I'm having a terrible time with air bubbles in my cakes! I follow the cake mix directions to the letter, I slam the pan on the table and I run a knife through the batter. But I'm still left with all these bubble in my baked cakes. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Do you use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer??

If you use a stand mixer, do you use the paddle or the whip??

Maybe you're mixing your batter a little faster than you ought to be. Sometimes I have a lot of bubbles and other times almost none. Thumping them a few times usually brings them to the surface. I'm not sure why this occurs.

I use a stand mixer with the paddle. Two minutes at medium speed. Maybe I need to lower the speed. But will the batter be mixed enough?

I used to overmix and had the same problem you do, but then someone here (I think indydebi??) said that she doesn't mix 2 minutes as suggested -- I think it also helps prevent doming??

Anyway, since I have started only mixing til everything looks moist (maybe one minute) and not watching the clock I haven't had big air bubbles!

I just gently tap my pan (for a couple minutes) on the counter, and I watch for the air bubbles to come up.
And I agree with the "don't overmix" advice. I don't think I've ever mixed a cake mix for 2 minutes.

Hope this helps.

I don't mix mine the two minutes wither. I mox it until it looks good and incorporated and I have less air bubbles.

What does over mixing do? I am a little annoyed, i usually get R and H mix from a cash and carry place and they were out of the 10 pound bag, so they told me that they had a 50 pound bag of the same exact thing. They swore to me it was the same. So i bought all 50 pounds not needing it but needed the same kind of batter. So i get home and realize its cake base and not mix. So instead of adding just water now i gotta add a pound of egg white...anyways, to add to may annoyance, I used a whip to mix it and followed the mixing times to a tee. Well it was thick batter like brownie batter.

I am sure using a whip had something to do with it. but can anyone explain what over mixing does?

Overmixing has something to do with the gluten in flour and I think it's the eggs that whip up causing the bubbles??

I started using egg whites in a carton -- t says not to use for meringues and angel food cake because the pasteurization effects their ability to rise -- but my cakes have been coming out great! (Trader Joes, $1.99 for a carton equal to 8 egg whites).

So is it a correct assumption to just watch the batter so that it looks like it is well mixed? and forget about the mixing times the instructions say? is there such a thing as undermixing?

As far as the egg whites, I went to safeway and got their brand and when I got home, I noticed they conviently added coloring to make it look like real eggs, Anyways....i just added some white food coloring to it and it was fine as far as the color. But I will check out Trader Joes I love that place.

I get a lot less air bubbles since I started sifting my cake mix. I also put the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl first, then add the sifted cake mix. No more dry mix stuck to the bottom of the bowl! Good luck!

I'm not fimilar w/that brand but when I used 50# bags I had to mix it a whole different way Don't ask....I don't remember the instructions now.

If you are using that mix but making small (equal to one or two box mixes) batches, then there should be no different.
When I would have problems w/bubbles in the mix it usually was because there was not enough liquid used. Try increasing the water (or whatever yhou are using) by a couple of tablespoons - up to 1/4 cup if necessary.

Ya I never mix for 2 minutes either than just tap the pan like everyone else.

Thanks for all the great information. It's just what I needed.

Duplicate post, please also see:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-584854-.html

HTH

Duplicate post, please also see:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-584854-.html

HTH