Folding dry ingredients into the cake batter: at once or in 2/3 portions, does it make a difference?
The following is my go-to sponge cake recipe:
6 eggs
2 and a half cups flour
1 cup oil
1 and a half cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 and a half tsp baking powder
cardamom and saffron
First I separate eggs, then I cream egg yolks and sugar. I add oil and mix well, then I stir in lukewarm milk. at this time, egg whites are beaten until stiff-peak forms. Then it's folded into the yolk mixture. dry ingredients (sifted) folded at the end. Goes into the oven (pre-heated/180) until the edges are golden.
The issue is, at the stage where I add dry ingredients, sometimes I add it in three portions and I sift it over the batter. But some other times I do it at once. I get different textures, soft and fluffy or quite sense. Is adding flour at once causing an undesired texture?
Best Answer
You want the dry ingredients to be fully moistened and dispersed throughout the liquid with no dry clumps. You also want minimal agitation so that you don't destroy the retrained air, introduced by the whipped egg whites, which acts to give a fluffier texture to the finished cake.
If you sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter in multiple steps and gently fold in each addition, it requires very little agitation to moisten and incorporate; little more than lightly pressing over the surface with a spatula and a gentle fold or two.
If you add all at once, you have to mix the batter more vigorously to get the dry ingredients to fully incorporate. This will cause the batter to deflate and will produce a denser cake.
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Why do we put the dry ingredients into the batter in 2 to 3 batches?
Adding all of the dry ingredients will cause the batter to be thick and likely result in over mixing, which will yield a tougher cake. Instead, add them in two or three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir ingredients after each addition, but only until just combined.When folding 2 ingredients together you should?
How to Fold IngredientsFOLDING TECHNIQUE for Cakes » tips \u0026 tricks
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Answer 2
Adding all the dry ingredients at one time is certainly not helping you achieve a uniform texture or repeatable results from cake to cake. The best way is to add the dry ingredients a little at a time and continue to fold/mix them in until each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Do the same with your egg whites.
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