This is what i came up with for a basic eggless vanilla recipe.. please reply if my recipe is wonky, or needs some tweaking! it is greatly appreciated. Basic eggless vanilla cake recipe: 2 ½ cups of cake flour 2 tsps of baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 cup of sugar 2 cups of unsalted butter 2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar 1 tbsps of vanilla 1 cup of buttermilk
     
  3. i would actually like to make a cake recipe...What are the basics i would need to know...i know you must have Flavor, Fat, Flour and Fluids, but I am having a hard time with what and measuring of what i should use...any suggestion would be appriciated....Thank you... I am new to baking but enjoy it.....I have been baking with cake recipes but just wanted to try my own hand at it and make my own recipe...
     
  4. Hi, I was wondering how I could turn this into some sort of veggie cake such as a pumpkin spice cake or banana cake?
     
  5. How would you figure in liquid? For instance making a rum cake. How would I measure alcohol into the recipe?
     
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Reviews

  1. Hey, thanx u for the ratio.. This makes so much sense. However, I'd like to know how I can incorporate chocolate n coco powder for a chocolate cake. Please respond. It's urgent.
     
  2. Susie, this is great! I've never known how a cake formula worked either. This should be kept in a safe place on Zaar!! Extremely interesting. Personally, when in doubt, I've always used 2 teaspoons baking powder for every 1 cup flour, and it worked -- but I won't use that much if the cake contained more eggs than usual (a raising agent as well). Thanks for posting this -- I'm saving it to my private cookbook as a reference.
     
  3. Hi peach_shru Depending on how chocolatey you want your cake, replace 1/2 to 3/4 C flour with unsweetened baking cocoa powder. The other ratios stay the same.
     
  4. How would i make a chocolate cake using the formula? i would assume you cut down on the flour and add cocoa powder but thats probably wrong or maybe its not.
     
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Tweaks

  1. For this formula I'll be using grams as it is more precise and repeatable than oz or volume measurements. 1: To create a cake formula start with a small measure of flour say 250 grams. In terms of bakers %, the flour represents 100 % of the formula. 2: Sugar should be 100% - 150% of the flour. With many formulas averaging around 120%. In this case that would put our sugar at 300 grams. 3: Fat (shortening) - with whichever form you use, oil, butter, or shortening the percent will remain the same, which ranges from 40-50% of the FLOUR weight. That would equal 125 grams in this case. Remember butter is around 20% water which means 113 g | 1 stick | 4 oz only 90 grams is fat. So, you would have to use more butter than oil or shortening. 4: The total combined weight of egg, whole, yolk, or white should be GREATER than the percent of oil by about 15%. A large egg egg is roughly 50g or 1.25oz. so, 15% more than 125 g of fat is 144 g, so 3 whole eggs equaling 150 is close enough. 5: To figure out our liquid (typically milk, buttermilk, or water) we take the weight of the sugar ( 300 g) and add 10%, which equals 30 grams. Now minus the weight of the eggs ( 150 g), which equals 150 grams and add the 30 grams, giving is 180 g. This weight is what we can use for the liquid portion of the formula. 6: Baking Powder should be used at around 3% which in this case equals 7.5, round up to 8 grams. 7: In terms of baking soda, it is good to add baking soda to help balance the PH level of the batter. In the case of using extras like vinegar, brown sugar, buttermilk as your liquid, or other acidic ingredients. 8: Flavorings like extracts should be around 5% of weight of flour. Or roughly 12 grams Basic Vanilla Layer Cake Formula Cake Flour | 250 g | 2 Cups Granulated or Castor Sugar | 300 g | 1.5 Cups Shortening or Liquid Oil | 125 g | 1/2 C + 1 Tablespoon Eggs | 150 g | 3 Whole Large Liquid | 180 g | 3/4 c Flavor | 12 g | 1 Tablespoon Bake at 350 f | 176 c until internal temp at center reads between 205 - 210 f | 96 - 98 c
     

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