If I Mix This Batter Tonight, Can I Bake The Cake Tomorrow
Decorating By Hollandy Updated 23 Jul 2010 , 4:13pm by Joyfull4444
momarobin - is the recipe you keep like that one that is from scratch or is it a boxed base one? I know it works perfectly (even freezing the box based batter) I am just really interested in how this works for the scratch recipes that don't have ANY boxed mix involved.
For those who use a scratch recipe over a few days....What would be the deciding factor (if it were a scratch recipe) that makes one recipe able to hold for a couple of days over another recipe? Does anyone know why or how this will work with the "science" of scratch baking?
Loucinda...the recipe is a boxed base recipe. I only bake a couple of cakes that are made from scratch and I don't make those in 'bulk' so I've never had a need to refrigerate the batter. I don't know anything about scratch batter and refrigeration However, I've read in more than one thread that Leah successfully refrigerates her batter and she's been baking from scratch for over 50 years. (50 years..that blows my mind everytime I see that..she just don't look old enough to have that much experience in the kitchen....LOL)
Anyway...I don't know her recipe or if ALL scratch batter can be 'held' in the refrigerator. It may depend on recipe...don't know. I just know that she does it so it IS possible to do. Whether or not it's possible for ALL scratch cakes...I just don't know...but that's a good question
Loucinda the scratch recipes that it will work with best are those that depend on baking powder or soda for the cake to rise.
The leavening agent is basically an acid/base reaction that is activated by heat and water. Slow down the reaction and you are good to go. The cold of the fridge will show it down and allow you to keep it overnight.
I would not recommend pre-mixing a recipe that depends on beaten eggs as the leavening. When left for a while beaten eggs will fall. So I wouldn't risk it with something like a true sponge or a chiffon cake.
HTH...and anybody else more suitably qualified feel free to jump in.
Keeping it in the fridge or freezing will work with pound cake batter. Lighter batters based on beaten eggs will sink. Try leaving a couple of spoons out next time you bake one. After an hour or so you are left with a runny puddle. These lighter batters must go in the oven immediatly or they will not rise. I put pound batter right from the fridge in the oven, usually at 325. It may take a little longer to bake but not that much.
okay, several cups of coffee later... Baking soda is the one that starts reacting when it comes in contact with liquid. It's a short lived reaction and if you delay, you will suffer a good deal of loss of that leavening reaction. Granted, most cakes are made with baking powder. But some use baking soda.
Double acting Baking powder (which is pretty much all they sell now) needs both liquid and heat to complete its leavening process. Mixing the liquid in will begin the process of creating the gas bubbles, but it will take the heat to make them expand. So, while waiting to bake will work, you will still lose a certain degree of the leavening.
Recipes that rely on air incorporation into eggs, etc will not hold. They will deflate completely before you can bake them.
So bottom line, recipes that rely ONLY on double acting baking powder for their leavening are the only ones that you can hold over with any real success.
True. All my recipes depend on Double acting baking powder.
Seriously, guys I hold batter for days.
I really appreciate you all taking the time to explain this to me. I understand now - and having it written in laymans terms sure makes it easier to understand!
That just really blows me away! It is great info to have, I have always believed in that if it was from scratch it had to be baked as soon as it was mixed, no matter what. I can't wait to tell my Grandma this info (she is the one that "planted" that in my mind!)
Thank you again for sharing!
I really appreciate you all taking the time to explain this to me. I understand now - and having it written in laymans terms sure makes it easier to understand!
That just really blows me away! It is great info to have, I have always believed in that if it was from scratch it had to be baked as soon as it was mixed, no matter what. I can't wait to tell my Grandma this info (she is the one that "planted" that in my mind!)
Thank you again for sharing!
I don't honestly know if I use double acting baking powder. The stuff that sells here doesn't even say whether it's single or double. It just says baking powder...
But I read the back of the packet once and the active ingredient in it is one of the slow acting, heat activated acid salts. Hence why I can pre-mix batter.
So technically I have single acting (one type of acid salt) baking powder that works...... just food for thought.
oh puhleeze.
yes, batter can be held.
while I don't go the "days" the Leah_s does, I've done it overnight with no problem
well other than it being chocolate batter and calling out to me in my sleep "eat me!!!"
well other than it being chocolate batter and calling out to me in my sleep "eat me!!!"
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