Wouldn't this cake batter be too runny? Would the coffee affect the texture?
I came across What purpose does coffee serve in a chocolate cake recipe? as a similar question to one I'd just asked about baking.
Looking at the recipe she provided there, wouldn't the amount of liquid (coffee, buttermilk, oil, and eggs) to solid (flour, sugar, and cocoa powder) make it a very runny batter? It's 4 1/3 cups liquid plus 3 eggs to 6 1/2 cups solid (if I count the sugar as a solid). It just seems like a lot of liquid to solid. Maybe the coffee being hot does something?
Best Answer
Compare that recipe to this very similar one from Ina Garten (complete with handy video) Chocolate Buttermilk Cake. Watch her pour. No question, that is a wet batter. Apparently it works fine, Ina's recipe is very highly rated.
Both recipes use volumetric measurements (ugh), so I'll use cups.
Ina's recipe (sugar is wet (sort of), subject for another question) - Wet ingredients (2 + 1 + .5 + 1 + .5 (eggs) = 5 cups wet to 2.5 cups dry (flour plus cocoa) 5/2.5 = 2
Your recipe: Wet ingredients (2.5 + 1.5 + 1.33 + 1.5 + .75 (egg) = 7.58 cups wet to 4 cups dry (flour plus cocoa) 7.58/4 = 1.9
So they're very close, Ina's actually a bit "wetter".
I am not aware of anything special the coffee would do to the baking chemistry here. It's got some acid, but I don't think that is relevant. As far as the "wetness" of the batter, it's the same as water as far as I know. The temperature might help dissolve the sugar, but that would be a minor thing at best.
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What will happen if cake batter is too watery?
Thick cake batters results in a lighter fluffier cake and the thin soupy batter would be dense and heavy. I find thick batter will result in dense, heavy cakes. Watery batter results in light and fluffy cakes \u2013 that's from my experience.What does coffee do in a cake?
Rather, coffee is commonly included because it is a great way to enhance the flavor of cocoa powder, resulting in a more chocolaty cake \u2013 not a coffee-flavored one.Can you add coffee to cake batter?
Dissolve 1 tablespoon coffee in 1 1/4 cups water. Make cake batter as directed on box, using coffee mixture in place of the water. Bake and cool as directed.Should my cake batter be thick or runny?
A cake batter should be fluffy. This means that the batter is aerated and will rise when baked. Secondly, it shouldn't be overly thick or overly runny. A thick batter makes a dense, heavy, and stiff cake.Wouldn't It Be Nice (Remastered 1999)
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Answer 2
Any time I've ever added coffee (liquid or crystals), it has imparted flavor.
I've never added more than a bit. It doesn't take much to add coffee flavor.
I don't know of any other reason to add coffee to a recipe.
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